Maxxd.com

Category: Maxxd News

MANHART GOLF GTI 290 MK8 UNVEILED

The Manhart Golf GTI 290 takes a regular Mk8 Golf GTI and ramps it up to Clubsport levels alongside more aggressive aesthetics.

With the Mk8 Golf GTI sharing a lot of its components with its predecessor, the Mk7, it wasn’t going to be long before we saw a number of companies making their own revisions. Manhart, famed for modifying BMWs but caters for other marques, is one such company. For the Mk7 Golf R, Manhart produced the RS450, and in doing so, learned a few lessons it could transfer to the Mk8.

The Manhart Golf GTI 290 turns the wick up on the EA888-powered Mk8 Golf GTI, upping its power from 245hp to 290hp (286bhp) and its torque from 273lb ft to 313lb ft thanks to its in-house MHtronik Powerbox, a piggyback ECU module that adjusts fuel and boost pressure.

To give the car a more purposeful look, the body was lowered 40mm in total by way of H&R lowering springs, while the factory-spec wheels were replaced with 8x19inch Manhart multi-spoke wheels shod in 225/35 section tyres. Further modifications to the exterior include a more aggressive rear diffuser as well as pin stripe decals on both sides, bonnet, roof and rear. Inside, the headliner is filled with small LEDs to produce a starry sky effect. Those who want to modify further can explore Manhart’s exhaust options.

Prices for the Manhart Golf GTI 290 performance upgrades start from £1300, with the lowering springs coming in at £300 and the wheels £1400. Given the Mk8 Golf GTI Clubsport comes in at roughly £3755, would you opt for the Manhart upgrades or simply order a Clubsport form factory?

Source

May 26, 2021
MODIFIED AUDI 100 COUPE: OLD’S COOL

While newbies seem obsessed with their new-wave cars on air and wheels and their 15 minutes of fame, we’re grateful for the small number of diehards more interested in the bigger picture and the long game. Enter Andi Riley and his stunning modified Audi 100 Coupe.

Feature from Performance VW. Words: Jimbo Wallace. Photos: Si Gray

Unique. Different. Unconventional. All words that us car folk generally throw around with little respect. Yet we don’t need to harp on with the usual journalistic hyperbole when it comes to Andi Riley’s 1972 modified Audi 100 Coupe, this thing tells its own story as soon as you see it. Remember, let’s say… 15 years ago when people used to build cars and unveil them at shows with only their closest mate’s knowing about the blood, sweat and tears invested? The sense of anticipation and excitement that surrounded shows before the interweb and social media age meant that people would arrive at shows totally amped about the vehicles that may or may not turn up. For Andi Riley, a mechanic, camper converter and all-round fabrication whiz, an element of that old school cool was lacking thanks to the Insta generation who trickle out every detail of each single element. In the day and age, quite how Andi kept this modified Audi 100 coupe under wraps though we have no idea.

So, when we arrived at Ultimate Dubs 2020 in sunny Telford, imagine our surprise when nestling between the main halls and the coveted red-carpet area was this mind bending, Samurai grey modified Audi 100 coupe in all of its resto-mod glory – reimagined, rebuilt and rejuvenated for the 21st century! It might look like the past, but it sure as hell drives like the future. Also, loads of show goers kept enthusiastically asking us: “Have you seen that amazing grey Audi in the hallway?”

For Andi, the main man at modification and camper conversion specialist, Not Just Campers in Leeds, this car was all about validating his business, “I bought it 18 months ago after visiting a show in Belgium hosted by the Rollhard crew. There was a gorgeous Audi 100 two door there and it was sublime. After the van (Andi’s world-famous VW T5 with a twin turbo RS4 engine onboard) I really wanted to do a car properly, a full nut and bolt rebuild – no corners cut. So, I decided there and then that I needed one in my life.” As a tool to prove that his company is indeed “Not Just Campers” there was only one stumbling block and that was finding one! “I started looking everywhere. Then, one popped up in Wales that I found on the internet. It had been imported from South Africa, so I chucked the kids in the car and set off early one Sunday.”

