There’s much love for the E46 BMW 3 Series, and the 330i ZHP in particular has a devoted following thanks to its modest performance enhancements. This 2003 model looks nice and normal until you get to the back, where apparently, someone screwed up the 330i badging. It now reads 362i, which makes no sense at all until you pop the hood.
Nestled between the strut towers of this black Bimmer is not the familiar I6 but a big ol’ LS3 V8 engine displacing 6.2 liters – hence the clever 362i badge on the trunk. The install looks nice and tidy; it’s connected to a T56 six-speed transmission crowned with a Hurst ball shifter because hey, that’s what you do with an American muscle car. And that’s basically what this E46 is now. Sorry, purists.
You could swap it all back to BMW spec should you so desire. This car is currently up for auction on Bring A Trailer, and it’s not the first time the LS-swapped 330i has changed ownership online. It previously sold back in 2018, at which point it was listed as having 459 horsepower at the flywheel. For the record, that’s almost double the output of a stock 330i with the ZHP upgrade, and there are other upgrades as well. The auction description mentions Koni coilovers, Stoptech brakes, Turner Motorsports sway bars, and a reinforced E46 M3 subframe. A custom driveshaft connects the transmission to the differential.
It’s not all hugs and puppies, though. The listing states the traction control and cruise control are non-functional, and the air conditioning doesn’t blow cold. These flaws were also mentioned in the 2018 auction listing, but now there’s an airbag light as well. Exterior photos show some wear on the black finish, though we rather like the used look. It fits perfectly with the sleeper status of this BMW.
As of November 9, the high bid stands at $5,000 with seven days until its November 16 finale. The price actually increased while we were typing out this post, so it will almost certainly climb much higher before the virtual hammer drops. In 2018 this car sold for $22,789, and it’s only gained 3,000 miles since then.
Any guesses on what the final bid for this sneaky sleeper will be? Jump into the comments and let us know.
