MANHART'S TAKE ON THE QUAD-TURBOCHARGED BMW X5 M50D IS A HEAD-TURNER AND SMILE-INDUCER
MANHART is one of the few trusted and well-established aftermarket tuning concerns that has the ability to completely rework a car with an upgrade in aesthetics and power. The company has 35 years of experience in the game, they initially focused on BMW cars but in recent years they have also dabbled in a wide variety of brands and models. They do the work hands-on but also have worldwide partners who can carry out the work on-site to make the services offered available to thousands more prospective buyers. The company's trademark is optimising the power-to-weight ratio and their core competencies include the development, production, and distribution of weight-optimized performance products such as carbon fibre parts, exhaust systems, and wheel/tyre combinations. The company’s founder, Christoph Erfurt, sums it all up with their mission statement: "We turn good cars into very special cars.". In this case, the good car that serves as a base is the BMW X5 M50d, arguably one of the coolest and best SUVs to come out of Bavaria. The sizeable tech-packed German SUV features a quad-turbocharged in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine that generates an impressive 294 Kw with a very healthy 760 Nm of torque that gets the M50d to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and gives it a top speed of an electronically-limited 250 km/h. The SUV looks great in factory guise too, so to get it to turn heads the styling package needed to be impressive, and it is if you ask us.
So to get the best diesel-powered SUV to be even better, a decent amount of work was carried out to be able to supply which is the top diesel model of the current X5 generation G05. The conversion includes various body add-ons made of carbon fibre, outsourced to California-based Larte Design who supply things like a front spoiler attachment, new kidney grille inserts, and a replacement bonnet that enhances the front-end, mirror caps, side skirts, frames for the side air outlets in the front wings, a spoiler for below the rear window and a large diffuser insert give the rear of the car a meaner rear-end. There are also some new black tailpipes added to complete the look. This all looks great on a Jet Black car, but the silky-smooth carbon bits will look even better on a contrasting colour like the eye-catching Phytonic Blue Metallic or the more subtle but equally tasty Manhattan Grey Metallic. The X50d package includes a wheel upgrade in the form of a set of large 23-inch MANHART Classic Line Y-Spoke alloy wheels fitted with Continental SportContact 7 tyres in a size of 315/25R23, and the matte black finish will work on just about any paint colour. Well, that’s if you like dark wheels, and if you don’t there’s medication for that. The interior of the SUV remains in OEM-guise with the exception of some MANHART floor mats with embroidered company logos. Bumping up the performance is a software tune using an in-house MHtronik auxiliary control unit that takes the power up to 347 kW with torque up to a monstrous 870 Nm. Pricing hasn’t been released yet, but with the reputation of MANHART, you can expect the tuning package to cost the same as an entry-level car, if not more. If you must know the details, head on over to the MANHART website and register your interest.
Take a look at the related YouTube video that shows a little of the MANHART brand and support from the massive Bimmerfest 2022 event a few months back at Raceway Venray in the Netherlands: MANHART PERFORMANCE at the Bimmerfest 2022 | MANHART Performance
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