Even though the kids hated it to look at initially, this piece of history was soon on the back of a trailer heading for Leeds. Andi wasting no time stripping it down with lots of help from his son Joshua, even buying him a swanky new socket set to help out, unveiling just a couple of minor rust patches along the way. In fact, we can vividly remember seeing this car on a rotisserie when Andi was stripping the seam sealer off, just prior it being sent off for sandblasting. “Perhaps thanks to its time in South Africa, the car was incredibly solid. We only welded small repair patches into one of the doors were the South African models used to have chrome trim, and a couple of small playing card size sections within the inner arches,” Andi revealed, continuing, “The real fabrication work began once I decided to swap the engine and gearbox.”

Having already sourced an early VW Passat (B5) 1.8T as a donor vehicle, largely due to the longitudinal engine layout, Andi had a fantastic source at his disposal. “It was a lovely little. car, I ran around it for a couple of weeks to make sure it was running right, so throwing the original 1.8 and three-speed auto away was a no brainer, particularly after I drove the UK’s foremost Audi 100 hoarder Keith’s OE car, that was dreadful,” quipped Andi.

Custom engine mounts were crafted that bolt to a box section cradle that runs beneath the engine before connecting to the smoothed chassis rails so the entire motor can be dropped out – mounts and all in no time at all. Likewise, the five-speed manual gearbox was also mounted inside a large portion of the Passat transmission tunnel, skilfully grafted in as the Audi tunnel wouldn’t accept the bigger manual ‘box, Andi having to knock up his own gearshift linkage to suit. At one point there was also a chromed K04 turbo that Andi rebuilt, but when it wouldn’t squeeze in against the new engine mounts, he settled upon the original K03 item that came with the motor, rebuilt to hybrid spec and fully balanced to make the most of the REVO ECU remap to up the power to somewhere in the 212bhp mark. The mods are kept to a minimum within the ‘bay, but the neatly concealed VW wiring loom runs the 1997 Passat clocks, while a custom-made, stainless steel, turbo back exhaust system vents waste gases to atmosphere. “The lights, wipers and ancillary parts are still run by the Audi fuseboard, but we stripped back loads of the Passat wiring and used the VW ignition barrel, transponder and immobiliser system.” Andi revealed. He’s also the first to admit that he didn’t want a totally smooth engine bay, so many of the original pressings and panel lines remain in place beneath that heavenly Porsche hue. The eagle eyed amongst you will also notice that the block and the gearbox are painted in a colour that matches the interior leather – you can tell Andi enjoys an episode or ten of Motortrend TV’s Bitchin’ Rides in his spare time.

Getting the driveshafts to line up was the next hurdle. “They fell about two inches further back with the new gearbox, but by chopping them up and adapting them to fit the retro fitted 1976 Audi 100 suspension setup – which did away with the early Auto spec 100 inboard disc brakes, it was possible to bolt later Audi 80 stub axles into position to accommodate VW Passat wheel bearings and hubs,”

At this point, Andi also had to factor in that sensational wheel choice. “The CVs, hubs and stub axles meant I could also use some 288mm cross drilled Passat front discs in 5x112PCD, but when I decided I wanted to use the HF Turbo wheels cut and converted into custom split rims it needed a 4×98 stud pattern.” To squeeze in the thoroughly modern discs and Maserati four piston calipers, custom caliper carriers were knocked up by his local engineering shop and the discs and hubs were re-drilled to suit the Lancia bolt pattern. Talk about make work for yourself, Mr Riley, but work together it all most certainly does, “I owe a lot to the Audi Owners Club online, and also my new-found Audi 100 geek mate, Keith – who is officially the UK’s Audi 100 font of all knowledge and parts – I honestly couldn’t have built this car without his help and considerable spares.”

