Sports car manufacturer Wiesmann has announced plans to launch a radical ‘world-first model’.
Currently branded as ‘Project Thunderball’, Wiesmann promises the new car will be ‘befitting of the modern era’, but retain the brand’s ‘DNA of timeless design elegance’.
Originally founded in 1988, Wiesmann closed due to financial difficulties in 2014. The firm was subsequently purchased by UK-based car enthusiast, Roheen Berry.
Ready to charge
Details of Project Thunderball have yet to be confirmed, although the camouflaged roadster prototype seen here suggests that retro styling cues will continue.
The lack of obvious exhaust tailpipes, along with references to the company having ‘newly recharged ambition’, point to an electrified powertrain.
Wiesmann had previously been preparing a new sports car, codenamed Project Gecko. This was expected to use a BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8, combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
“This is just the beginning”
The company’s association with BMW stretches back to its earliest models, and peaked with the 2008 Wiesmann MF5. This featured BMW’s 5.0-litre V10 engine, offering the potential for a top speed beyond 190mph.
Production of Project Thunderball will be undertaken at Wiesmann’s ‘Gecko’ factory, located in Dülmen, Germany.
Roheen Berry said: “As the automotive industry undergoes its biggest revolution in a century, there can be no better time to announce the return of a refreshed, reborn and recharged motoring icon.
“Thunderball will continue Wiesmann’s reputation for setting the standard for performance, craftsmanship and sheer enjoyment. With its unequivocal style, this is the Wiesmann fit for the 21st century, and this is just the beginning.”
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