(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – Wiesmann is back in the V10 business – at least in spirit. The Dülmen-based company surprisingly presented the MF5 Tributo at the Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, reviving one of their wildest retro sports car models. Precisely at a time when everything should actually be focused on electric drive.
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This is remarkable because the original MF5, which was built in very small numbers from 2008 until Wiesmann’s collapse in 2013, was basically a hand-built BMW M5 in a shrunken, curvy form. Now the model designation returns while the company’s electric program is stalling. However, without a confirmed engine yet. It remains open which BMW powertrain is under the long hood.
Wiesmann MF5 Tributo: the comeback
Wiesmann Sports Cars shows the MF5 Tributo in Pebble Beach as a tribute to its own past and at the same time as a signal that alongside the delayed electric roadster Project Thunderball, combustion engines will also play a role again. Fewer than 200 examples of the original MF5 coupe and roadster were produced before insolvency – precisely why the revival of this model name carries more weight than the numbers suggest.
The car follows the typical Wiesmann formula: compact proportions with a front mid-engine, an almost cartoonishly long hood, and a low cabin that recalls roadsters of the 1960s more than modern super sports cars. For observers of niche performance brands, this also marks a departure from the promise to be among the first to bring a fully electric two-seater convertible and a return to loud, familiar hardware.
For those looking for a refresher on the data and history of the original Wiesmann MF5: The basic idea was a lightweight body combined with powerful BMW M power, sold in such small numbers that even Ferrari seems like mass production in comparison.
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BMW M5 V10 roots and what is still open
The reason why the name MF5 immediately grabs attention among enthusiasts is the engine story. The first MF5 used the 5.0-liter V10 S85 from BMW M from the then M5, with 368 kW of power. It officially completed the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in under four seconds, with a top speed of over 306 km/h. It was precisely this combination of a compact body and a large naturally aspirated V10 engine that made the original MF5 a cult car – not just the design.
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BMW discontinued production of the S85 V10 as early as 2010, so Wiesmann has already confirmed that the Tributo will need a different engine. The Dülmen company also previously offered an MF5 GT with BMW’s S63 twin-turbo V8 and 402 kW, while BMW’s newer S68 V8 reaches up to 460 kW in other applications. None of these options have been officially linked to the Tributo so far, and there is also no information yet on transmission or price.
As CarBuzz reports, Wiesmann is focusing more again on combustion engines after delays with Project Thunderball and weaker demand for the electric car. Interested parties can now place a reservation for the Tributo via the company’s online portal for 3,000 euros.
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Source: CarBuzz
