Remember Wiesmann? The sports car manufacturer based out of Germany came onto the scene in the mid-00s with oddly styled BMW-powered sportscars. The company went broke in 2013, was later sold, and now it’s back. Well, almost, announcing its own EV intentions in April with something called Project Thunderball. Autocar now says that the company wants to expand even more and into places you might not expect.
Speaking to Autocar, Wiesmann CEO Roheen Berry outlined the company’s future plans. No longer just content with sports cars, the company seems to want to have a full-on lineup. Berry explained that its Project Tunderball EV sportscar was just the beginning. “The Thunderball is to show the world what we can do. It is already quite an incredible car compared to others that do what it does, at a fraction of the price” he told Autocar. Berry says EVs are the key to getting the company to make more vehicles at a faster rate.
The most interesting part of all this news though is the company’s luxury plans. Weismann is currently planning a luxury EV SUV to take on the likes of Bentley, Aston Martin, and Rolls Royce. This new SUV will be made specifically for China and the U.S. The hard part though is sourcing a platform to make this thing. Wiesmann says it has that covered, working with German firm Roding on the new platform.
But it’s all going to take time. Basically, don’t expect to see this thing anytime soon, with Berry saying the company is taking a wait-and-see approach to it. “We’ve spent so much money making this platform and software, and getting so much out of it. We’re not in any hurry, but if we have enough customers and there is a demand, it would not be a very difficult transition for us to do” he said.
The company also plans to introduce an “affordable” next-generation version of its MF3 roadster. If you arent familiar, the MF3 was a roadster the company made in the late 00’s-early 2010s that was powered by the M54 I6 out of the BMW E46 M3. Berry didn’t say whether or not this new model would be EV or gas-powered.