The BMW i8 has been making quite a few rounds lately, after we called it “overlooked” by most supercar enthusiasts.
And yes, it’s not a supercar, because nowadays you reserve that term for say an Aventador or a Ferrari F12.
Still, the i8 is seriously quick, especially if you give its petrol engine a little extra juice to play with, which is what Manhart had to do in order to build a car capable of holding off a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, or even a W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.
The Merc is powered by a 6.2 liter V8 engine, capable of producing 457 HP and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of peak torque. That means that it can get from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.5 seconds, which happens to be just 0.1 seconds slower than a stock BMW i8.
The 911 GT3 RS can get to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds thanks to its 415 HP, 405 Nm (299 lb-ft) 3.6 liter boxer engine.
While it’s unclear exactly how much extra muscle the i8 brought to play with, it had absolutely no issue getting off the line better than both the Merc and the 911, and actually stayed in front of the C63 almost until the end when the AMG’s monster torque seemed to help it close the cap.
The GT3 RS didn’t do as well, plus it looked like it got off to a poor start. But odds are somebody put a serious magic spell on that BMW i8 because we’ve already seen one get its rear end kicked by a Carrera S.