Iconic to start roadster production

Iconic Motors will begin production of its 2012 AC Roadster in late spring in Detroit, the company said on Tuesday.

Iconic says it will build only 100 copies during its first year of production.

“We are genuinely excited to begin production on the 2012 Iconic AC Roadster,” Iconic Motors chairman Claudio Ballard said. “It was designed without compromise, fabricated from 100 percent American ingenuity and assembled from the ground up with hand-built parts.”

Iconic is offering driving instruction with former Grand-Am champion Terry Borcheller as an option with each Roadster purchase.

The Iconic AC Roadster has a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 660 lb-ft of torque and more than 800 hp. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

The whole package propels the Iconic AC Roadster to a top speed of 200 mph and a 0-to-60-mph time of less than three seconds. Iconic previously said the car would have an estimated base price of $475,000.

By Brad Constant