Its body is identical to that of the original model (save for being made from composite materials rather than aluminium) and, to my eyes at least, is the sweet spot of the Cobra dynasty, looking more like the AC Ace on which it was based rather than the MkIII with its Carlos Fandango tyres and steroidal arch extensions.
This MkII also retains a 3in tubular-steel ladder-frame chassis and rides on period-correct 15in wire wheels, just as before.
Mind, the thought of venturing on to these sodden roads in a 330bhp-per-tonne projectile with all-round leaf-spring suspension really does focus your mind.
But at least we can ease into our road trip at sane speeds. We’ve started at Brooklands because from 1988 and into the ’90s AC’s factory was situated along a now redeveloped section of the old Finishing Straight, after Brian Angliss’s Autokraft company acquired the rights to the AC name.
As well as continuing to build the Cobra MkIV, Angliss attempted a modern take on the Ace, but high development costs brought the company to its knees after only 50 cars had been built.
A more upbeat link with Brooklands can also be found from 1922 (the company’s history stretches back to even earlier in the last century), when an AC became the first 1500cc car to cover 100 miles in an hour on the old banked circuit.
Today, though, we’re struggling to even hit the urban speed limit as we wade our way across London’s western suburbs to our next destination.
Mercifully the rain has subsided, but since we’re roofless today, a tonneau cover protects the passenger side of the cabin for when it returns.
You sit low in the Cobra’s leather-trimmed bucket seat facing a deep dashboard ush/pull buttons – for heat, wipers and so on – and a further four unmarked flick-switches, one of which is for lights while the others remain a mystery for now.
A classic three-spoke, wood-rimmed steering wheel looks quite large for the cabin – although it’s probably ’60s-accurate – but no doubt calms your responses at high speeds, as well as giving you extra leverage at parking speeds for the unassisted rack.
