Professionally Tuned Car

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The MANSORY Bentley Flying Spur W12 conversion

Kourosh Mansory always had a soft spot for premium British cars, he turned his passion into a business when he started MANSORY in 1989 with special attention to Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin. Today MANSORY takes that same high-end attention to detail to makes like Porsche, Lotus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari … MANSORY is at the top of the ‘individualization’ car market.

Many of us will regard a Bentley Flying Spur W12 as a top-of-the-line luxury car with performance in mind, while a Rolls-Royce is usually enjoyed from the rear seat with a ‘chauffeur’, a Bentley is mostly driven by the owner being regarded as the more sporty alternative to a Rolls … and if the standard car from Crewe just isn’t exclusive enough … just have MANSORY to create a bespoke one just for you.

MANSORY brings clear carbon fiber to the front, side, and rear of the Bentley Flying Spur, there is a distinctive lip that’s added to the front bumper, naturally, the air intakes on that bumper get some carbon fiber add-ons too while the grille surround is also replaced by MANSORY. A four-part set of side skirts are available, while not one, but two different rear diffuser options are listed, one with four massive, oval exhaust tips, while the second comes with split-oval tips.

MANSORY offers a replacement engine cover for the Bentley Flying Spur, with integrated air vents, and the option for a carbon fiber ‘bonnet bar’ as they call it. We wouldn’t be looking at a MANSORY car if the exterior rearview mirrors didn’t get a carbon fiber cover too, and just like a small, but tasteful front lip, there is a nice little rear wing available too … and as a finishing touch, you can replace the Bentley logo on the trunk lid with a MANSORY ‘M’ logo.

Some might call it blasphemy, but MANSORY can replace the Bentley exhaust system with twin sport mufflers, there’s even an X-Pipe on the options list, while a 20 to 30mm lowering suspension kit is also possible, to make those custom MANSORY forged wheels come out even better, all in a 22-inch size, 10×22 for the front with 275/35 22 tires, and 11.5×22 at the rear with massive 335/25 22 … personally I love the glossy black FS.23 wheel the best.

While the interior of a factory standard Bentley Flying Spur W12 is already at an extremely high level, MANSORY still adds some personal touches nonetheless, like a bespoke sports steering wheel combining leather and carbon fiber that matches the new shift paddles, and the new door sills, with lighted MANSORY logo naturally, and a new gearshift lever, with the ‘M’ proudly on the top.

But MANSORY also offers a bespoke interior conversion to their customers, using exclusive leather in combination with carbon fiber or wood, whichever the client prefers, MANSORY offers 3D-embossed leather, there is even a multi-piece conversion set for the instrument panel, co-driver board, middle console front 2-parts, middle console rear 2-parts, ashtray, cover front and rear, jalousie front and behind, cover for light system front, 4-parts door panels available with carbon and wood.

Finished in a deep black paint with dark carbon fiber touches, the MANSORY Flying Spur W12 gets a power increase to 710 hp (522 kW) while torque goes to 1,000 Nm … as a result, the top speed goes up to 340 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 3.6 seconds in this behemoth.

February 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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Gronos 2021 – a Mansory modified Mercedes G-Class G63

Kourosh Mansory, located in Brand, Germany, is a well-known manufacturer of exclusive cars, most of which might be designed with Far-East, or Asian customers in mind, but their workmanship is at such a level you can’t resist admiring their creations, even if they aren’t always to your exact taste.

In 2013 MANSORY revealed the Gronos, a complete vehicle conversion taking Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG and completely transforming it into a beast, called the Gronos after the god Cronos who led the twelve Titans. The interior of the original Gronos didn’t have seats anymore, MANSORY calls them thrones now, upholstered in the finest leather possible, with amazing, bespoke stitching patterns. Together with perfect carbon fiber, made in-house in MANSORY’s own autoclave.

Back in 2013 MANSORY mounted 23-inch wheels with 305/35ZR23 tires, the original V8 engine is taken apart by MANSORY and gets rebuilt, together with a custom, stainless steel exhaust system, power output was 840 hp with an electronically limited torque figure of 1,000 Nm.

But MANSORY wasn’t finished with the Gronos, they also made a ‘Black Edition’ that had a full carbon fiber body, later a Gronos Facelift was released, with a carbon fiber redesigned body, wider fenders, new front hood, new front spoiler … and still with 840 hp.

