In case you haven't heard of Wiesmann, here's the full skinny: it's a German sportscar maker started by two brothers who had a thing for powerful, two-door coupes and roadsters. Its emblem is a gecko because its cars "stick to the road like geckos to a wall." The first Wiesmann was the MF30. Launched in 1993, the roadster had a folding roof with power coming from a BMW six-cylinder engine. It went from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds and had a top speed of 143 mph.

Throughout its history, the basic Wiesmann configuration has remained: front-engined, rear-wheel-drive and lightweight; literally the Mazda MX-5 on German-manufactured steroids.The company has since gone on to produce other great models like the GT MF4 and MF5, and BMW engines (now a twin-scroll turbocharged V8) and gearboxes are still utilized. There were plans back in 2010 to bring Wiesmann cars to the US, but the high costs involved shelved that idea. Late last summer, Wiesmann filed for, but managed to overcome just before Christmas, bankruptcy. But just how wonderful would it be if Wiesmann managed to come stateside? We're still anxiously waiting for that day.