Manhart turns GLE 63 S into 800hp super-SUV

Very adaptable, the AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Not only has it powered a host of cars very ably, from Mercedes super-saloons to Aston Martin SUVs, it has proven itself more than willing to accept more power. The hot-v makes more than 700hp in the DBX thanks to bigger turbos and an ECU rework; with a bit of help from some battery cells, it makes comfortably more than 800hp. Or, if your tastes are more traditional, that enormous peak figure can be reached without any hybrid assistance at all. Just bloody great turbos. 

Now, the GLE 63 S 4Matic+ – as this Manhart-tuned car once was – isn’t exactly an AMG brimming with traditional appeal, but the methods are easy to appreciate. The 4.0-litre gets mild hybrid assistance from the factory, which isn’t touched for this upgrade. Instead, the GER 800, as the GLE has been christened, has been treated to a ‘Manhart turbo upgrade’; a tad vague, though we’d assume they’re going to be bigger, more powerful blowers than standard.

With the electronics adjusted to take full advantage and a naughty (as in not TÜV approved) exhaust for the engine to breathe through, 800hp and 737lb ft is claimed. Even against a very powerful standard car, that’s another 188hp and 110lb ft. Manhart said it was ‘absolutely obligatory’ for the performance to be improved on anything it modified, even if AMG did represent a departure from its usual BMW-badged fare. Safe to say this will be just a bit quicker than stock. 

A carbon fibre widebody from TopCar Design, plus a 30mm drop on the air suspension, ensures the GER 800 won’t go unnoticed anywhere. Truth be told, there wasn’t any avoiding the standard car, even if you wanted to, and the Manhart car is even more attention-grabbing. Additionally, it gets 23-inch Concave One wheels (good luck finding front 285/35 ZR23s) in any colour desired and the Manhart graphics. Subtle it is not. Factor in something like €20,000 for the 800hp upgrade, because new turbos don’t come cheap. Don’t forget, however, that the coupe body isn’t mandatory – all that power in a normal GLE SUV like this could make the school run very silly indeed.