Last year MANSORY came up with two new models based on the Mercedes G-Class, the ‘Star Trooper Pickup’, which was created in collaboration with Philipp Plein, and a ‘special protection’ version that is in line with the ‘invisible armoring’ idea from MANSORY, people that can afford this kind of exclusivity need to feel safe inside their car after all.

Now it’s time to take the Gronos into 2021 with a new evolution that takes the original design and modernizes it for the current market requirements. The entire aerodynamic program from the previous Gronos has been redesigned, a new front bumper and lower spoiler, even more exclusive, wide fenders, and a new rear diffuser. Note that all MANSORY aero parts are made from carbon fiber, and they even show special ‘Forged Carbon’ details finished in high-gloss.

While the car’s exterior is finished in a stunning, dark green shade referred to as ‘British Racing Green’, the front engine cover stays unpainted to display the perfect finish of the carbon fiber it’s made of, additional cooling vents just finish the amazing look. Additional DRL, daytime running lights, complete the aggressive look of the front and let’s not forget the extra, very bright, LED added to the roof above the windshield.

The Mercedes G-Class is one of those SUV that keeps the spare tire on the outside, on a large door, on this MANSORY Gronos 2021 the cover for this spare is made from Forged Carbon naturally, what else would you expect, and it matches numerous other parts on the exterior of the 2021 edition of the Gronos.

The factory standard Mercedes G63 AMG can’t be called underpowered with a healthy 585 hp available from the turbocharged V8 engine, still, MANSORY takes it apart and modifies the ECU, adds larges turbochargers, new downpipes, and a bespoke exhaust system. After MANSORY dials in the engine, the power output is raised to an impressive 850 hp, torque goes from 850 Nm to 1,000 Nm … acceleration is now only 3.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h from standstill, and the top speed is limited to 250 km/h.

With all that power and torque, those massive 295/30R24 tires might need changing quicker than you think, but those forged YN.5 MANSORY wheels, finished in glossy black, are just a feast to admire, so who cares about four new tires on a car like this. Just be careful when exiting the rear of this Gronos 2021, the two massive, round exhaust pipes exit just ahead of the rear wheels, and they might be burning hot!

And that brings us to the interior, if you think the exterior of this Gronos 2021 looks impressive, just admire that brown leather interior, MANSORY calls it ‘Fawn Brown’. And when you think about some of the other MANSORY creations, like a yellow Lamborghini Urus with a bright yellow leather interior, or a blue Rolls Royce with … you guessed it, a blue leather interior … this Gronos 2021 actually looks rather timid.

And this shade of brown leather complements the British Racing Green exterior perfectly, and if you look closely, you’ll notice MANSORY didn’t leave anything untouched inside this Gronos 2021, a new steering wheel, naturally with visible carbon fiber, dark carbon fiber inlays all over the interior. And that bespoke stitching pattern is executed to perfection, complete with embroidered MANSORY logo on the seats and floor mats.

The carpet in the MANSORY Gronos 2021 is finished in black for a nice contrast, but they added finely made floor mats that match the leather on the seats, even the inner door panel of that large, rear door gets the MANSORY treatment, and a custom floor mat just had to be added to the luggage space … even the entire headliner is replaced with the finest ‘Fawn Brown’ leather, how’s that for attention to detail?

But now comes the bad news … and no, it isn’t the price, because customers for this kind of total conversion don’t even have to ask ‘how much’, they just sign a blank cheque. No, the really bad news is that MANSORY will only make 10 units of this Gronos 2021, and while the CO2 emissions are 312 g/km and fuel consumption is a combined 13,6 l/100km … I don’t think this will deter people from buying the MANSORY Gronos 2021 … heck, most of MANSORY’s customers have their own oil fields anyway.

January 29, 2021 / Comments Off

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Manhart takes the BMW F95 X5 M Competition to the next level with the MHX5 800

Today the SUV market is crowded, there is a model for just any kind of customer, from practical, to fast, to spacious … you name it, there is an SUV that matches perfectly. But then there is the Super SUV segment, with the likes of the Bentley Bentayga which is fast and luxurious with 600 hp, or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid with 680 hp. And let’s not forget my favorite SUV, the Lamborghini Urus that dumps 640 hp onto the street … but that’s nothing compared to the massive 823 hp in the Manhart MHX5 800.

