2022 AK 427 £75,995
Does the Corvette-engined Cobra recreation offer a fuss-free route to a blue-chip classic experience? Sam Dawson finds out
No, this isn’t a genuine AC or Shelby Cobra 427. Open its bonnet and you’ll find a Chevrolet LS3 V8 engine from a Corvette, rather than Ford power, and the bodywork is glassfibre, not aluminium. You won’t find invitation letters from Lord March on your doormat if you buy it. Then again, you’d struggle to find a barn-find Cobra for £76k, let alone something roadworthy.
However, see this AK 427 for what it is and it’s rather appealing. Consider a handbuilt low-volume British special with front-mounted V8 power, a tubular spaceframe chassis and glassfibre roadster bodywork for a £five-figure sum, all conceived in a certain retro mindset, and the first thing that springs to mind is probably a TVR. Given that it’s been 17 years since a new TVR was built and we’ve been waiting six years for the new Griffith to reach fruition, this AK 427 may be the nearest thing you can buy, in spirit.
So why is it for sale? It’s an exdemonstrator that AK is selling off. Finished last May, it’s done its duties, including trips to Le Mans, and the manufacturer needs the space. Admittedly, as a recent build used on demonstration duties, there’s nothing by way of service history. However, you’re buying it from the people who built it and they can vouch for everything it’s done – not least because it shows up in a lot of company literature and show reports. Many of the 2095 miles on its odometer were clocked up on the trip to Le Mans.
As expected of something so new, its paintwork is absolutely spotless, with only some minor heat-related flaking on the driver’s-side exhaust where the manifold meets the sill-mounted backbox.
The interior is similarly spotless, with the well-upholstered leather seats completely unmarked and uncreased. The dashboard is free of scratches and all the dials work perfectly, the design an odd combination of Sixties-style dials and a row of modern chrome push-button switches including an ignition button.
Switch off the immobiliser, turn the key, press the button, and it takes a few revolutions for the V8 to fire – typical of an LS3. It quickly settles to idle, and is sonorous and tractable from low revs.
The power-assisted steering is very direct, and high-speed cornering aided by hugely grippy brand new tyres. The action of the Tremec TRX five-speed gearbox is a bit notchy, especially when shifting down from third to second gear, but it’s nothing untoward. The clutch and very powerful brakes are progressive and smooth in their action, but the accelerator is a bit binary, the stiff-feeling pedal resulting in brutal, sometimes unintended acceleration before you get used to it.
Under the bonnet, the engine gleams, as does the unmarked chassis still showing solid, glossy powdercoating. The miles on the odometer match the engine’s short life as well. It’s a great sports car which promises a distinctly classic ownership experience, admittedly for a hefty price, but in the absence of TVR, one that’s surely worth considering.