It’s been a few months since I’ve written about scaling down my car business. Here’s a sit-rep: besides my daily-driver F31 M Sport wagon, the only BMWs I currently have left are a supercharged 2001 740i M Sport and the E36 M3 Lightweight racecar I used for coaching and instruction. The shop truck and racecar trailer have been sold, and the Lightweight will soon follow.
As I close this chapter of my life, I look forward to just being an enthusiast again. And as an enthusiast, I’m already obsessing over the next car! Depending on what the Lightweight sells for, I’ll probably have a budget in the high teens for a fun BMW that I can also use for a light track duty and BMW CCA instruction. That will likely be a less-than-perfect E36 M3, but the Facebook Marketplace algorithm (incessantly listening in the background) reminded me of another suitable alternative—an E46 330i ZHP.
Both of these cars appeared in my Marketplace feed at the same price.
A decade ago, I wrote a comparison of two nearly virtual examples. Photo: Stefan Rodriguez courtesy of Roundel Magazine.
A decade ago, I wrote a comparison of an E36 M3 sedan and an E46 330i ZHP sedan. Despite being a generation apart, both BMWs are very similar in terms of performance and price, yet they are quite different in character. This morning, I was presented with two very compelling options that would fit my new mission perfectly, each with an asking price of $18,000. Both examples were the highest-spec available in a sedan for each generation of the 3 Series. The E36 M3 sedan (known as the M3/4/5 when equipped with three pedals) was only offered for the 1997 and 1998 model years to fill the gap between the outgoing E34 and incoming E39 M5s. The E46 M3 was never offered in a four-door, leaving the Performance Package (ZHP) 330i sedan as the next best alternative.
The 1998 E36 M3 Sedan is a known quantity within the BMW CCA Rocky Mountain Chapter.
The 1998 M3 sedan belongs to a fellow BMW CCA instructor and was previously owned by a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter. Finished in Cosmos Black over black leather, it wears its 177,000 miles proudly and is an example that with old-school maintenance, these cars can last forever! It was built as a proper streetable track car with the right cooling system upgrades, an oil pan baffle, a safety-wired oil pump nut, Ground Control springs, Motion Control dampers, a Z3 steering rack, and Kosei K1 wheels.
I love the button-centric interior of the E36.
This M3 has a list of proper track modifications.
As an E36 nerd, I also appreciate the 1998 model-year-only rear headrests and HiFi sound button. The latter begs the question: why wouldn’t you always have the sound system in HiFi? This car has been a class winner in the BMW club autocross and would be a formidable opponent to a poorly driven Corvette in my hands at our local track. Yet, it’s tame enough for Sunday drives, imperfect enough for guilt-free enjoyment, and nothing pulls at my heartstrings like an E36 M3 sedan. My only complaint is the color—black is a hard color to own in Colorado.
An Imola Red sedan is the best ZHP!
The classic lines of an E46 ZHP look good from every angle.
The lack of a sunroof makes this ZHP even rarer.
The 2003 330i ZHP sedan is finished in Imola red over Alcantara cloth—my favorite ZHP color combination. I’ve sold several of this exact car over the years, and wanted to keep each one of them. With just over 100K miles, this is a ZHP that I would be very proud of, but it could also be used and enjoyed without guilt. Another notable option is something that isn’t optioned—a sunroof—making this already rare ZHP stand out!
Alcantara cloth complements Imola Red perfectly.
An Active Autowerks supercharger doesn’t hurt either!
But, what really sets this ZHP apart and closes the gap with the E36 M3 is an Active Autowerks supercharger and matching headers. The seller notes a few areas of clear coat peeling (which is typical of Imola cars in Colorado), thorough maintenance documentation, and an upgraded Eonon Apple CarPlay stereo. The supercharger likely achieves performance comparable to an S54 engine at our altitudes, but with an 8psi low-boost valve, it remains safe for engine longevity. When it comes to an E46 ZHP, it really doesn’t get better than this!
The E36 M3 would be the weapon of choice for track duty.
The 330i ZHP would be the perfect car for the rest of the time.
On paper, both sedans are within a dozen horsepower, with the E46 330i’s Performance Package bumping the M54B30 engine to 235 horsepower versus the E36 M3’s S52B32 at 245 horsepower. Having driven this M3, it pulls very strongly, but the supercharged ZHP likely bests it by a fair margin. In my previous comparison, I noted that the M3 feels more nimble and athletic, while the ZHP is more refined and composed at the cost of being larger and heavier. Despite the ZHP’s forced induction, this M3 would likely outpace it on our local track, but that would require a lot of not braking in the turns to get enough of a run to hold it off on the long straightaway. For the track and autocross, I’d have the M3, but for the remaining 90% of the time, I’d prefer the ZHP. Arguably, the ZHP is more special, more comfortable, with a modern Apple CarPlay interface, and is the best color combination. That said, either car will deliver ample smiles, and I’m sure both will be long gone by the time I get the Lightweight sold. If you want to beat me to the punch, you can find them here:
—Alex McCulloch
Tags: car shopping E36 M3 e46 330i ZHP
