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Author: Olly

  • MANHART MH3 600 & MH4 600 PREVIEWED

    Manhart has lifted the covers off its MH3 600 and MH4 600 versions of the new BMW M3 and M4, featuring almost 600hp.

    If you aren’t a fan of how the new BMW M3 and M4 look then you may want to look away now as Manhart hasn’t opted to work on that. There is, however, a new carbon fibre front bonnet, front splitter, rear spoiler, diffuser and side skirts to help detract attention from those grilles!

    Based on the Competition variants of those models, the Manhart MH3 600 and MH4 600 get a MHtronik Powerbox, boosting power to 620hp and 553lb ft of torque, that’s around a 110hp and 80lb ft power hike. The non-Competition models see power rise to 590hp, over the standard car’s 490hp.

    A Manhart cat-back exhaust system also features and comes with twin carbon tailpipes with the option of a middle silencer. There is also the option for a OPF-back exhaust system, too.

    Manhart MH3 600

    Thanks to its partnership with H&R, lowering springs are brought in to drop the Manhart MH3 600 & MH4 600 ride heights, while the car sits on Concave One forged wheels with 265/30 21 tyres at the front and 305/25 21 tyres at the rear.

    Manhart says: “Phase 1 of the tuning program includes a wide variety of parts and options, which will allow clients to tune and upgrade their beloved new Bimmer. For the second phase MANHART Performance will go a step further, taking both the M3 and M4 to the next level. Stay tuned for the release of this tuning package later in the year.”

    All of the parts listed here are available as packages or as individual items.

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  • EBISU CIRCUIT APPEALS FOR DONATIONS

    Following last month’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake, the Ebisu circuit operators are appealing for financial support after finding the damage was more than first thought.

    While Ebisu circuit resonates with petrolheads around the world, it is reeling from the damage caused by Japan’s most recent earthquake, which was in itself an aftershock from the earthquake and tsunami devastation caused in 2011.

    Thankfully, the majority of the track came away unscathed, parts of it were hit hard by the earthquake and subsequent land slides.

    Ebisu Circuit

    With Covid already causing the cancellation of a number of high profile events that take place at Ebisu, the earthquake has proven to be more costly than first thought, with the circuit appealing for donations in order to repair the damage caused and remain open for years to come.

    Seen by some as the mecca of drifting, lets hope Ebisu makes a quick recovery.

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  • GM filed a patent for an in-floor foot-massaging system

    Massaging seats are nothing new, but General Motors has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on an in-floor foot massaging system.

    First spotted by Carscoops last week, the document describes the use of small air bladders placed in the passenger-compartment floor. Inflating or deflating them massages passengers’ feet. That’s how current massaging seats work, so it seems GM is just looking for a new application of existing technology.

    GM wouldn’t be the first automaker to offer a foot massager. The Audi A8 is already available with one, Carscoops noted, but it’s embedded in a footrest, rather than the floor. That footrest folds down from the front passenger seatback, so the function is only available to the right rear passenger.

    General Motors in-floor foot massaging system patent image

    General Motors in-floor foot massaging system patent image

    That makes sense in a big sedan like the A8, which is more likely to be chauffeur driven. It’s already standard practice to leave the front passenger seat unoccupied to maximize legroom for a single rear passenger, so this seems like the next logical step. While GM hasn’t discussed any production plans for a foot massager, it has a large luxury sedan of its own in the works.

    A feature like this would be a good fit for the Cadillac Celestiq, the brand’s upcoming all-electric flagship. Cadillac has already confirmed that the Celestiq will feature a four-quadrant glass roof and a massive display screen, and it will be mostly hand-built.

    The Celestiq will be Cadillac’s second all-electric model, after the Lyriq SUV scheduled to start production in 2022, and part of larger plan that could see the luxury brand go all-electric by the end of the decade. That means, if future Cadillacs get built-in foot massagers, there won’t be internal-combustion engines to mask whatever  sound they might make, though GM will likely deal with that as well.

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