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      06-30-2015, 03:32 PM   #1
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Review: Manhart MHtronik Stage 1

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I've had the Manhart stage 1 tune installed on my M235 for about 7000 miles now, so I figured it was about time to write a quick review.

A few months after getting my car I wanted more power and decided to get the Dinan stage 1. The performance increase was surprisingly underwhelming and left me wanting for more. After a few weeks of scouring the internet I stumbled across Manhart's website and soon got in touch with Konstantin from their sales department. He was very friendly and helpful and was happy to answer the countless questions I had.

The shipping from Germany was surprisingly fast, and upon opening the package it was immediately apparent that this is a high quality product. The box itself is enclosed in a hefty aluminum protective casing and the wiring harness is of oem quality with each connector clearly labeled. They also include a dummy plug so you can quickly revert back to stock settings without removing the entire harness.



At the time I still had the Dinan installed so I decided to take the opportunity to compare both tunes on a dyno. I found a local shop with an awd dyno and did several runs first with the dinan, then stock with no tune, followed by the Manhart. Keep in mind its a low reading Mustang dyno which according to the shop owner reads about 17% lower than a dynojet, plus the runs were all done in fourth gear. Either way, what we are looking at are the differences between tuned and stock numbers rather than the overall number per se. As you can see the Manhart clearly outperformed the Dinan, delivering a whopping +56whp. Considering they advertise a 60hp gain I am very satisfied with the results.



At the time I was slightly overwhelmed with the installation process and opted to have it installed professionally at the dyno shop, but it's basically like installing a jb4 with two extra connections plus a power and ground wire. The manual instructs you to weld the can wires but I opted to use positaps like the jb4 (Manhart advises against this but I see no reason not to use the positaps for easy removal). Since having watched the installation I have removed it and reinstalled it a few times on my own and if you are familiar with the process it should take no longer than a jb4 install.



As soon as I got the car on the road I could notice a huge difference. Of course the extra power was very apparent but what I noticed even more was how incredibly smooth the power delivery was. I don't know if it's because I was coming from the Dinan but the car felt sooo much better. Reduced lag, insane acceleration, ridiculously fast and smooth as butter. I was ecstatic! The car just pulls and pulls and is able to keep up with some seriously fast cars. I've exclusively been pumping 93 gas so I'm not sure how it performs on 91 but like I said I've pushed the car very hard and had zero drivetrain malfunctions.

Once familiar with the process, the installation is simple enough to remove before a dealership service and reinstall after, so really this box covers all the bases in my book: reliability, quality construction, impressive performance gains and ease of install/removal. The only thing I would change about this unit would be to make make it user adjustable. I know Manhart has a stage 2 box if you have an exhaust and sports cat, it would be neat if the box could have both softwares with a switch that can be adjusted according to the users needs. That being said the upgrade to stage 2 is pretty simple and only requires a software update.

I have experimented with several piggy back tunes and I can honestly say that this is the absolute best piggy back solution I have encountered so far. Yes its not the least expensive option but you are paying for a very high quality, German engineered product to accompany your $50k car, and boy do you get what you pay for. Over the past 7000 miles I have pushed the car very, very hard and had absolutely no issues. Overall I am extremely impressed by Manhart's MHtronik stage 1 and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality tune!
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      07-01-2015, 02:48 AM   #2
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Great result !! Manhart tunes are exactly as you describe !! Super smooth
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      07-01-2015, 04:35 AM   #3
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I`m totally with you!

That it feels incredibly smooth was the first thing I recognized after the installation,
which pretty impressed me. I`m coming from a jb4 and it`s such a big difference!

The box is not adjustable since it`s tüv certified.
It wouldn`t have a chance to get this certification if it was adjustable.

But since the installation is that easy, it`s not a big deal to send the box to manhart and get the stage 2 software on it.
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      07-01-2015, 06:43 AM   #4
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How much was the stage 1 box?

Edit: saw it's 2,179 euros... That sounds ridiculously expensive compared to anything else on the market including ECU tune?
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      07-01-2015, 09:24 AM   #5
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Thanks for sharing the information. Looks as if the Manhart just wants to keep pulling as your peak hp gains were right there in the 6k+ rpm range making it short lived but not falling on its face before shifting which is very cool.

Wonder when we will see some stage II results?

Would have been cool if you would of had a JB4 that day. I did not recall you mentioning having tried the JB4, which still seems to be the most feature rich and affordable.

