New Wiesmann Sports Car Gets BMW Power

Revived German sports car maker Wiesmann GmbH confirms that it will use a BMW twin-turbo V-8 engine for its upcoming sports car.

No technical or performance details were provided. But media reports predict the engine will be a 553-hp 4.4-liter mill mated with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and active limited-slip differential.

The company, which originally planned to launch the car this year, now says it will bow sometime in 2020. A teaser image of the vehicle, draped in a silk cover, suggests the basic design will maintain Wiesmann’s signature long hood, upright slated grille and sloping roofline.

Wiesmann says the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and a mix of lightweight materials will provide a 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. The carmaker says the vehicle, codenamed Project Gecko, also will feature improved driving dynamics and unspecified advanced technologies.

The new car will be hand assembled at the original Wiesmann factory in Dulmen, Germany. The company, which was founded in 1988, was purchased out of bankruptcy by Indian investors in 2015.