The Wiesmann GT MF4 was the first closed model built by Wiesmann. Presented at the Frankfurt IAA in 2003 after a decade of roadsters only, it was a two-seater coupé with BMW’s 4.8-litre V8, meant for long-distance touring rather than the shorter runs of the open cars.
Wiesmann GT MF4 at a glance
| Maker | Wiesmann GmbH, Dülmen, Germany |
|---|---|
| Class | two-seater coupé |
| Debut | Frankfurt IAA, 2003 |
| First edition | 2003–2009 |
| Engine | BMW 4.8-litre V8 |
| Body | glass-fibre reinforced plastic |
| Purpose | long-distance touring |
| Updated coupé | GT MF4-S, Geneva 2010 |
| Body changes | modernised headlights, automatic retracting spoiler |
| Track edition | GT MF4-CS, Geneva 2013 |
| MF4-CS build | 25 planned |
| Company output | around 180 hand-built cars a year |
The GT MF4 is described in a section of the English article on the company and in the German company history; no separate model article exists.
History of the Wiesmann GT MF4
Wiesmann began in 1988 as a maker of hardtops for convertibles and built its first complete car, the roadster MF30, in 1993. For twelve years the company offered open cars only; that changed at the Frankfurt IAA in 2003, when it showed the GT MF4, a closed two-seater coupé.
The GT MF4 was described by the company as a car with more power than its other models, intended for long-distance touring. It took BMW’s 4.8-litre V8 together with engine and transmission components from Munich, in the same way that the roadsters used BMW six-cylinders. The body was again made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic, over the same kind of chassis, and the car carried the gecko badge that the brothers Martin and Friedhelm Wiesmann had chosen because their cars were said to “stick to the road like geckos to a wall”.
The first edition of the GT MF4 was built from 2003 to 2009. At the Geneva Motor Show in 2009 Wiesmann showed the Roadster MF4 and Roadster MF4-S, which had facelifted bodywork and an updated choice of engines. The coupé followed a year later, at Geneva in 2010, as the GT MF4-S, with modernised bodywork, modernised headlights and an automatically retracting spoiler.
The last and most exclusive version was the GT MF4-CS, released at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013. It was a track-focused lightweight edition, with only 25 cars planned. It weighed 40 kg less than the standard car, had a pared-back interior and more aggressive bodywork for better aerodynamics, and used the drivetrain of the MF4-S. Production of all Wiesmann models ended that year, when the company stopped building cars in July and filed for insolvency in August.
Design and features
- First closed Wiesmann: the coupé that took the marque beyond its roadster roots in 2003.
- BMW V8: a 4.8-litre eight-cylinder engine with BMW transmission parts.
- Touring character: a two-seater designed for long distances rather than short blasts.
- Lightweight finale: the MF4-CS of 2013, 40 kg lighter with a pared-back interior.
Wiesmann GT MF4 versions
- GT MF4 (2003–2009): the original coupé with the 4.8-litre V8.
- GT MF4-S (2010): modernised bodywork, modern headlights and a retracting spoiler.
- GT MF4-CS (2013): track-focused edition, 25 planned, 40 kg lighter.
- Roadster MF4 and MF4-S (2009): open versions with facelifted bodywork and updated engines.
The V10 version of the same coupé is described in the article on the GT MF5, and the open cars in the article on the Wiesmann Roadster. More cars from Dülmen are in the Wiesmann collection.
Sources
- Wiesmann GmbH, English Wikipedia: MF4 history, MF4-S, MF4-CS, engines
- Wiesmann (Unternehmen), German Wikipedia: first coupé at the IAA 2003, body material, company end
