Ford Bronco by Manhart Is Cooler Than the Bronco Raptor, Has Extra Oomph

The Ford Bronco made it to Europe but without the range-topping version. Now, it comes with more power and enhanced looks straight from the Manhart shop and is called the BC 400.

Besides the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder and 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engines, the Bronco also gets the 3.0-liter V6 on the American market. But customers in Europe had to settle for less. Only the 2.3-liter four-pot-powered Bronco, plus the 2.7-liter V6 version, are sold on the Old Continent. It was the only way for the carmaker to comply with the strict emissions regulations issued by the European Union.

Once Manhart got their hands on Europe's range-topping Bronco, nothing remained the same. Under the hood of this off-roader, the 2.7-liter V6 generates 330 horsepower (335 PS) and 415 lb-ft (563 Nm) when the vehicle drives through the factory gate. That engine is mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels.

But the German tuners, usually upgrading BMWs, thought they could squeeze more out of the power plant. And they were right. The tuning experts took it all the way to 421 horsepower (427 PS) and 502 lb-ft (680 Nm) of torque. That is even more than what the Bronco Raptor comes with: 418 horsepower (424 PS) and 440 lb-ft (596 Nm) of torque. The only thing missing here seems to be the sophisticated suspension of the Raptor, a modified version of the Ford F-150's off-road-specialized suspension.

To get that much out of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, the tuning house installed a Whipple/Ford Racing-sourced intercooler, aFe cold air intakes, and in-house developed stainless steel tailpipes with 400-cell catalysts. They worked on the ECU as well.

The off-roader now rides on new Renegade R7 tires measuring 35x12.5 R22 with 9.5x22-inch Manhart 12-spoke wheels in matte black. Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers on the front axle provide the stopping power.

The looks obviously match the extra oomph. Based on the Bronco Badlands, the BC 400 gets fenders painted in yellow instead of the standard black ones. Manhart put on a redesigned front bumper, black decals, and tinted windows. The Yellowstone Metallic that this model sports has been dropped from the Bronco lineup.

Black and yellow Alcantara and leather cover the seats and the steering wheel.

The German tuner is building the tuned Bronco in very limited numbers. Only ten such units will be sold in Europe, but there is no word on pricing just yet. The Bronco starts at 74,500 euros in Germany, the equivalent of $80,783. In the US, the most affordable Bronco is rated at $31,230. That is quite a price gap there.