German tuner Manhart continues to outdo even itself when it comes to making BMWs more extreme. This time, it’s with one of the milder of the BMW 2 Series variants, the M240i. In September, the tuner managed to boost the car’s ultra-tough B58 3.0-liter straight-six from 382 horsepower to a near-M2 434 ponies. This time around, it stomps all over the M car, generating 503 hp and 466 lb-ft of torque.
But wait, there’s more. The Manhart MH2 500 II offers additional horsepower stages for even more tire-spinnery. It won’t even tell you how much those stages will make, saying it’s “on request.”
In Just Four Months, Manhart Gave M240i Another 69 HP
The Manhart MH2 450 dropped last September. The tastefully modified version of the G42-chassis M240i boosted power to 434 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque simply by retuning the ECU with the tuner’s in-house-developed MHtronik powerbox. For the MH2 500 II, the car needed some more parts
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The changes to the 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine start with a new intake manifold with a Manhart integrated intercooler, as well as a new high-flow downpipe and catalytic converter. At the back, the exhaust flows through a Grail muffler with variable valving to give this tuner car an attack dog soundtrack, which ferociously exits through four matte black tailpipes. Then Manhart tuned the car through the MHtronik tuning box to run on 102-octane gasoline.
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That’s European 102 octane, though, so it should run just fine making all that power on 93 unleaded in the States. All of the changes combine to turn the MH2 500 II into a fire-breather with 503 hp, which is more than enough in a car this size. The tuning regimen maintains BMW’s xDrive AWD system, so it can still turn that power into acceleration. New tires on 20-inch Manhart wheels front and rear make sure this 2 Series stays planted.
KW Suspension Is For Handling, But The Aero Parts Are For Looks
With better than M power, it needs better than the M2’s performance suspension. Manhart delivers by way of its own version of KW’s Variant 3 coilover system. It delivers an adjustable ride height with adjustable rebound and compression damping. Manhart will fit H&R lowering springs on the stock shocks if you want. Brake upgrades are also optional.
Then there are the aero parts. The pastel blue helps show off the new Manhart front bumper with more aggressive inlets. If you’re wondering why anyone would take the Manhart over an M2, this is probably it. The oblong kidney grilles of the M240i are much less polarizing than the M2’s unsightly rectangles.
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Manhart added plenty more aero parts, including new side skirts, a great big wing, and a bigger rear diffuser, though we doubt there’s much real benefit on a race track. If the blue paint wasn’t enough, those parts and the wheels make it clear this is no stock BMW.
So what does all this cost? The company didn’t list a price for the tuning and body upgrades or the carbon fiber shift paddles and new badge on the steering wheel. It’s safe to bet, though, that M2-beating performance will come with a higher-than-M2 price. If you’ve already got the M car, the tuner can take that potent S58 engine past 700 hp.
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