New Car In 2012 Iconic AC Roadster

NWe've seen dozens – nay, hundreds of Shelby Cobra homages and outright knockoffs over the years, and while many of them have offered road-bludgeoning performance, precious few have been high-quality efforts, and fewer still brought something new to the table.

2012 Iconic AC Roadster

2012 Iconic AC Roadster New Design

2012 Iconic AC Roadster Interior Design

2012 Iconic AC Roadster Rigid Suspension

2012 Iconic AC Roadster Velg Chrome

2012 Iconic AC Roadster Design Suspension

So when images of the Iconic AC Roadster first hit our inboxes along with blustery talk of 800+ horsepower and a massive price tag, we didn't pay much attention. Here was yet another Cobra replica whose biggest innovation appeared to be a set of awkward looking head- and taillamps. Why bother?

And then we drove it. And oddly, just as importantly, we took a peek beneath its skin, only to realize that the car's familiar shape is something of a Trojan horse whose familiar striping job masks a shocking amount of cutting-edge technology.