Having gone to all this trouble, Andi soon found that height adjustable suspension isn’t exactly rife for a 1972 modified Audi 100 Coupe with lots of other Audi and Passat bits bolted on – who knew? A quick phone call to Jonathon at Intermotiv netted some custom made front and rear airbag struts featuring Goodridge sleeve bags to really set those sills on the floor. Less altitude, more attitude, right? Combined with cutting edge Airlift 3H management, a trio of Torpedo tanks and a brace of Viair 444c compressors this setup places those 8.5 and 10.5 x 18-inch custom made split rims way up into the arches. If you’ve not already clocked the boot build that was a last-minute decision just a month before Ultimate Dubs, what are you waiting for?

With the fundamental chassis and fabrication work sorted attention turned to colouring in the panels. “I tried a spray out of Porsche Miami Blue on a wing and hated it, and the body shop guy wanted me to go straight white to keep the prep to a minimum, but then I visited a Porsche dealership and witnessed Samurai grey. There was no going back,” Andi explained gleefully. Body wise the 100 remains largely as Audi intended, with the exception of a later C3 front splitter, but then the lines of this car look so sharp and classic that it’s easy to mistake it for a product of the Aston Martin or the Pininfarini stable anyway. Sharp, painstakingly wet sanded and buffed to perfection, it’s truly stunning from every angle.

When combined with an interior that’s clad in enough Ferrari tan leather with specially imported basket weave inserts courtesy of Andi’s regular camper trimmers at SG Styling, that it looks like a Caramac feed herd have moved in. “I really wanted the chrome trim to extend all the way around and I rebuilt the centre console, so it extends further back as well,” Andi mused. Indeed, the nose rush of premium leather on those Mk2 Golf Recaros – a total nightmare to fit due to the angle of the rear runners which needed welding into floorpan, makes this interior a very special place to be without doubt. A Retrosound headunit also feeds it’s signal out to a high-class Hertz install that features 2-way components front and rear, a brace of Hertz amplifiers and a duo of ten-inch subs all skilfully moulded in around the rear wheel arches so they’re almost invisible.

There’s literally too much to look at with this build and we dread to think the hours that must have poured into from Andi and his close network of first-rate craftsmen. Hell, we’ve not even had the chance to tell you about the Passat pedal box with hydraulic clutch conversion, Pro Alloy intercooler and radiator, twin Kawazaki ZX-10R twin fans or even the insane lengths that Andi had to go to in order to secure any spare parts for the resto. What we can say unequivocally is that it’s nice to see the old boy showing the kids how things used to be done. Taking an extremely rare car and making it a 21st century masterpiece deserves huge respect, but as Andi’s mate put it on a forum once. I don’t know what all the fuss is about, it’s only an Audi on air and wheels! Right, Andi?

Tech Spec: Modified Audi 100 Coupe

Engine:

1781cc VW Passat 1.8T (AEB) engine; custom engine and gearbox mounts; VW engine wiring loom using Passat clocks, immobiliser, key and transponder; Pro Alloy radiator and intercooler setup; K&N pod filter; rebuilt hybrid KKK03 turbocharger; twin Kawazaki ZX-10R fans; Revo ECU; Custom stainless steel turbo back 2.5-inch exhaust system; Passat five speed manual gearbox with bespoke shifter linkage; Engine block painted to match interior trim; fully polished or plated ancilliaries: Kawazaki Clutch slave reservoir. Power: 213bhp 200lb/ft

Chassis:

Custom made three-piece Lancia Delta HF Turbo wheels in 8.5- and 10.5×18” diameter with 215/35 and 225/35 tyres. Intermotiv air ride struts, later 70s Audi 100 outboard disc brake suspension setup, Audi 80 stub axles, Passat 5×112 hubs re-drilled to accept 4×98, Maserati four piston calipers front and rear, 288mm cross drilled Passat discs, Passat rear disc conversion using OE hubs on solid Audi rear axle, weld in lower strut brace, custom engine cradle, 3x Torpedo air tanks in custom boot build, AirLift 3H air ride management, 8mm lines, eight valve manifold

Exterior:

Refinished in Porsche Samurai Grey; Audi C3 front splitter; repaired and re-plated chrome trim throughout; front bumper trim narrowed and tidied; largely stock bodywork

