WIESMANN ROADSTER MF4-S

If you’ve been reading Oddballs religiously (and why wouldn’t you?) then you’ll have become acquainted with Wiesmanns, assuming you’d not heard about them before, and with good reason as a) they are awesome, b) I’m a big fan and c) I’ve been lucky enough to drive a whole bunch of the hand-built German sports cars. This month, we take a look at what is considered one of its sportiest and relatively raw machines, the MF4-S.

I sampled this car in 2010 and back then Wiesmann took the opportunity to give its Roadster a refresh and the results were awesome. Up front there were new integrated light clusters, larger, wider mesh-covered air intakes beneath the grille, a slash in the front wings, with E46 indictors nestling beneath this, and another slash in the rear wings just behind the rear arches. Finally, at the rear the twin exhausts protruded from holes in the rear bumper, the reversing and foglights sat either side of
the number plate and there were now three rear light pods on either side of the car that sat atop the rear wings. It looked unique for sure, with a hint of classic British sports car mixed with modern styling cues and features such as the LED rear lights.

Of course, what made the MF4-S truly special was the engine and here Wiesmann had chosen to fit the S65B40 from the E9x M3. While it was untouched in terms of power output, the car weighed just 1315kg, which meant it went pretty fast when you wanted it to. The noise and performance dominated the MF4-S experience once you hit the open road and it made for an exhilarating drive.

The on-paper 0-62 time of 4.4 seconds for the DCT-equipped MF4-S might not appear all that impressive as it was only 0.2 seconds faster than the M3 Coupé, but a number on a page couldn’t convey just how rapid it really was. The MF4-S delivered relentless, brutal acceleration all the way to the redline, turning your knuckles white as you hung on to the steering wheel and straining your neck muscles. It was exhilarating and perhaps even a little bit scary and all the while your senses were being assaulted by the incredible wall of noise.

The V8 soundtrack was raw and angry, like the M3’s exhaust note turned up to 11 and a world away from the traditional off-beat V8 woofle. It was just sensational, an incredible, electrifying roar that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and left your ears ringing. Simply put it’s one of the best sounding cars I’ve ever driven and the soundtrack alone was worth the price of admission.

The ride was also surprisingly good considering the massive wheels and tiny tyres, the steering was perfection, the handling sublime and the brakes massively powerful. Okay, so it cost £115,000 but it was absolutely worth every penny and then some .

Engine: S65B40
Transmission: Seven-speed M DCT
How many: Quite a few
What is it: An open-top slice of sheer perfection