There’s A New Wiesmann Coming Next Year

Remember Wiesmann? The German niche manufacturer went under a number of years ago. But it’s back, and it’s working on a new sports car.

“Wiesmann is the last thoroughbred European sports car built in Germany and I am very happy to play a part in creating its exciting future,” Wiesmann Managing Director Roheen Berry said in a statement cited by Motor Authority.

Though details are few and far between at this early juncture, the new model is set to debut sometime next year. And it’s reportedly being designed with more global markets in mind. That means both right- and left-hand steering setups – which could be worthwhile for the Japanese market alone – but we don’t know if it’ll be certified for sale and use in the United States.

The bigger question is how closely, if at all, the new model will be based on previous ones. Wiesmann GmbH first emerged in 1988 and started producing its retro-styled sports cars in 1993. Everything it made until its collapse in 2014 was based on that same design, offered as both a coupe and a roadster with various engines sourced from BMW.

The MF5 model (pictured) packed the 5.0-liter V10 from the E60-generation M5 (and E63 M6), sending 547 horsepower (408 kW) and 502 lb-ft (680 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic for a 3.9-second 0-62-mph (100 k/h) time.

The 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that gives the new M5 its 591 horsepower (441 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque could be just the ticket. But we’ll have to wait at least a little while longer to find out what the reborn Wiesmann has cooking, what specs it will boast, what form it will take, how much it will cost, and where it will be sold.