Auto Test

BMW powered Gecko

Like a Gecko hugs the wall the Wiesmann Roadster MF3 hugs the road and from a distance bears a resemblance to an Austin-Healey. Dülmen is a town south-west if the city of Münster and there Wiesmann have since 1993 been assembling sports car models… the MF3, MF4 and MF5… which embody the spirit of the roadster icon which is the AC Cobra. All of these potent sports models have engines supplied by BMW. At this time the final MF3 versions… with which the firm started their car production… are being built. The reason is that there will no longer be a supply of the legendary 3.2 litre straight six. Indeed only a few remain. The designers Christian and Michael Sieger have come up with eighteen different proposals for colours and equipment for the last of the two-seaters but in fact any customer’s individualization wishes can be catered for… no single Wiesmann is ever identical to any other car of the marque.

The back view of the Wiesmann MF3 is notable for the four round rear lights on each side.

One MF3 variant offered as part of the ‘Final Edition by Sieger’ has been dubbed ‘Polar Bear’. The interior trim harmonizes with the car’s livery, featuring light, dark blue, red and white leather in abundance. The interior ambience, however, did not really match the frosty weather which prevailed on the day of our test drive. Before setting off there were some instructions to obey. For a start the driver has to twist himself in knots in order to get into the car… this is of course absolutely simple for anyone who is also able to bend over and grasp their toes while keeping their legs absolutely straight. Oh well, right leg over the high sill atop the rocker panel, plant it in the foot-well, duck the head down and lurch into the seat and then haul the left leg inside. And now the driver is in the merciless embrace of the bucket seats and when the door is finally closed by pulling on the leather loop his left shoulder almost brushes against the side window. Once inside it comes as a bit of a surprise that in spite of the reduced space available even six-footers can be comfortably accommodated.

Individualism and quality

Some of the controls… all crafted with a love for fine detail… are fascinating, like the hidden unlocking knob for the boot. Others, however, irritate more than they fascinate, like the rotary control for the air conditioning. There is a button behind the gear selector lever with which the speed of gear changes can be adjusted and purists are able to disengage the ESP. The adjustment of the seats is a manual matter and winding down the windows is also by hand. Just to see how it works we opened the mechanically operated top… two locks to be released, then the soft top pushed to the rear… done and dusted! The switches and levers not only have the look of solid aluminium and stainless steel they really are… here everything is of the highest quality and nothing has that ‘off the shelf’ feel.

On the Wiesmann MF3 the classic round instrument dials in the middle of the cockpit are embedded in soft leather.

Behind the seats there is enough room for small luggage and the boot holds a further 175 litres of load. A stainless steel luggage rack is an optional extra priced at two thousand Euros. It can be set on the boot hatch, making it possible for the much cited golf-bag to be transported with ease. Customers who so desire can order map pockets to be added to the transmission tunnel and there are further stowage possibilities provided by the glove compartment and the middle console.

Less weight, more push

We turn the ignition key and place the gear selector so the ‘0’ appears in the display. Then with the brakes released we press the start button. The 3.246 litre long-stroke engine awakes instantly, its mechanical components ticking over audibly and a sonorous rumble emanating from the dual tailpipes. The gear selector needs to be moved to the right to allow a ‘1’ to appear in the display. The selection can also be effectuated by use of the paddles mounted on the steering-wheel. Even the gentlest of touches on the smallish steering-wheel results in immediate and direct response. The view forward over what seems to be the longest bonnet since the E-Type Jag is good and the driver is encouraged to see what this car can actually do. And that is quite a lot… given that less than 1,200 kilos of two-seater automobile are pushed by 343 horsepower (252 kW). It takes five seconds to reach a hundred kilometres an hour. The top speed is given as 255 kilometres an hour although the winter temperature did not allow us to verify this. Wiesmann offer various rear axle ratios as optional extras which allow for even more brisk acceleration.

Stylistic flourishes owing much to British roadster tradition and that long bonnet give the Wiesmann MF3 that timeless classic look.

Country roads with lots of curves are where the Wiesmann is in its element. But the car runs impeccably on the straights and long stretches of empty autobahn can be a pleasure bordering on the addictive. The excellent performance is matched by superb braking. The driver is confronted by seven round instrument dials in the middle of the cockpit which provide all the information he requires concerning the performance of the roadster. Of course he gets further information just by listening… there is growling and burbling and the song of the engine can be shrill at times. If this is inclined to raise goose bumps it is not to be criticized… it is simply the signature of a Wiesmann MF3. Indeed there is hardly anything about the Wiesmann which merits critical words. The overall quality is of such a high level… even on the worst road surfaces there is no groaning or squeaking from the car… this is true ‘made-by-hand in Germany’ craftsmanship. It is the main difference between Wiesmann and the builders of classic British roadsters. Until now only around 1,500 units have been built and if the construction takes time it is extremely well spent as the current models prove. There might be rational grounds for the purchase of a Wiesmann but in the end it will be an emotional decision usually based on the desire for maximum driving enjoyment. And it will, of course, cost not less than119,900 Euros.