To give the engine a close-to-V8 punch, the tuner also massaged it.
Land Rover Defender production is temporarily suspended because of a never-ending chip shortage. However, that doesn’t stop tuners from playing with this iconic off-roader. Manhart, the latest aftermarket specialist for the Slovakian-built SUV, is currently working on its five-door 110 model. These images show that the British G-Class has been modified to be more visible on the road than for extra performance off-road.
The vehicle rides on massive 24-inch wheels with a gray finish. They are wrapped in 295/30 ZR24 rubber tires. Manhart can also sell 22-inch alloys for the Defender’s off-road skills. These smaller shoes are available in black with 295/40 rubber, as can be seen on the spare wheel at the rear.
The tuner has increased the Defender’s arches and adjusted the air suspension to make it closer to the road by approximately 30 millimeters (nearly 1 inch). This adds a little more drama to the Defender. Manhart turned its attention to the SUV’s interior, adding leather and Alcantara.
The engine cover is painted to indicate that the Wuppertal-based tuner also modified the 3.0-liter inline-six engine of this P400 model. The output was increased to 512 horsepower (710 Newton-meters) and 524 pound-feet (524 lb-ft) by a simple software mapping. This brings the output levels very close to the supercharged V8 model of 5.0-liters unveiled earlier in the year.
Although there is no information on performance, we will remind you that the Defender top dog hits 60 mph (96 km/h), in just 4.9 seconds, before reaching a top speed (149 mph (220 km/h). A custom stainless steel exhaust will be available with carbon- or ceramic-coated tips to complement the Defender P400’s upgraded inline-six. Manhart will add an optional upgrade to the brakes in order to match the extra power.