In stock form the E46 330i sedan was already a brisk, practical and rewarding car to drive. A capable sport sedan for grown ups, if you will. But when specified with the $4,000 ZHP “Performance Package,” the 330i could be given a slightly harder edge that helped to make up for the lack of a four-door M3 in the E46 range (at least, a bit). Offering a mixture of cosmetic upgrades (M-Sport bodykit, 18″ M-Sport wheels and splashes of alcantara interior trim) and some mechanical reworking  – firmer suspension, a remapped ECU and upgraded cams bringing power from the smooth 3.0 liter M54 engine to about 235 hp – ZHP equipped cars remain favorites among enthusiasts and tend to command strong money when they show up on the used market.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 BMW 330i ZHP on Bimmerforums
Year: 2004
Model: 330i
Engine: 3.0 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Mileage: 91,492 mi
Price: $10,500
Year: 2004
Make: BMW
Model: 330i
Price: $10,500
Mileage: 91,492
Transmission type: Automatic
Body Type: Sedan
Color: Jet Black/Schwarz II
Packages: Cold weather packageVehicle Information:
VIN WBAEV534X4KM38440
Prod. Date 2004-06-24
Mileage Check mileage and service history
Type code EV53
Type 330I (USA)
Series E46 (3 Series)
Body Type LIM
Steering LHD
Engine M54
Displacement 3.00
Power 170kw / 231hp
Drive HECK
Transmission Automatic
Colour SCHWARZ 2 (668)
Upholstery STANDARDLEDERSCHWARZ (N6SW)Options
S1CAA Selection of COP relevant vehicles
S205A Automatic transmission
S226A Sports suspension settings
S249A Multifunction f steering wheel
S403A Glass roof, electrical
S415A Sun-blind, rear
S441A Smoker package
S459A Seat adjuster, electric, with memory
S465A Through-loading system
S481A Sports seat
S494A Seat heating driver/passenger
S495A 3-point belt and headrest, center rear
S502A Headlight cleaning system
S521A Rain sensor
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic air conditioning
S609A Navigation system Professional
S640A Preparation f tel.installation universal
S650A Radio BMW Reverse
S674A Hi-Fi System Harman Kardon
S692A Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
S710A M leather steering wheel
S716A Aerodynamics package
S760A High gloss shadow line
S767A Performance Package
S770A Individual series 96 Classic
S775A Headlining anthracite
S787A BMW alloy wheel, M double spoke 135
S818A Battery master switch
S8SPA Control unit COP
S925A Dummy-SALAPALittle history behind the car:
Car was bought brand new at Shelly BMW in Orange County, CA. It is a clean California car from day one.
I bought it from original owner. Car comes with 2 sets of keys, books and manuals, service records and original window sticker.Jet black exterior with black leather interior and silver cube trim. No premium package but has cold weather package which includes heated front seats, retractable headlight washer (that are functioning fine), split fold-down rear seats and ski bag. Besides that it has rear window sunshade (works fine on the way up but right arm needs help when folding down), Navigation head unit (has 2 dots size of a pea), Harman Kardon, AUX input…
Leather interior is in excellent shape, Alcantara steering wheel is still holding up pretty good.Recent work the car:
– CCV system replaced
– New spark plugs and ignition coils
– 4 brand new Bridgestone tires
– 4 wheel alignment
– Front control arms bushings replaced (OE Lemforder)
– Valve cover gasket replaced
– Oil filter housing replaced
– Oil level sensor replaced
– New breakes all around
– Cooling system overhauled;
New thermostat, water pump, water pump pulley, expansion tank, upper and lower radiator hoses, system flushed and refilled with blue BMW coolant
– New drive and A/C belts with tensioners and pulleys
– New alternator pulley
– Steering coupler replaced
– Vanos oil line replaced
– Cabin filter and engine filter replaced
– Fresh oil and filter changed
Might be missing something else…Car drives and handles amazing. Suspension is bang on and ride feels excellent.
Transmissions is smooth and shifts without a hitch.I had the whole car professionally detailed. Paint was decontaminated using clay bar, then followed paint correction and ultra finishing polish for mirror like paint. As a final step paint was sealed with Synthetic Sealant. Whole car is now protected for 6 to 12 months.
Headlights are pretty miserable at night and projectors will probably need to be replaced. I bought new headlight lenses that will be included with the car.
Clean California title in my name. It passed CA smog test about 2 weeks ago and it’s good for 90 days. Registration is good until October of next year.
For long distance buyers I can provide a lot more details about the car and walk around video.
Contact on: 805-455-1305 or PM
Asking $10,500 or best offer.
Photos that are all in HD
List Date: 12/5/2016
This particular example appears to be in very nice overall condition, striking a nice balance between reasonable miles and a fair price. The Jet Black exterior paint looks excellent (no doubt owing to the recent detailing mentioned in the ad) and the black leather interior looks remarkably clean and free of any bolster wear or tiredness usually associated with BMWs from the period.
The winter package (comprising heated front seats and headlight washers) is a neat addition. A decent amount of maintenance history is mentioned in the ad and flaws are said to be limited to hazy and worn out headlights, a rear sunshade that needs a little help and a couple of dead pixels on the infotainment screen. These are relatively minor issues.
The asking price seems right given the condition and where the market is for these cars right now. It’s just a shame it’s an automatic rather than a M3-spec 6-speed manual.
– Craig
Too bad it’s an automatic. The real deal breaker for me is that it is a smokers car, that smelly thing hanging from the rear view mirror kills the deal for me.
Great-looking car which ticks nearly all the right options. The automatic in these is pretty excellent – for being an automatic – 5MT or 6MT would of course be even more fun on a sports-oriented car – but for a commuter on a busy route (or sharing the car with a spouse that prefers automatics), I found it an ok compromise.
Shame it doesn’t have the Xenon headlamps, as they really do make a huge difference at night. The ad doesn’t mention too much suspension work – might want to factor in a bit of a buffer for that, as the front suspension is relatively wear-prone. I’d be curious if this hasn’t been done, mine needed an overhaul at 80k – but that’s also accelerated by NY roads.
@GWG – I’ll be honest, I’ve been very underwhelmed with the Xenons on both the M3 and 530xiT. The only thing they seem to be able to do really well is make street signs obnoxiously reflect at you, rendering them unreadable. The rest of the time I’ve been left wanting for better illumination. I assumed the Xenons would be a huge improvement over the projector halogens in the Passat; I don’t think they really are. However, to be fair the area I drive in has a tremendous amount of light pollution, so I’m not sure anything would be an improvement.
@Carter: interesting, mine were quite the upgrade over Golf V euro halogens. Not sure what was different on mine, it was a very low-mileage car that’s always garaged – maybe the Xenon reflectors also get blinder?
@GWG – same here. Not sure, maybe it’s just the surroundings. Headlights on the M3 look brand new and I’m fastidious about clean lights.
According to the window sticker in the ad, the car has xenon headlights just fyi