Interior:

Mk2 Golf Recaro seats with headrests removed; Ferrari tan leather retrim with basket weave inserts; custom extended centre console; VW ignition barrel; Mustang steering wheel; VW Beetle aftermarket door handles and window winders; Retrosound Bluetooth enabled headunit; Hertz 2-way component speakers front and rear with hidden crossovers; Hertz 10-inch subwoofers; Hertz 4 channel and mono sub amplifiers

Source

May 25, 2021
MODIFIED BMW M135I: ORANGE CRUSH

With huge performance potential on tap, it’s unsurprising that we’ve seen many a modified BMW M135i, but few people have taken this hot hatch to the hardcore next level and focused it into a ferocious track machine…

Feature taken from Performance BMW. Words: Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Adrian Brannan

We still remember the first time we sampled the BMW M135i: its combination of performance and sheer driving pleasure left a big impression on us and we totally get the appeal. Impressive as it is when stock, once you start tapping into its substantial modding potential it really comes alive but few owners out there have turned up the heat on this spicy hot hatch quite as much as Duncan Bryce has.

“Since my early teens I was always interested in BMWs, purely because they were the only cars my dad has owned since the early 2000s,” Duncan tells us as we chat. “I always remember walking around the dealerships with him looking at all the new models and talking about what ones we liked and disliked. He has had a few over the years ranging from his first E91 318i Touring to an E82 123d and his recent F31 340i Touring, which has now been replaced by an F20 M140i, which always keep things interesting. Growing up surrounded by BMWs it gravitated my own choice towards owning a few of my own and when it was my turn to have the showroom experience, I knew it was a trip to BMW,” he grins. After owning and modding a 1.4TSI VW Scirocco he was looking for his next project and so went to sample a selection of cars at his local BMW dealership, where a member of his family worked; it was the 2 Series that caught his eye and a test drive in an M235i saw him smitten and taking it home with him shortly after.

Having modded the Scirocco, Duncan wasn’t shy about getting stuck in with the mods on his BMW M235i and ended up adding a de-cat, JB4, Cobra Sport exhaust, OZ Formula wheels along with a selection of M Performance carbon styling goodies. Sadly, it ended up in an accident and that left him wondering what could fill the M235i-shaped hole in his life. After buying a diesel Audi A5 and feeling unsatisfied, it was a stint behind the wheel of his partner’s 118d M Sport that made him realise he needed another BMW. “As I had previous experience with the N55 engine and knew what potential it had I began looking at the BMW M135i as it ticked all the boxes. After a few weeks of research, I found this one, which had already been modified with some parts that would start my journey and the freshly detailed shine on the Valencia orange paint had me hooked,” he grins.

N55 power

As Duncan mentioned, his new acquisition already came pre-modified with a few tasty additions, which included H&R lowering springs, 763M wheels, carbon mirror caps, gloss black grilles and a Maxton Design splitter, but considering how much work he’d put into his modified BMW M235i it was clear that there was going to be more to come. “As soon as I got the car back home I knew the first modification would be to get a good set of tyres on the wheels and fitted a set of Michelin PS4Ss on it to get some proper grip. Next, I fitted a JB4 and de-cat for some power as that was the big thing at the time and, after that, I added an exhaust and a spoiler, and that was as far as I had originally planned to take the car. However, after a trip to the Nürburgring in June 2018, I was fixed on turning it into a track car,” he explains and so the focus for the project was set.

The modified BMW M135i has been continuously evolving both before Duncan’s decision to go down the track route and since and the amount of work that he has put into every area of this build to fine-tune and find his perfect setup is very impressive, and that obviously includes the engine. Having had experience with tuning the N55 before in his M235i, Duncan knew where to start, fitting the aforementioned JB4, along with a Pipercross filter and Scorpion de-cat downpipe, which combined to make around 400hp, before adding an M Performance back box. He then added an uprated BMS intercooler and a Forge charge pipe as the standard plastic item is known to crack when increasing power and boost pressure. Up until this point, the JB4 had been fine but Duncan wanted more going forward; “I removed the JB4 box to flash the ECU with MHD as it was released for the F-series and had far more custom options for mapping and changing software such as linear maps, cold start delete, ethanol maps, maps for upgraded turbos and fuel pumps. There was so much more it could do over the JB4,” he explains.

