Wiesmann brothers Martin and Friedheim switched from building aftermarket hard tops for roadsters to producing their own retro-styled sports car back in 1993. That makes the sixties-inspired two-door model a classic design itself, albeit one continually refined all the way into the last decade. In all guises, Wiesmann’s MF cars stayed true to the original ethos of emulating classic British design on a modern, German engineered platform. One powered by a BMW engine.
The car you see here is a GT MF4 20th Anniversary Edition, which – surprise, surprise – arrived 20 years into the MF’s production life. As the fourth-generation car, it features BMW’s N62 V8, the naturally-aspirated unit used in some of the best 5 and 7 Series models (despite what the ad says) to come out of Bavaria in the noughties. The engine delivers 367hp at 6,300rpm in the MF4 and the freedom to roar through the sort of free-flowing pipework an OEM could only dream of.
What always set Wiesmann’s machines apart from other sports cars – aside from the gorgeous design that borrows from the XK120 and E-Type, no less – is their lightness. The MF4 weighs 1,390kg largely thanks to the abundant use of aluminium in the chassis and fibreglass body panels. Like its forebears, the MF4 was right up there in terms of weight efficiency with Brit sports cars like the Lotus Evora, and at launch the Wiesmann team was commended for the car’s great balance and composure. Classic in appearance it might very well be, but the level of all-round performance on offer has always been totally modern.
Flat out, an MF4 can crack 62mph in 4.6 seconds and reach a 181mph top speed. That’s with a manual six-speed gearbox, too, although an auto was offered for those preferring a slightly lazier driving experience. The fixed roof GT bodystyle offered year-round usability and a little more structural rigidity, but the roadster chassis ever had any issues with flex anyway, unlike the British sports cars it took inspiration from. It’s always been easy to love from a distance - although sales have been notably higher on the continent than in the UK.
That’s what makes this car here so special; it’s a rare edition version of a rare car in its rarest setting. The spec is bespoke, too, especially inside where an interior fit for a Sean Paul and Blu Cantrell music video (honk if you get the reference) makes this manual car unique. And yes, this is a three-pedal car, so driver involvement is turned up to the maximum. Just 6,000 miles of use leaves plenty in the value tank for more care-free enjoyment in the coming years, plus it was only serviced at a UK Weismann specialist back in November. Not that there’s much to worry about; this is German engineering after all. A unique way to spend £99k, that's for sure.
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