The 2013 Essen Motor Show->ke2128 has just concluded, giving us a sense of what's going on in the European tuner car scene. Manhart Racing had very special car on display, much like other tuners who had gathered at the annual exposition. But, before we come to that, let us give you a brief background of the donor car.

The BMW M135i has captured the imagination of every auto enthusiast on this planet. A small, affordable hatchback with a pokey little in-line six-cylinder engine developing loads of power and bucket full of adrenaline.

Manhart has taken the M135i and turned it into a rear-wheel drive drift maniac. How have they done it and why are we so excited about it? Well, we think 400 horsepower would answer all your questions.

Yes, this tiny BMW->ke178 M135i now produces 403 PS (397 horsepower) and 561 newton meters (413 pound-feet) of torque from its six-cylinder engine. That's 63 PS more than the standard car. So, you have 403 horses driving the 19 inch OZ Ultraleggera wheels. What could go wrong, apart from lots of tire smoke.

Click past the jump to read more about the Manhart Racing's BMW M135i

2014 Manhart MH1 400

On the outside, Manhart Racing added some unique touches to the 1 Series, including a vinyl wrap with 3D patterns. What looks like a matte finish charcoal grey wrap with subtle yellow accents give the MH1 400 panache. The front and rear spoilers on the car have been replaced with newer, sporty ones. The wheels, of course, have been upgraded to 19-inch rollers. Manhart also throws in a custom exhaust system.

Inside, you get M Performance seats with yellow contrast stitching and acres of Alcantara. The transmission tunnel and other interior trim pieces have been replaced with neat carbon fiber bits which sort of gives you a hint as to what lies under the bonnet. The basic engine is the same apart from a new control unit that bumps up the power to 397 horsepower. Toque figures also go up.

Now, the MH1 400 delivers 561 Nm (413 pound-feet) of twist to the rear wheels that require Michelin's Super Sport tires for grip. The six-speed manual transmission from the standard M135i has been carried over.

Manhart has also tweaked the suspension on the car by adopting KW Clubsport coil-overs and suspension components. The brakes on the car have been upgraded to 380 mm (14.7-inch) front and 356 mm (14-inch) rear with eight- and four-piston calipers, respectively.