Next on his shopping list was a better air intake: “I had looked at open cone intakes and read mixed reviews about them drawing in hot air from the engine due to the N55 platform not having a good feed of cold air to the intake. An aFe Magnum Force one then popped up for sale online at a good price so that was bought along with a new filter and then fitted to the car. Straight away I felt an improvement and the noise it made was addictive,” he grins and he’s since added his own custom cold air feed. Through all of this, Duncan was also experimenting with different exhaust setups, trying to find the right sound for him and we’ve all been there. After the M Performance setup, he tried a custom Y-pipe with Milltek tips, went back to the standard exhaust, and then decided to try a Cobra Sport non-resonated exhaust. “Considering I had dealt with Cobra before as my M235i was the development car and first M235i in the UK to be fitted with their exhaust, it was a no-brainer. It sounds amazing with the de-cat and the noise on wide-open throttle is startling,” he grins and there’s nothing more satisfying than finding your perfect setup. The final additions to his setup are a set of NGK spark plugs as he was experiencing misfires at wide-open throttle, a GFB DV+ blow-off valve and a one-piece mandrel-bent FTP turbo inlet pipe, which removes the restriction in the standard pipe and which Duncan says has made a huge difference to throttle response.

Modified BMW M135i: Chassis talk

Power is all well and good except it’s not if you can’t keep it all in check and that’s especially true if you’re heading for the track, so Duncan’s modified BMW M135i has been treated to an impressive selection of chassis upgrades beneath the surface. “When I purchased the car it was already on H&R lowering springs which gave it a far better look on the 19” wheels but the ride wasn’t suitable for the local roads,” explains Duncan. “After my trip to the Nürburgring in July 2018, I started looking at coilovers and it came down to either Bilstein or KW. A set of Bilstein B14s became available from a friend so I went for them,” and they offered a significant improvement over the springs but that was just the tip of the iceberg. To complement these, Duncan has added a set of Millway camber plates, H&R ARBs, Whiteline adjustable drop links, Direnza adjustable rear camber arms, along with Powerflex bushes in the radius arms, controls arms, rear subframe and LSD. This has been topped off with the car being corner-weighted and this comprehensive combo works to remove any and all slack in the chassis, making the car feel incredibly responsive and allowing Duncan to really enjoy his M135i both on the road and out on track. The coilovers also have the welcome benefit of allowing him to give his 1 Series a serious drop and he’s deleted all of the arch gap, which benefits both handling and looks, and he’s also added a set of striking and purposeful wheels that fit perfectly with the whole look and ethos of the build.

“At first I went for a set of Bola wheels as they offered custom offsets from the factory which meant I could get the perfect fitment to fill the arches. They also had a good variety of colours to suit the car and I also went to 18s, which were better suited to the track and had more tyre options available,” Duncan tells us. “I always said to myself I’d get a set of Apex EC-7 wheels as they were the top wheel for track applications and I had seen so many BMWs running them. I was convinced I’d get a set,” he chuckles. “A set then became available, an 8.5×18” ET35 square setup, not something I’d really considered though. After doing some reading up on square setups and working out if the offsets would fit I was excited to have them fitted onto the car. They were sent straight to Dust Powder & Paint to be powder coated in white as I wanted them to stand out,” he says and that they do thanks to that white finish, which we imagine is a complete pain to keep clean but it’s worth the effort as they look fantastic against the bold Valencia orange bodywork. The wheels are wrapped in super-sticky Yokohama AD08R rubber for maximum grip and traction and Duncan hasn’t forgotten about the brakes, either, with the standard blue calipers that sit behind them having been equipped with Pagid RS29 pads over MTEC C-hook discs and the stopping setup is finished off with HEL braided lines and Motul fluid.

