E46 Tow Vehicle

[bimmer nut]

This is not a trick photo, yes I really tow a deep V boat with my Convertible E46 ZHP. And it does a great job. Nice stiff suspension.

7987

[genphreak]

Nice one Ed! I bet it does a better job than most SUVs... esp if things ever get hairy on the highway!

[bimmer nut]

Better fuel economy too.

I was worried about the tongue weight, but with the ZHP's stiff suspension, it really don't move much. And because the ZHP is geared lower, it pulls great.

[TechnoWeeny]

Nice to see someone with a classy tow vehicle cheers

[shogun]

That is a piece of cake for the E46, have seen E46 with larger pleasure boats on the hook. In case you have a auto transmission, make sure the trans fluid is not getting too hot, some people therefore install external/additional trans fluid coolers. High temperature is not good for transmissions.
http://www.aautomotive.co.nz/tips-advice/auto-trans-oil-cooler.html

[mattyb]

real noice

[whiskychaser]

Had to search for 'ZHP' but it turns out to be what is called a 'Sport' here. Spec is very similar to my own car though mine is not a soft top. I wouldnt want to tow with it but it is more than capable. IMHO, much better suited than some tall 4x4 which is easily flipped by a trailer

[Bill R.]

I'd hate to use that e46 to launch with though

[bimmer nut]

It's a breeze to launch the boat with. It is a manual tranny. You know we bimmer nuts are not real fond of the slushies. 4 of five in my family drive manual tranny. And 4 of five are girls/women.

ZHP is the Performance Package on the E46. One notch above the sport package and one notch below the M3. Essentially it has the M suspension, and not the M engine. It has an upgraded 330 engine, different camshaft. A couple more HP, that's all, but still nice. It has a great sound and with the soft top it can really be heard. I love it, too bad it's wifey's car! As a convertible, me and my 6'4" frame fit very well. Lots of headroom, no sunroof!

They came out with the ZHP on the e46 because they never did a 4 door E46 M3. This was what they offered in it's place. And they offered it on the 2 door and vertible as well.

[Bill R.]

I didn't think it would lack the power to do it, i was more concerned about backing my car into the lake/ocean depending on the type of boat ramps you guys have and how deep the vee is on your boat. With our trucks here we have to back pretty far into the water to unload...

[BMWFatherFigure]

That size boat on a 4x2 vehicle common here. Hope you have good grip in your boat ramps...........

[bimmer nut]

That size boat on a 4x2 vehicle common here. Hope you have good grip in your boat ramps...........

Welcome to the site BFF.

It's actually not that heavy a boat. And with the extra wide rear tires plus DSC, never been a problem with this car or the E60. Or the E38 for that matter. I tow with most all my bimmers.

[BMWFatherFigure]

A good tow bar is never wasted. My E38, E32, E23 and E34 all have them. Thanks for the welcome.

[ryan roopnarine]

That looks like it's too noice of a car to be hitting the saltwater with Ed; what kind of water do you go boating in?
I always poo-poohed people when they told me that saltwater could be nasty stuff until a couple of years ago, when my friends and I went to go watch a space shuttle launch--on their boat--in the water/islands surrounding Cape Canaveral. For some reason that I can no longer remember, I had to put a handgun away after coming out of the water. I wiped my hands dry on my shirt (I had gotten in only about waist deep ) proceeded to pick it up (it's a 50ish year old model; it's not covered in tennifer or other coatings that the new guns like glocks come with) and proceeded to put it down and turned my head. Within about 20-30 seconds, noticeable patches of superficial rust were forming in the places on the metal that my fingerprints had made contact with (and if I recall correctly, in the form and shape of fingerprints). I was lucky in that we had a can of wd-40 on board that I used to give it a full-body impromptu bath with. Nowadays I attempt to shame/humiliate/curse people out when I'm helping someone do a boat repair and they insist on busting out a Home Depot packet of cheap-o screws to complete a job.

[bimmer nut]

I don't go anywhere near salt water with my riveted aluminum boat, or bimmer. Fresh water only. That salty stuff is awfully corrosive as you found out.

[ryan roopnarine]

I don't go anywhere near salt water with my riveted aluminum boat, or bimmer. Fresh water only. That salty stuff is awfully corrosive as you found out.

I guess I'm coming from a different frame of reference; everything larger than a 2 man jon boat--here in Florida--ends up in the salt at some time (so long as the seas are not too rough). Aluminum is not too steep a barrier to entry for people here.

[BMWFatherFigure]

Yuck salt!! Had enough of that spread over English roads in the winter. That funny noise in car-parks is rust eating cars away.....