Manhart’s All-Terrain BMW X7 M50i Fears No Mercedes G-Class

As time went by, there’s been absolutely no shortage of remarkable aftermarket exploits brewed on German soil. The nation’s top tuners never failed to impress the automotive industry with their glorious feats, regardless of whether you’re looking at ABT Sportsline, AC Schnitzer or even the infamous Mansory, to name a few.

Manhart Performance just so happens to be one of the apex predators in Germany’s tuning food chain, and their extensive inventory should give you a pretty good idea as to why that is. Over the course of the last three decades, the Wuppertal-based company developed countless body kits and performance enhancement modules for the likes of Porsche, Toyota, and Audi, among others.

In the past, some of the most notable ventures born under Manhart’s roof have adorned autoevolution's pages with their grace. These include a Toyota GR Supra with some serious oomph on tap and a Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic that kept things looking rad. Needless to say, the Manhart pros are no strangers to customizing four-wheeled machines of all shapes and sizes!

This time around, we’ll be diving in for a thorough examination of yet another spectacular beast crafted by these gifted auto artists. The project in question is a rugged BMW X7-based colossus that’ll be more than happy to join you on some off-road action. Before we proceed, I’ll point out the obvious and say the X7 doesn’t exactly need any sort of mods to shine. On the contrary, this bad boy is a genuine showstopper straight out of the box.

The M50i trim is brought to life by a mighty 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that feeds its ruthless force to all four wheels by means of an eight-speed automatic transmission. This malicious piece of Bavarian machinery will deliver as much as 523 hp (530 PS) at 5,500 rpm, accompanied by up to 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) of brutal twist at approximately 1,800 revs.

On the other hand, stopping power is taken good care of by top-grade disc brakes equipped to X7’s 22-inch hoops. At the front, the entire structure is supported by a double-wishbone module, while rear suspension duties are handled by a state-of-the-art multi-link setup.

As to Manhart’s custom behemoth, the transformation kicked off with the installation of a suspension lift kit that raises Bavaria’s beloved SUV by 1.57 inches (40 mm). The additional ground clearance doesn’t just increase the X7’s toughness tenfold; it also makes the creature fully prepared to take things off the tarmac.

To further enhance the vehicle’s off-road ability, the tuner disposed of its stock wheels to make room for their very own 20-inch Black Rhino counterparts. For a healthy amount of grip, their rims are hugged tightly by beefy Maxxis Bighorn all-terrain rubber that measures 305/50 R20 on all four sides.

Furthermore, the car’s chunky bodywork was enveloped in an ominous brushed matte black finish, which hosts some genuinely menacing vibes. To give the impression that Manhart’s creation is an armored giant, the paintwork is complemented by fake rivets found all over the damn thing.

In the powertrain department, you will find a fresh stainless-steel exhaust system with valve control, an HJS downpipe and a reconfigured ECU. As such, the twin-turbo V8’s output figures have been dialed all the way up to 650 untamed ponies and 679 pound-feet (920 Nm) of crushing torque, which is quite simply staggering!

Lastly, Manhart named this majestic undertaking “MHX7 650 Dirt Edition.” At the time of this publication, Wuppertal’s aftermarket surgeons haven’t revealed any details on the SUV’s pricing or availability, but we’ll remind you that the 2021 model in BMW’s X7 M50i lineup is priced at around $100,795.