Anyone come from an E36 M3?

[Cadeez]

I switch often between an e36m and my ZHP. The e36 is faster everywhere: down low, up top, and we've raced many times from many speeds to verify our feelings.

I like the ride/handling balance of the ZHP a lot more and the interior is obviously much nicer and updated. I personally feel the engine lacks torque, but I'm used to very fast cars, so take that with a grain of salt. That said, the e36 powerplant I find a fantastic piece of work.

Ian

I read all the comparisons on this thread and the only one I'm in agreement with is this one 100%, I was getting ready to write this post almost word for word... My '99 E36 M3 (pic below) and my current ZHP are (were) both bone stock, and my M3 would smoke my ZHP any day of the week. It's a lighter, smaller car w/ 240hp & 236ft lbs out of the box, it was built for the track. I've never even seen tq #'s for our ZHP's? I freakin loved that car, and every time I get in my ZHP and step on the gas I cry a little inside, the power just isn't there... The bottom end torque in the M3 was awesome, put your foot into it and you were gone. Traction control in the rain? Forget about it, it hardly helped and was easy to make mistakes. Also keep in mind that by the time I sold it I had 175k on the odometer, and it still went like a MF'er. As far as maintenence goes, for me there was none, that thing was bulletproof.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not ZHP bashing here fellas, just stating the facts as I see them. The suspension in my M3 was a little tired, my ZHP handles and drives like a freakin dream, it way out handles the E36 M3. The E46 itself is just a better made car, not surprising because it's newer, and I think in every way other than the powerplant it has definitely matured. They made the E36 for what 7-8 years, 92-98, 99 if we're talking about the M3, so it was pretty well polished by '99. Bottom line I love my '04 ZHP, I just wish it had the performance to match it's looks. The ZHP looks both pissed and sexy at the same time, and it should be able hang with R32's, WRX's, S4's, 996etc...but alas it is no match. M3-1/ZHP-0

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Good write up, Jeff.

[az3579]

Jeff, I 100% agree about the grunt. I've only driven two different E36 M3's (a '96 and a '95) and both seemed a lot faster, a lot more RAW. I don't know if I can agree with what you said about handling; the E36 M3 is supposed to handle much better, being an M3 and being lighter and more raw. With a fresh suspension, I think it would be close or a little better than the ZHP, though I wouldn't know for sure because I've never driven the E36 M3 on a track or auto-x before. Either way, the ZHP is a much better daily driver and the M3 is a much better track car.

[Jesse M]

I owned a 99' M3. I loved it to death. I traded it into a dealership for 8k last october, pretty good imo, paid 9k for it. Got the ZHP, couldn't be happier, it's sexy, smooth, sleek, quick, comfortable, and i drive the piss out of it every day and has never let me down yet.

[Cadeez]

Jeff, I 100% agree about the grunt. I've only driven two different E36 M3's (a '96 and a '95) and both seemed a lot faster, a lot more RAW. I don't know if I can agree with what you said about handling; the E36 M3 is supposed to handle much better, being an M3 and being lighter and more raw. With a fresh suspension, I think it would be close or a little better than the ZHP, though I wouldn't know for sure because I've never driven the E36 M3 on a track or auto-x before. Either way, the ZHP is a much better daily driver and the M3 is a much better track car.

I'm sure you are right, had my M3 been outfitted with all new OEM suspension, bushings, etc it probably would've domintated in that category as well. After all, C&D named it the best all around driving/handling car of all back in the late 90's, not a bad handle to be placed upon the M3. But my components had a lot of miles on them, I did replace the rear shocks and shock tower mounts (most common issue in the E36) which helped, but I needed a lot of help up front. It still handled good, just not as tight and precise as the ZHP, a bit of understeer as well. There is also the fact that the M3 had Toyo Proxes and my ZHP has Pilot sports, which can't hurt...

[zhpnsnv]

Love this thread, and I'd love to have a stable of ZHP (street) and E36 M3 (track/street). I can't believe I put that in print. I think my MINI (track/street) is going to kill me for it.

[captain_underpants]

I read all the comparisons on this thread and the only one I'm in agreement with is this one 100%, I was getting ready to write this post almost word for word... My '99 E36 M3 (pic below) and my current ZHP are (were) both bone stock, and my M3 would smoke my ZHP any day of the week. It's a lighter, smaller car w/ 240hp & 236ft lbs out of the box, it was built for the track. I've never even seen tq #'s for our ZHP's? I freakin loved that car, and every time I get in my ZHP and step on the gas I cry a little inside, the power just isn't there... The bottom end torque in the M3 was awesome, put your foot into it and you were gone. Traction control in the rain? Forget about it, it hardly helped and was easy to make mistakes. Also keep in mind that by the time I sold it I had 175k on the odometer, and it still went like a MF'er. As far as maintenence goes, for me there was none, that thing was bulletproof.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not ZHP bashing here fellas, just stating the facts as I see them. The suspension in my M3 was a little tired, my ZHP handles and drives like a freakin dream, it way out handles the E36 M3. The E46 itself is just a better made car, not surprising because it's newer, and I think in every way other than the powerplant it has definitely matured. They made the E36 for what 7-8 years, 92-98, 99 if we're talking about the M3, so it was pretty well polished by '99. Bottom line I love my '04 ZHP, I just wish it had the performance to match it's looks. The ZHP looks both pissed and sexy at the same time, and it should be able hang with R32's, WRX's, S4's, 996etc...but alas it is no match. M3-1/ZHP-0

You described some of my favorite aspects of the M3. It could handle dd duty with no problem and still thrill when it was time. Many of my friends were surprised by how fast and fun to drive my stock M3 with 120k miles was. I really miss that car and have considered getting another one. Just not sure I wasnt to have a 12 year old car as my only car again.

From the feedback I'm getting it seems that the ZHP is like the M3 turned down a notch in the performance department but an improvement in other areas like interior quality, and practicality.

Guess I need to figure out if thats a trade off I'm willing to make, if ill want to make some mods to the zhp to give it that extra edge or if ill look at other cars.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[onepercent]

I was actually looking for an E36 M3 when I learned about the ZHP. For me, the ZHP is the better combination of daily driver, refinement, and fewer problems (due to being a newer vehicle). Also, the insurance on a ZHP appears to be far less expensive than that of an E36 M3.

The rarity of the ZHP package is cool yes, but the ///M factor is cooler (I think).

I have had the good fortune to run my ZHP against an enthusiast who was running a E36 M3, 1998 IIRC. We were on a very curvy, very quiet country road with some hilly sections and he couldn't gap me over the course of a couple miles. This surprised me because all along I knew that the M3 is lighter and slightly more powerful. I kept expecting him to pull away from me but he could not. The takeaway for me is that the cars have a similar enough performance that one is not going to dominate the other no matter what. (side note: you should have seen the dude's face when he got out of the car )

You can't lose either way. For me, the ZHP is the better choice. Consider yourself fortunate to be deciding between 2 excellent choices!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Consider yourself fortunate to be deciding between 2 excellent choices!

+1

[kaboom]

Agreed an pretty much all accounts. On local tracks the e36m outperforms a ZHP by about 2.5-3 seconds. That's on a 1:45 second mixed road course.

Both great cars, both with a nice balance, one towards race, one towards comfort, but both can do either capably.

Ian