Yes, you are reading that figure correctly, German-based Manhart Performance GmbH and Co. KG takes the already impressive 625 hp from the twin-turbocharged, 4.4-Liter, V8 engine in the BMW X5 M Competition well over 800 hp. Manhart changes the factory ECU with their in-house developed MHTronik version, puts in a bespoke Manhart turbo power kit, complete with a new inter-cooler and creates the MHX5 800.

Going from 625 hp to 823 hp, and boosting torque from the standard 750 Nm to a massive 1,080 Nm, should come with some impressive sounds, so Manhart installs new rear mufflers. Valve-controlled, quadruple 100mm carbon or ceramic-coated tailpipes to cater to your needs. If you really want to go to the extreme, Manhart offers ‘Race-edition’ down-pipes that remove the catalytic converters and come with OPF-Delete pipes from stainless steel … but this option might not be street-legal … just don’t tell anyone.

Because of the 30% power increase, the 8-Speed Steptronic needs a Manhart upgrade too, while the adjustable suspension gets the Manhart treatment that allows a 30mm lowering to clearly show off those new Concave One forged wheels Manhart installs. Massively wide 10.5×22 inch wheels with 29/30ZR22 tires on them, cover the standard disk brakes, Manhart can however offer more powerful brakes if the customer requests them.

The Manhart MHX5 800 not only receives engine upgrades, or wheels, the exterior is modified too. First off with the traditional Manhart gold trim, but they add carbon fiber parts into the mix too, a new engine cover with race style air vents for instance. But also a new front spoiler, side skirts and a rear diffuser are part of the deal from Manhart, while the interior gets some bespoke carbon fiber parts on the steering wheel and shift paddles.

Personally I wouldn’t fit the gold trim or striping on my car, but it is part of the Manhart look-and-feel …

January 28, 2021 / Comments Off

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The B45 – 450 performance upgrade from Brabus

When I first saw this Brabus B45 for the first time, the term ‘Pocket Rocket’ came to mind, this car is based on the Mercedes A-class compact hatchback model, but it packs 450 hp now thanks to a performance upgrade from Brabus. Straight from the Mercedes factory the AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+ comes with 310 kW of power, but Brabus takes this up to 331 kW (450 hp) and a massive 550 Nm of torque, which is a 10% increase over the original figures.

The Brabus B45 – 450 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds (0.2 seconds faster), but what’s even more impressive is the fact Brabus does this with full TÜV approval and the exemplary three-year or 100,000-kilometer/62,000-mile BRABUS Tuning Warranty®, which is very rare in the engine tuning business altogether.

Just think about this for a second, we are looking at a 450 hp output from a turbocharged four-cylinder inside a hatchback Mercedes … only a few years ago this kind of power came from true supercars like a Ferrari F430 (2004 – 2009 with 480 hp from a V8), or the Lamborghini Gallardo that came with 500 hp (built from 2003 – 2006). But today a relatively comfortable hatchback model is getting very close to these harsh two-seater supercars with double the number of cylinders or more.

The press release stipulates: “The engine tuning comprises more than just special mapping for the A 45 S’s electronic engine management system. The conversion also includes a BRABUS PowerXtra CPC auxiliary control unit, the BRABUS BoostXtra adapter, which lets the engine produce a sporty blow-off noise like a racecar, and a special duct for the air box.”

In this case, Brabus didn’t add any aero parts or other appendages to the already potent looking Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+, but you can fit a set of adjustable lowering springs, which can bring this car down from 0mm to 30mm (1.2 inch). And you have to admit this lowered stance makes those bespoke 20 inch, monoblock Z wheels look even better. 8.5×20 inch on both axles boasting ten spokes, these black wheels with a polished lip get a set of Continental tires, 245/30ZR20 preferably.

If you really want to have your Brabus B45 – 450 look different where it matters, the interior, the Brabus upholstery shop can transform the entire cockpit of the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+ to your liking. Different, high-end leather with just about any stitching pattern you like, bespoke Brabus floor mats, aluminum pedals … or how about a set of Brabus stainless steel scuff plates, complete with illuminated logo to match the 64 shades of the ambient lighting?

The Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+ based Brabus B45 – 450 might come in a small package, but she packs a serious punch.

January 26, 2021 / Comments Off

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