Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinC
Other possible alternative: E46 ZHP convertible. Also cheaper than the coupe versions. Much more comfortable for daily-type use or relaxed weekend cruising. I had a ZHP coupe for 5 years as my daily and it was one of the best cars I've ever owned, on many levels.
https://www.classic.com/m/bmw/3-seri...rtible-manual/ |
I had a E46 330i Cabrio with the sport package (not much distance from the ZHP). I just sold the car after 2 years and 8 months and 35,000 miles of ownership. I agree its a nice car with the top down for casual cruising. Top up, mine was annoying because the windows needed adjustment and they rattled against the top.
Maybe the M version helps a bit with the big gain in HP, but I found the E46 convertible chassis uninspiring. It's a lot heavier than the coupe and you can feel the weight because it takes away from the 3-series driving dynamics. It flexes too much to get a decent suspension in it, so I would think the same effect would be on the M version; cutting the roof off and adding the weight of the vert top and additional bracing probably detracts from the M experience.
OP, if you get one, I have the genuine BMW wind blocker for sale. It's practically new, I bought it in May 2020.
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."