It just has that solid, grip the road fun to drive feel. It's not fast, but it feels quick/fast enough. It handles and feels great.. I'll go back to that word solid. You definitely feel connected and grounded to the road and the car... it's not floaty, but not rough. The perfect balance. Not easy to describe but it just feels right.
Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
"ZHP or not, I still like you"
ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture
Connected, solid, grounded...these words seem to keep coming up in the descriptions and theres a reason for that. They are right! It is all of those things and not a get in, turn the key and forget about it driving experience. There is the perfect amount of tactile feel, steering input required and handling to feel like you are an active pariticpant in the driving experience.
Luckily I can compare and contrast on a daily basis and while my ZHP doesn't pull like the freight train that is my 335i, it still gets up and gets out of its own way. I also had a E92 and I didn't think it was too cheap but just not quite as solid (theres that word again) as the ZHP.
Buy one and you will love it. Strangely enough my ZHP has actually made me love my F30 a little bit more but I suspect once the weather turns for good, the sedan will get a lot more garage time than the ZHP. Its just that good.
2016 F16 Xdrive 35i Space Gray over Ivory
2005 E46 ZHP Convertible Monaco Blue over Natural Brown: aFe Stage I Intake, Turner Strut Tower Brace, H&R Touring Cup Kit, Yellow Fogs, Factory iPod interface. And lots o' maintenance stuff done.
It's on when you want it to be, but it will relax when you're just cruising. It's a very engaging car and it really encourages spirited driving. It's great really, especially on the day to day, it's comfortable, sporty, and very supple. I have let a few friends drive my car, one who has a B5 S4, one with a Focus ST and a few mustang guys, and they all say it's the most balanced and communicative car they've ever driven and that you can feel everything going on at each corner of the car. The E46 is just good like that, lol.
-Brenan-
'05 Graphite 6MT-Sold
Currently Searching for an M Coupe...
It's exciting to the senses. The car seems to provide great very balanced feedback. I feel all warm and fuzzy when cruising or pushing it in the twisties.
Call me Giya (sounds just like Karmann Ghia) | '05 ZHP Coupé AT - Sparkling Graphite Metallic | Project thread
Wear Italian, Kiss French, Drink Russian, Drive German
Mods: Smoked corners, smoked side markers, smoked tails, 35% tint, CF kidney grills, debadged, angel eyes, 3000k HID Fogs, OBX exhaust, Sharked, solo werks S1 coilovers, front and rear strut brace, AUX cable
"I'd rather lose by a mile because I built my own car, than win by an inch because someone built it for me"
It's strange, really - all the comments above about connectedness and feedback really boil down to one word for me: precision.
My last car was front-wheel drive, turbocharged, made a fair power and huge torque premium over what the ZHP does... and yet I had no fear blasting up to 145mph on a whim in that thing, all counterintuitively because of the *vagueness* of its chassis.
I'm more scared of the ZHP at 120mph than I was in my last car at 145mph, because I am acutely aware that the slightest twitch means that the car will do EXACTLY what my inputs tell it to. The car is so tight and precise; there's no debate between brain and tarmac. And it's right around that 120mph range that the motor starts pulling at the reins and threatening to wake up.
It might not pull like a racecar, but it will handle you to death.
Zebra Horse Power - PSA: The Hypermiling Thread
Kevin Savino-Riker
Cogito Automation, LLC.
I'm new at BMWs.
What driving a ZHP feels like for me is pure driving bliss. When I had my ZHP, not a moment went by that I didn't think about the way it handled the corners, the way the steering felt in my hands, the way that hearing and feeling the rumble and depth of the exhaust at idle just made me get goosebumps all up and down my body. The car never got out of control for me but was never short on surprising me with what it was capable of. I will never forget the looks that I received when driving her or just the plain excitement of looking at the car when it would be in the driveway. each experience differs from driver to driver but again for myself, I never experienced a dull moment in my ZHP, even when she overheated on me lol.
I used to work for BMW at a dealership and I would drive my car to work each day and 2 mins after I arrived I was driving brand new cars all day long and still, they possessed nothing near the fun, thrill, experience, or simple pleasures that my ZHP brought me. I don't think that there will ever be a car to bring me the same happiness that my ZHP brought me.
Now I miss my car even more lol
2004 ZHP Saloon
Location - CA
Very Proud Owner
Coming from driving a 330ci ZSP, I'd say it's like driving a 330 ... but a tighter and better sounding 330.
I agree with everything said here, but I will add this, no other car makes me smile every time in get in and start it up. No other car makes me look forward to the drive home, it takes me 10 minutes to get home but in the ZHP I have the special way home, 40 mins total with some nice twisty roads. That is what driving the ZHP means for me, I look for ways to never stop driving it.