Wiesmann MF5 GT | Spotted

BMW's S85 V10 was epic in a 5 Series - now imagine it in a proper sports car...

After a tumultuous recent past, the future looks bright for Wiesmann. Development of its stunning Project Thunderball is underway, with reservations being accepted and deliveries due in 2023. Attention is being paid to keep the weight low and the entertainment value high, cornerstones of the Wiesmann appeal for decades now. That and the extraordinary design, of course, which Thunderball looks to have updated sympathetically and stylishly for the EV age.

The enthusiasm for Wiesmann’s near future stems from its recent past - this isn’t another EV start-up promising the world. We’re expecting a lot from Thunderball because its combustion-engined cars were so beautifully done. The combination of BMW M powertrains with the firm’s Germanic approach really was a match made in heaven; the two-door M sports cars - cars like the Z4M and M6 - had never quite delivered on the potential, and the high revving, low torque screamers of the time were arguably better suited to lithe roadsters than ‘barnstorming saloons. It’s little wonder Wiesmann’s work attracted so much attention.

The MF5 is perhaps the best-known model to have emerged from the Dulmen HQ. Previous MF cars had been BMW engined as well, including the M54 and S54 straight-sixes in the MF30 and MF3 respectively, plus a pair of V8s in the MF4 GT, but things got really serious for the MF5 GT. The E60 M5 powertrain, all 507hp and 383lb ft of it, was transplanted wholesale into a 1,400kg sports car. The BMW was fast already - the Wiesmann was on another level. It would reach 62mph in less than four seconds and, unshackled by a limiter, reach 200mph.

It was the appropriate model, then, to celebrate 20 years of Wiesmann in 2008. The limited-run MF5 was offered in three specifications: ‘Elegant’ was silver with blue leather, ‘Style’ was matte white and ‘Sport’, as this car is, contrasted red detailing with a whole lotta black. It suits the hellraising hot rod nicely; where black might normally lessen a car’s impact, that’s never going to be a problem driving a Wiesmann. The silhouette, proportions and the way the MF5 crams so many details into such a compact footprint, means it’s impossible not to gawp.

This one is number 16 of the 20 Anniversary specials, built in 2009 and with 11,000 miles recorded. Naturally, it’s absolutely pristine, because a Wiesmann is not the kind of car bought by the average enthusiast. This will have been cherished, surely, but enjoyed as well; the advert suggests its first owner only took delivery in 2015, with the car still on delivery mileage. It’s being offered by the dealer who originally sold it.

The price? £140,000. Which is undoubtedly a lot of money. But what do you compare it to? The Wiesmann is a car that’s rarer and more attention-grabbing than many more expensive supercars, if that’s your bag, and the combination of 5.0-litre V10 and rear-drive sports car promises an unforgettable driving experience. Even with the SMG. But then people are out there doing manual conversions on M5s and M6s of the era - what a car this might be with six gears and a clutch pedal…

SPECIFICATION | WIESMANN MF5 GT 20^TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Engine: 4,999cc, V10
Transmission: 7-speed SMG automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 507@7,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 383@6,100rpm
MPG: 19.6 (in the M5)
CO2: 357g/km (in the M5)
Year registered: 2015 (built 2009)
Recorded mileage: 11,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for £140,000