Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10

INTRODUCTION:The Manhart Racing BMW Z4 V10 is a blast to drive. The Z4 is heftier than its predecessor (the BMW Z3) and features a significantly stiffer chassis. Transplanted with a new & stronger heart, the luxury car with gorgeous dimensions and overall distinctive styling commands interest.

HIGHLIGHTS:“These crazy bastards dropped a V10 into the Z4. Nice.” That’s what head Automoblog dude Christopher said to me in an email moments ago. Yeah, nice AND crazy all at the same time. Our kind of people these folks from Manhart. I (and I’m assuming Chris) love people that do things like this; V12s into Miatas, mid-engine Mini Cooper conversions, that sort of thing.

SPECIFICATIONS:The new mill in question is the ten-cylinder engine from the current M5. Good a place as any to start. Shoehorning it into the narrow confines of the Z4′s engine bay was not all that easy, but the engineers from Manhart Racing got it done. And the resulting new motor, a 5.0 liter V10 now puts out an impressive 550 HP. In addition to just getting the engine in there, Manhart also worked over the DME electronic control unit and had the good “sense” to do away with the factory-set V-Max restriction of 250 km/h as part of the rebuild.

DESIGN:

• Downstream from the new mill there’s an original M5 E60 6 gear manual transmission from the original donor. In between the plant and the tranny there’s a Fichtel & Sachs clutch and out back there’s the M5 E60 differential. Breathing, or at least exhaling, is handled via an AC Schnitzer stainless steel exhaust system, the four muffler tips are a nice touch as is the HJS racing catalytic converters.
• The Manhart Z4 M V10 goes like hell and thanks to the perfectly tuned Bilstein B16 PSS10 coilovers, the virtually unrestrained power of 550 HP can be brought under control to the tarmac. Black BBS Challenge wheels rotate in the wheel arches of the Manhart Z4 M V10 with 8.5Jx19 ET35 235/35ZR19 front tyres and 10Jx19 ET20 285/30ZR19 back tyres.

CONCLUSION:550 HP ten cylinders, an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, kerb weight 1450kg, 2.6kg per HP… who could guess that these impressive figures belong to a Z4? Hardly anyone, however Manhart Racing turns dreams into reality and does this with 25 years experience.