Manhart M3 V10 SMG Coupe with 550 HP

Starting from their desire to make the current M3 generation a worthy competitor to Porsche’s 997 Turbo, the tuners at Manhart Racing released a kit destined to boost the M3’s power to 550 horsepower, as well as some styling enhancements here and there.

The BMW M3 E92 5.0 V10 SMG, as Manhart named the Porsche chaser, came from the current new version of the M5 E60 built V10 motor. The problem, however, appeared when fitting the engine into the M3 Coupe designated compartment.

The changes therefore included removing the Vmax bar of 250 km/h and updating the DME-steerage. The Mannhart M3 V10 accelerates from naught to sixty in only 3.9 seconds, and keeps on going until it reaches a top speed of 334 km/h.

Further modifications included a 7-gear SMG gearbox, a titanium complete exhaust system with four 84 mm thick tailpipes and two 200 Zeller-HJS running catalytic converters, Bilstein PSS10- coilover and BBS challenge-R wheel rims, (9Jx20 ET20 with 245/30ZR20 at the front and 10.5Jx20 ET20 with 295/25ZR20 at the rear).

Exterior changes were limited to a front and rear spoiler, a diffuser, a roof spoiler, front steel flooring and an air collector, all finished in carbon. As for the interior styling, the car was fitted with performance steering wheel equipped with illuminated rocker switches, quarter mile and side acceleration display, while featuring carbon fiber trimmings, as well as Alcantara leather.

“With a basic weight of 1.550 kg, 550 HP is a real announcement for the sports car armada from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. If you look more closely at the Manhart M3 V10, you have to - quite rightly - ask yourself why the engineers in Munich did not already come up with the idea themselves!” Manhart’s press statement concluded.