When it came to exterior styling, Duncan says that he didn’t want to do too much as the car’s colour is what catches your eye and he’s not wrong, with that vibrant Valencia hue absolutely popping, and so he’s just worked to enhance the car’s looks a little and add some extra aggression to proceedings. Up front sits a Maxton splitter, then you’ve got a set of carbon mirror caps, the flanks are enhanced with a set of M Performance side skirt extensions, there’s a carbon roof spoiler and an aggressive RK Tuning diffuser finishing things off at the rear and these elements combine to give this car some extra presence.

If the outside of this modified BMW M135i is subtle, the interior is anything but and Duncan has really gone to town on the colour-coding and we love it. “After starting to modify the car to make it suitable for the track, the harnesses and cage were the main priority. SW Motorsports built me a custom cage as there were no off-the-shelf options at the time. The seats I had viewed before and I found them supportive and comfortable so I knew these were the right ones for my car while the harnesses had to be orange to go with the car so the TRS five-points fitted the bill,” he smiles. The Corbeau Clubsport seats that Duncan has chosen look absolutely awesome and are perfect for the track. To help reduce weight he removed the rear seats and made his own delete kit by getting a piece of plywood and covering it in carpet to match the rest of the interior, though since the shoot he has removed the delete setup and stripped all the carpet from the rear of the car to reduce weight further still. In addition to that, Duncan has added a selection of orange accents, wrapping the trim in orange along with fitting an Alcantara steering wheel with an orange centre stripe while the finishing touch is a super-sexy Awron digital vent gauge.

Duncan’s been working on his modified BMW M135i for about two-and-a-half years and he’s transformed it into a fully committed track build that never fails to put a smile on his face. “All my modifications stand alone in terms of why I went for them but what I was most excited for and still am the most excited about to this day are the seats and the harnesses. Nothing starts the journey better than tightening the harnesses ready for track,” he grins, “while the most useful modification I would say was the Awron gauge.” Even with the amount of work that’s already gone into this build he’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon, which is no surprise seeing as he’s been modding continuously this year after we shot the car for this feature. “Moving forward I’d like to fit a big brake kit and cooling plates, MMR’s sump baffle and a BTCC-style rear wing. I also want to upgrade the seats to something more track-focused and more supportive,” he says and that should keep him busy for a while. Considering his plans for this car, you might be surprised to learn that he’s considering another car, but it’s not what you might think. “I have no idea what could come next, there’s a lot out there, but if the car keeps going down the track route I’ll be needing something to tow it,” he laughs and that’s the sort of commitment to a build that we love to see.

Tech Spec: Modified BMW M135i

Engine & Transmission

3.0-litre turbo straight-six N55B30, aFe Magnum Force intake, FTP turbo inlet, GFB DV+ blow-off valve, Forge charge pipe, BMS intercooler, NGK 97506 plugs, Scorpion downpipe, Cobra Sport non-resonated cat-back exhaust, MHD Stage 2+ tune. ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, XHP Stage 3 flash, M Performance LSD

Chassis:

8.5×18” ET35 (front and rear) Apex EC-7 wheels with 245/40 (front and rear) Yokohama AD08R tyres, stud kit, Bilstein B14 coilovers, Millway Motorsport camber plates, H&R ARBs, Whiteline adjustable drop links, Direnza rear adjustable camber arms, Powerflex poly bushes in radius arms, control arms, rear subframe and LSD, MTEC C-hook discs, Pagid RS29 pads, HEL braided lines, Motul RBF 660 fluid

Exterior:

Valencia orange, Maxton front splitter, carbon mirror caps, M Performance side skirt extensions, RK Tuning diffuser, rolled arches (front and rear)

Interior:

Corbeau Club Sport seats, SW Motorsports roll-cage, TRS five-point harnesses, custom rear seat delete, Awron vent gauge, carbon and orange-wrapped trim, Alcantara-wrapped wheel with orange centre stripe

Source

May 24, 2021