Wiesmann resurfaces with 671bhp RWD electric roadster

GERMAN SPORTS CAR maker Wiesmann has made a hard-hitting comeback after several years of silence by unveiling the new Project Thunderball – not only its first electrified product but also the first electric rear-wheel-drive convertible sports car since the Tesla Roadster of 2008.

Best known for a series of retro-styled sports cars using straight-six, V8 and V10 BMW engines, Wiesmann is on the comeback trail after a tumultuous period since it filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

The Dülmen-based outfit was acquired in 2016 by international technology firm Contec Global, whose managing director, Roheen Berry, now serves as its CEO.

Priced from €300,000 (£252,500) and expected to hit the road later this year, the Thunderball features a pair of electric motors on the rear axle delivering a combined 671bhp and 811lb ft – enough, Wiesmann says, to get the approximately 1700kg roadster from 0-62mph in just 2.9sec.