Although I usually reserve performance vehicles to the actual manufacturer’s, you have to fully appreciate when a tuner takes a stock car and modifies it with a mix and match of predominantly OEM parts. Take Manhart Racing, for example. The brand has gone and created something BMW will likely not even consider, do not bothing thinking it would put this on a drawing board. A BMW M3 Estate made with a mis-mosh of E90/92 M3 and E60 M5 parts.
Since we know here at FLD that it is highly unlikely that BMW will produce an M3 wagon at any point in the near future, we adore this. And as mentioned in todays’ show, we love hot wagons — Audi’s B5 RS4, Volvo V70 R and BMW’s E39 540iT. The odds are even less likely now that the Bavarians are making a push for the Gran Turismo-styled vehicles. You can bet if that car sells better than the wagons, the gloves are off and the U.S. market may not see a wagon for a very long time.
Rather than let the BMW gods decide the fate, Manhart took matters into their own hands. Those maniacs shoehorned the E60 M5’s V10 under the hood and retrofitted the seven-speed SMG gearbox, also from the M5. Interestingly enough, the Manhart modified motor produces just over 540-horsepower. This means 0-60 comes in 4.3 seconds and the M3 Estate can hit a top speed of 201 miles per hour. Imagine taking the kids to soccer practice THAT fast! Equally as impressive as the engine are the StopTech brakes. Measuring nearly 15 inches in front and just about 14 inches in the rear, they are clamped by six and four pistons, respectively.
Becoming better acquainted with the cabin reveals an interior that puts the stock M3’s to shame. Alcantara surrounds the BMW Performance seats — damn the U.S. DOT, the headliner and door seals. BMW’s performance steering wheel makes an appearance; it includes illuminating indicator switches, quarter mile and acceleration times.
But all of this kit does not come cheap. Get ready to sell your most cherished possesions because this vehicle will set you back about 0,000. Woof, that hurt just saying it.
The only thing that could possibly be better and cheaper than this is a Cadillac CTS-V wagon, if they ever were to build one.
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[Source: World Car Fans]