Wiesmann GmbH is a German automobile manufacturer that specialises in hand-built custom convertibles. The company, which has its factory in DĂŒlmen, was founded by brothers, engineer Martin Wiesmann and businessman Friedhelm Wiesmann, in 1988. The business was temporarily closed in May 2014, but is set to return with a new model, powered by a BMW M division-sourced V8 engine. The relaunch of the Wiesmann brand has more than one model in the pipeline and the pre-development phase of the car has been completed. A teaser video of the brandâs rebirth, posted on their website, tells viewers to âexpect the unexpectedâ, while showing glimpses of what could be the first car of the brandâs new era.
In its previous era, Wiesmann used BMW six-cylinder engines to power its MF models, until the introduction in 2003 of the GT MF4, which used BMW’s 4.8-litre V8, and the MF 5, which used the M5’s 5.0-litre V10.
The company’s first roadster left the workshop in 1993. By 2006, they were producing the Wiesmann MF 3 and MF 30 roadsters and the Wiesmann GT MF 4 coupĂ©, all of which utilized engine and transmission components supplied by BMW. The company, which made around 180 hand-built cars each year, used a gecko logo because they claimed their cars “stick to the road like geckos to a wall”.
The primary difference between the MF 3 and the MF 30 was the new engine. The engine featured on the MF 3 was a BMW S54, which is originally from the M3 (E46). The engine has a displacement of 3246Â cc with a maximum power output of 252Â kW (338Â hp; 343Â PS) at 7900Â rpm, and a maximum torque of 365Â Nâ
m (269Â ftâ
lbf) at 4900Â rpm. With the new engine and due to its weight of 1,180Â kg (2,601Â lb), this car can accelerate from 0â60Â mph (97 km/h) in 5.0 sec and reaching a maximum speed of 255Â km/h (158Â mph). MF3 came with a 5-speed manual transmission as basic, and a 6-speed sequential gearbox as an option.
Another additional option were the 20-inch rims running on (front: 235/30/20, rear: 285/25/20) rubber.
