Manhart’s tuned BMW M8 will do 0-62mph in 2.6s

When BMW first unveiled the M8 in full-fat Competition spec, the headline stat was that this was the most powerful production car the company had ever built.

As standard, the M8 Comp’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is good for a seriously hefty 616bhp and 553lb ft of torque. Plus, if you tick the box on the options list that says ‘Driver’s Package’ you’ll get the derestricted top speed of 189mph to match the 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds.

For most, that’d be plenty fast enough. Not German tuner Manhart, though. The Wuppertal-based brand is claiming that its new MH8 800 is the fastest M8 Competition in the world.

The stats are there to back up the claim too – how does 812bhp and 774lb ft of torque sound? Apparently, 0-62mph now takes just 2.6 seconds too. That is faintly ridiculous for a 1.9-tonne grand tourer.

That extra performance comes courtesy of a turbo upgrade, an ECU remap, a gearbox upgrade and a new stainless-steel, valve-controlled exhaust system which should give the M8 the soundtrack that engine deserves.

Elsewhere (and as expected) there are plenty of carbon fibre addendums. The front splitter, rear diffuser and rear spoiler are all made from the black stuff, as are the angry-looking paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Manhart will also lower the M8 by 30mm using height-adjustable springs, and those wheels are 21-inch aluminium units.

What do you reckon, folks?