V8 power for Wiesmann

Niche German sports car manufacturer Wiesmann has switched to V8 power for its MF4 and MF5 models. The move has come about because the BMW V10 engines which it previously used are no longer being built.



But Wiesmann is sticking with BMW as supplier for the replacements, a pair of 4.4 litre V8s that both feature twin turbochargers and direct injection.



The Roadster MF4 and GT MF4 get the engine currently seen in the BMW 550i. That means 401 bhp (300 kW / 407 PS) and peak torque of 600 Nm, which is enough to propel the Wiesmann from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.6 seconds. Top speed is just over 180 mph (290 km/h).

For the MF5, Wiesmann has gone for the M Power version employed in the BMW X5 M and X6 M. Boasting a very healthy 547 bhp (408 kW / 555 PS) and 680 Nm maximum torque, performance is correspondingly impressive: 0 to 60 mph takes 3.9 seconds, while the top speed is 193 mph (310 km/h). Like the MF4, the MF5 is available in Roadster and GT guises.

The Roadster MF3 meanwhile continues with six-cylinder power, although updates have now made it Euro 5 compliant.

V8 power for Wiesmann

Niche German sports car manufacturer Wiesmann has switched to V8 power for its MF4 and MF5 models. The move has come about because the BMW V10 engines which it previously used are no longer being built.



But Wiesmann is sticking with BMW as supplier for the replacements, a pair of 4.4 litre V8s that both feature twin turbochargers and direct injection.



The Roadster MF4 and GT MF4 get the engine currently seen in the BMW 550i. That means 401 bhp (300 kW / 407 PS) and peak torque of 600 Nm, which is enough to propel the Wiesmann from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.6 seconds. Top speed is just over 180 mph (290 km/h).

For the MF5, Wiesmann has gone for the M Power version employed in the BMW X5 M and X6 M. Boasting a very healthy 547 bhp (408 kW / 555 PS) and 680 Nm maximum torque, performance is correspondingly impressive: 0 to 60 mph takes 3.9 seconds, while the top speed is 193 mph (310 km/h). Like the MF4, the MF5 is available in Roadster and GT guises.

The Roadster MF3 meanwhile continues with six-cylinder power, although updates have now made it Euro 5 compliant.

Congestion Charge change

The changes to the London Congestion Charge that Mayor Boris Johnson proposed back in May have been approved.



Scheduled to come into force on 4th January 2011, the new rules mean:

• The Western Extension zone, introduced by former Mayor Ken Livingstone, is abolished.

• An increase of £2 on the daily Congestion Charge fees. Those who pay in advance or on the day of travel will have to part with £10, but leave it up until midnight the next day and it’s £12.


• The levy reduces to £9 per day if the vehicle has been registered under the new Congestion Charging Auto Pay scheme. As well as the slightly reduced cost, the other benefit is that drivers no longer need to worry about forgetting to pay, as the number of charging days a vehicle travels within the Congestion Charge area is totted up and the total amount owed is then taken automatically from a debit or credit card each month. Drivers can pre-register with Auto Pay from 22nd November 2010, but the slight drawback is that there’s an annual registration fee of £10 - and that’s per vehicle, not per driver.


• Anyone who currently avoids the Congestion Charge by driving a vehicle with nine seats or over can still do so, but they now have to make an annual payment of £10 per vehicle.


• Plug in electric hybrid vehicles qualify for the electric vehicle 100% discount. But again, each vehicle has to be registered with Transport for London for an annual fee of £10.


• The Alternative Fuel Discount is replaced by the Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD). This means that any cars - not just hybrids - that emit 100 g/km or less of CO2 and are Euro 5 compliant enjoy a 100% discount on the Congestion Charge. Unsurprisingly, each car will have to be registered at a cost of £10 every year.

However, there may be a sting in the tail. TfL has committed to reviewing the GVD so that eventually only vehicles emitting 80 g/km or less qualify. It is saying this will be introduced ‘when the time is right’, but the first reassessment of this discount has been confirmed for 2012.



The bad news for anybody about to buy a new car is that it’s not yet possible to choose one that’s future-proof against any possible GVD changes. The ‘best’ petrol / diesel car currently on sale is the 86 g/km Smart cdi fortwo fitted with the softip clutchless manual gearbox, while even the greenest hybrid - the Toyota Prius - still pumps out 89 g/km of CO2.



Related posts:

Zero Congestion Charge

London Congestion Charge