After a lengthy period of silence from the brand, Wiesmann has begun making headlines in the past few weeks for their upcoming projects which are supposedly deep into development. The brand is one of many small sports carmakers that's struggled financially over the years, although one thing they've never found difficult is making brilliant cars.
Their unique look and blistering pace mean that it's very easy to spot a Wiesmann in a crowd of other supercars, although actually seeing one at all might be a challenge. That's because they've always been low sellers, focusing on their core market in Europe and only ever selling a couple of dozen cars per year. However, with their new projects in the pipeline and a new leadership team in place, that might all be about to change.
10 Founded By Two Brothers
The company can trace its roots back to 1988 when two German brothers, engineer Martin Wiesmann and businessman Friedhelm Wiesmann, decided to set up their own business. The company was to make high-end sports cars, with a focus on performance and exclusivity.
In particular, the Wiesmann brothers wanted to make their cars grippy, and their use of a gecko as the company logo reinforced that idea. Their thinking was that their cars would grip to the road like geckos grip to a wall.
9 Their Cars Use BMW Engines
For any small manufacturer, the most difficult part of building a car from the ground up is designing an engine, which is why many small firms tend to buy pre-made engines from bigger brands. Wiesmann's engine partner of choice has always been BMW.
Over the years they've used a variety of 6-, 8- and 10-cylinder units from the Bavarian brand, and there are no plans to change that with their upcoming projects. Both of their new cars will reportedly use BMW powerplants: one a standard V8 and the other a hybrid or fully electric setup.
8 The MF30 Was Their First Car
The first Wiesmann model to ever leave the production line was the MF30, which was made available to customers in 1993. It featured a 6-cylinder BMW M54B30 engine that made 228 hp, allowing it to go from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat.
The MF30 also set the standard for what Wiesmann's cars would look like, as right up until its bankruptcy in 2013 the brand's cars would continue to look almost identical. However, the components underneath would be continually improved, starting with the MF3.
7 The MF3 Improved The Formula
The initial success of the MF30 allowed Wiesmann to fine-tune the car even further, and it was only a few years before a revised model, the MF3, was debuted. The main difference between the MF3 and its predecessor the MF30 is the engine, as the newer car featured an S54 unit rather than the previous M54.
This upped the car's power significantly, as it now put out 343 hp. Acceleration remained roughly the same, but its top speed was improved, reaching 158 mph as opposed to the previous car's top speed of 143 mph.
6 Things Changed With The GT MF4
It's worth noting that around the time of the MF4's introduction, Wiesmann had created a number of limited-run models like the MF28 and MF35, both of which had minor changes from the MF3 but didn't differentiate too much from the standard formula.
The MF4 however did shake things up a bit, as it was revamped with a focus on being a long-distance grand tourer rather than an all-out performance car. It was also the first Wiesmann available with a fixed roof, as all previous models had been convertibles or roadsters.
5 Production Ended With The GT MF5
The MF5 was the natural evolution of the MF4, featuring more power thanks to a new 500 hp V10 engine borrowed from the BMW M5. Later MF5s lost two cylinders but made even more power, with 547 hp on tap in cars made after 2011.
In an effort to expand their market, Wiesmann made an attempt to meet US homologation requirements but unfortunately weren't able to. That, combined with a cash crunch, led to the MF5 being the last production Wiesmann before the company shut down.
4 The Company Filed For Bankruptcy In 2013
In the early part of 2013, it became clear that the company didn't have the funds it needed to pay its creditors, and in August of that year, applications were made for insolvency proceedings to begin. This would involve winding down the company and potentially selling off all its assets to pay back its debts.
There was a glimmer of hope when a UK-based investment firm entered talks to buy the company, but ultimately nothing could be agreed and the deal fell through. It seemed like things were over for Wiesmann, but it turns out there was a second chance on the horizon.
3 They're Relaunching With A New CEO
A year after those bankruptcy proceedings began, a different British investor by the name of Roheen Berry offered to buy the company and clear its debts. His offer was accepted, and he became the new CEO.
With new leadership in place, Berry began the process of bringing the carmaker back to life. Unfortunately, the arrival of Berry and his business partners meant that original co-founder Friedhelm Wiesmann left the company.
2 Project Gecko And Project Thunderball Are In The Pipeline
Fast-forward several years and an announcement was made that the company planned to make a return in 2020. As it turned out, global events would put automotive manufacturing into meltdown and stop that happening, but as of early 2022, the new Wiesmann models are now reportedly deep into development.
Project Gecko is the firm's traditional sports car offering, with a BMW-sourced V8 and, from the looks of the prototypes, a very similar design to the Wiesmanns of old. Project Thunderball is a separate endeavor, and it's not clear what powertrain it will carry yet, but there have been suggestions that the brand is preparing either a hybrid or fully electric setup.
1 Wiesmann's Co-Founder Has Started His Own Tuner
With Wiesmann co-founder Friedhelm Wiesmann unceremoniously forced out of his company in 2014, some might wonder what he's doing now. Well, the answer is that he's come back with his own tuning brand, called Boldmen.
Currently, Boldmen's only product is the CR4, a BMW Z4-based roadster that has a unique carbon-fiber body shell and a heavily upgraded engine. It looks quite a lot like the Wiesmanns of old, and presumably Friedhelm is hoping this new incarnation of his signature design will be more successful in the long run than his last.