Friday 2nd February 2024

Manhart MH2 560 cranks BMW M2 to 11

Another 100hp and even more aggression for BMW's baby bruiser - and Manhart is only getting started

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Manhart and the new BMW M2 were always going to be a match made in heaven. A tuner known for making BMWs much faster and much more attention-grabbing, meets an M car powered by a very tuneable engine with a polarising look straight from the factory. Far from making Manhart’s job harder, it seems that the G87 M2 has given them licence to really cut loose. 

When this is its first go, a car with 560hp, carbon for days and the front end of a race car, it’s clear that Manhart means business with the MH2 560. It’s only going to get more powerful and more purposeful from here. What else was expected? This ‘first stage’ comprises an ECU tickle and an exhaust system (sport downpipes, new cats, 100mm tailpipes) which is TUV compliant and yields another 100hp from standard all on its own. Torque gets a useful boost to 479lb ft (from 406), too.

Presumably, it’ll now dash to 62mph in less than four seconds, given the standard car is rated at 4.1. ‘At the same time’, continues the press release, ‘the tuner from Wuppertal already has further tuning stages planned.’ Yikes. Hardly like the 460hp car ever feels slow, especially with the eight-speed auto, and if so much can be gained with so relatively little already then the sky must be the limit. 

Typically the appeal of tuning like this is keeping the relatively discreet exterior with a useful hike in power, but given any M2 is about as subtle as a cage fight it’s easier than ever to see why the bodykit is available as well. There are always going to be looks, so why not more of them? This MH2 560 rides on KW V4 coilovers, Manhart Concave One wheels (silver again - hurrah) that are a massive 295/25 ZR 21 at the back, and some Manhart stickers.

They do a fair amount for visual punch already, though added to the M2 on top are a ‘veritable arsenal of carbon body parts. They know what they’re doing at Manhart, alright. So there’s a carbon bonnet, front spoiler lip, side skirts, spoiler and diffuser - even carbon kidney grilles, should you wish. Seems weird to fit those to a black demonstrator, though that does at least mean the carbon will really pop against other colours. Manhart offers smaller wheels and just springs instead of the coilovers ‘for all customers who find the V4 a bit dynamic.’

The interior remains untouched - this is the first stage, remember. Even punchier M2s (in every regard) will follow in due course, perhaps with interior modifications leaning towards a track focus. It’s already very fast around a circuit, so it would seem like a natural place to evolve the M2 for the aftermarket. And with a front end like this, everybody would be sure to move out the way…

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• 2023 BMW M2 (G87) | UK Review
• Manhart joins Delta Integrale restomod craze

[Orchardab]

That looks S***

[911Spanker]

That looks great.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

It has aesthetic of the muscular bloke in the pub that's hopped up on steroids and is just managing to keep a lid on his rage...woe betide anyone who bumps him that night.

[Motormouth88]

I feel this may be a little divisive

[UTH]

I know we’re not really allowed to like modern Beamers, but that looks pretty awesome to me.

[Numeric]

I've spent a fair bit of time looking at the M2 and it doesn't work for me, a dealer even said I should see the one they had added some black carbon things to and on a grey car it looked to me even worse.

I think this car actually answers a lot of what I've not got on with. By going full on aggressive it allows the car, which seems to be a mix of styles, to just go one way and to my eyes it works while the changes seem modest.

Sure it's overblown with huge wheels etc, but I actually like it from a styling point of view for the first time, it seems to hang together better.

Edited by Numeric on Friday 2nd February 07:27

[GianiCakes]

Litchfield are apparently also working on a mega horsepower version of these so the new M2 does seem to have considerable tuning potential. Saw the first one in person the other day and whilst no beauty they do have presence.

[ultrastapler]

They’ve managed to make it way less ugly than the standard car

I like it

[fantheman80]

For me there has not been such a colour dependent car as the new M2. I have seen it in baby blue, the red and the black, and I love it in black, not so much he others. This looks tragic to me, especially the 90's wheels, but each to their own.

[Alex Z]

ultrastapler said:

They’ve managed to make it way less ugly than the standard car

I like it

Yep, normally this type of body kitted modern car looks much worse than standard (to me, anyway) but this seems like a big improvement.

[Newbie2023]

For me the simple act of having the front splitter body coloured changes the appearance dramatically and would benefit all of the examples in the lighter shades.

[Dombilano]

I actually quite like that

[GreatScott2016]

Certainly a very divisive car, the looks are slowly but surely growing on me though, and I think this is one of the better looking after market creations.

[Geoffcapes]

The wheels are nice.

[patmahe]

Yes it's and improvement over the standard car. But I'd lose the stripes, keep it black and just have a few subtle grey or silver pin stripes like an Alpina. It's a good effort especially considering the base car they would have started with. I probably still wouldn't buy one because I don't like overtly aggressive cars generally but I can see the appeal with this one.

[Snubs]

I like it though I feel I shouldn't. Possibly like it more because the base M2 isn't great.

[WPA]

I prefer that to standard, really like it

[Alpenus]

Like the silver wheels, just needs clear glass, obvs

[CG2020UK]

I actually like it.

As someone else said the standard M2 is caught in no man’s land in that it looks weird but doesn’t really seem a reason why.

The Manhart version goes all out so it actually looks really well despite being out there.

Definitely an improvement!

[TeeGTI]

I'm here for it. The standard M2 looks awkward, this takes the styling in a very aggressive direction and for me, it just works.