Wiesmann is back with a two-seater electric roadster producing 500kW.
Funky German custom builder Wiesmann is back after being bought out and restarted in 2016, with a new all-electric two-seater roadster.
Called Project Thunderball, it does away with the previous Wiesmann tradition of using BMW engines in favour of two electric motors, both mounted on the rear axle. They’re grunty too, producing 500kW and 1100Nm, enough to sling the droptop to 100kph in 2.9 seconds.
The whole car weighs around 1775kg, fairly light for an EV, and Wiesmann CEO, Roheen Berry, says Thunderball will be “the world’s most exciting electric sports car.”
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The grille might be a bit unnecessary, but the car still looks fantastic.
That claim is backed up by adjustable suspension, adjustable rollbars, six-piston brakes in the front with four-pistons at the back, a carbon fibre body and an aluminium spaceframe chassis.
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An 83kWh, 800-volt battery is enough for the car to cover 500km per charge, while five levels of regenerative braking, adjustable via wheel-mounted paddles, will help extend the range.
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Lots of leather and seven dash-mounted gauges give the interior a high-quality, retro-modern appearance.
Styling is taken after older Wiesmann models, which includes the egg-shaped grille (as redundant as a grille on an EV might be), long bonnet (which hides a 180-litre frunk) and angular, stacked headlight clusters. The leather-wrapped interior looks retro but features a large touchscreen and carbon fibre sports seats.
Seven gauges mounted on the dash offer various bits of information, like battery charge level and speed, while another digital screen behind the wheel displays driver information.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but Thunderball is available to be ordered now. Don’t expect it to be a bargain, considering most of the car is hand-crafted, and Wiesmann vehicles have previously been built in limited, double-digit numbers.