2100 Euros puts its pricing right there with Dinan with no insurance but it clearly out performs Dinan just like every tune seems to do.
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      07-01-2015, 10:06 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Knightelf View Post
How much was the stage 1 box?

Edit: saw it's 2,179 euros... That sounds ridiculously expensive compared to anything else on the market including ECU tune?
I found it here for $1663. seems to be their US distributor.
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      07-02-2015, 01:48 AM   #7
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That`s the older version which was a tad cheaper!
I`d only get the newer version with the aluminium case, since it`s running incredible!
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      07-02-2015, 09:52 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnooooOH View Post
That`s the older version which was a tad cheaper!
I`d only get the newer version with the aluminium case, since it`s running incredible!
I'm pretty sure it's just an old picture, the advertised gains are identical plus they sell all the other current Manhart products. They did mention they were looking for a U.S. distributor.
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      07-02-2015, 11:17 AM   #9
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Great results. The jb4 is evolving and now does not require canbus wire taps, which is fantastic and leaves zero physical trace. Working through the obdii it now has dash controls and several more options in the works.
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      07-02-2015, 11:40 AM   #10
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If you wouldn't mind shooting me a PM for what you paid that'd be really appreciated! Still in search of a tune.

Had JB4 on my old n55 135i and found it to be far too inconsistent and honestly took away from the drivability of the car
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      07-02-2015, 05:01 PM   #11
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Wow I would pick up a Manhart stage 1 for $1600 in an instant.
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      07-03-2015, 03:10 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminous View Post
I'm pretty sure it's just an old picture, the advertised gains are identical plus they sell all the other current Manhart products. They did mention they were looking for a U.S. distributor.
They gains were identical in both versions plus you can still get rests of the older version. But we don`t know, so I would def ask which version they sell for this amount, just to be sure.
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      07-22-2015, 03:49 PM   #13
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Bumping this thread as I'm interested to hear from others about this tune before I purchase.
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      07-22-2015, 07:29 PM   #14
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So what's the final price on this stage 1? $1,699???
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      07-23-2015, 02:39 AM   #15
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Manhart are a great company !! you pay for quality... these guys are the real deal ! I would love to try there flash tune.... just too far away !! In fact when i last chatted to them they advised that the flash tune is even better ! I would love to see the results of there flash tune compared to the flash I have on my car at the moment
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      07-23-2015, 10:13 AM   #16
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Glad you are happy with the results
Are you getting any of the Jb4 features with this tune? Im asking this because you said it connects the same way as the JB4 ( versus the regular stage 1 piggybacks)
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      07-27-2015, 07:02 AM   #17
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No you don`t have the features but you can turn the box of very easily and make it hard to find for the dealer. It`s like swithcing to map 0 on the jb4.
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      07-31-2015, 04:30 PM   #18
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Not to derail the thread, but I want to add that I've read about a person with a JB4 that stopped a person from stealing his car. Basically he was in map 6 and the would be thief failed to steal the car because he couldn't over come the stock security features through the OBD port because the JB4 was in control. Similar to you mentioning Map 0 and dealerships being unaware of the tune.

I wonder if other tunes and piggybacks with settings out of OEM parameters would prevent OBD car theft.
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      09-30-2015, 06:22 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trcb777 View Post
Great results. The jb4 is evolving and now does not require canbus wire taps, which is fantastic and leaves zero physical trace. Working through the obdii it now has dash controls and several more options in the works.
Please be aware that if someone digs deep enough (not the regular dealer, but say if your engine is blown and BMW challenges the warranty claim and decides to investigate) the higher HP and ft lb peaks do leave a trace. Does not depend on which tune you use.

But I figure this is old news.

For everyone that does not want any physical trace, or in general, I do recommend a proper ECU flash tune. Matched to the car, highest gains, can be combined with a speed limiter removal and a cat delete.

just my .02
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      09-30-2015, 08:44 PM   #20
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I have an old Manhart Stage 1 for sale. I am running JB4 now. It will work with any F-series N55.

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...hlight=manhart

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminous View Post
I found it here for $1663. seems to be their US distributor.
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      11-11-2015, 05:41 AM   #21
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Anyone have installation instructions? I'm looking at buying anoooooh mhtronik box
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      11-12-2015, 03:34 AM   #22
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I just contacted Manhart and can pass you the instuction! You got PM
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