Hi everyone. I have a bit of a rare 2018 BMW 340i (ZHP edition) that is about to come off of lease and I’m considering buying it. Ultimately I’d love a stick shift M3 but the local dealer quoted me $1,189/mo for an M3 and I can’t stomach that. This car is worth more than it’s book value because they are so rare that the book value just provides the value of a.regilar 340i… I’m biased, so I’d love opinions on whether this car is a deal worth buying or if I should lease something new.
Background - When BMW drastically reduced their offering of manual transmissions almost exclusively to the M series, they built one last run of 100 manual transmission 340i vehicles that were built conspicuously as a driver’s car.
The ZHP was a limited edition model as the last run of F30 (6th generation 3 series). The “ZHP” was added as a special edition as a $6,995 option. Only 100 were built with a manual transmission as a nod to the last year of the 3 series stick shift (except the M3). They were all built in summer of 2018. They came in 3 exterior colors, Black Sapphire Metallic, Alpine White and Melbourne Red Metallic. The black is the most desirable and they only made 33 of them.
Attached are photos from the internal BMW announcement about the ZHP edition that shows the build, details and pricing. It has an extra 35 HP compared to the regular 340. Mine was priced at $62,740. I also attached a photo of the car and the window sticker.
The residual value is $48,270. It has 19,000 miles on it.
So should I buy it? If so, does BMW ever certify (CPO) their cars in a lease buyout?
Are there deals to be had on an M3 build with a manual or is that fantasy right now?
That’s what I told the dealer when looking to trade it in but they weren’t having it. I figured it would sell for much more than $38k to the right buyer, but again I’m biased and value a stick shift. I bought this from a dealer in Wisconsin and had it delivered to Colorado because of how special it was.
Not to sound like a dick but this ‘ZHP’ doesn’t really sound as special as you’re making it out to be. It may be a limited run, but the F30 is probably the least loved generation of 3-series… compared to either the e90 that came before it or the G20 that came after. More importantly, this ZHP package seems like mostly cosmetic stuff. Which is in contrast to the e46 ZHP which had many more unique improvements.
Having said that, none of this matters. If the car is special to you, you should keep it. A manual BMW with the B58 engine is pretty great.
Thanks for the perspective, and I appreciate the sentiment around what it’s worth to me. As I said I’d love to jump into an M3 but at $595/mo I’m getting a lot of value out of this one. It’s fun to drive (albeit not the most practical in Colorado).
The core of this ZHP package is the limited slip differential and M power and sound package. It gives it a nice HP boost and sounds like an angry beast. It’s a blast to drive.
F3x cars may not be severely upside down like they were before the used market went haywire but they’re not breaking past residual value in most cases.
Have run a few different ones through my dealer network, so just thought I’d offer that perspective. If you wanna sell it, consider posting it on bimmerpost or throw it up on cars and bids as someone may know what they’re looking at there.
Pure fantasy. Close your eyes and imagine in stock units at MSRP.
BMW is not my brand, but I appreciate a good manual - they’re increasing rare to find. Twin turbo v6 in a manual with a body kit is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s also not a great resale piece for a dealer. It would probably sell well in the BMW community, less-so on a random user car lot (some better than others).
Only you can decide. Auto Trader has (6) 2018 340is in manual. Cars.com shows 11. They’re all priced within ~ $6k of your residual, there is one in the low $50s that is clearly chasing one buyer.
I don’t think you’re horribly upside down if you buy it, I don’t see you replacing it with something comparable in that payment/budget.
Some dealers do, yes. Some will offer a lower financing rate if you CPO through them.
A non ‘M’ BMW will never be a true collectors car. The ZHP E46 market is pretty solid but that’s because it’s an E46… the F30 is not even close to as special as that car is to most enthusiasts.
With that being said… if you’d like the car, keep it
The main problem here is it’s too new for there to be any perception of rarity. 3 years after the E46 ended, a ZHP was worth Jack over an equivalent non-ZHP. Same here.
And E46 ZHPs are a dime a dozen compared to a run of just 100 total if the OP is correct. But the perception exists that they’re rare.
Give it time. In 10 years this will be considered rare and highly desirable over a normal 2018 340i
To a dealer it isn’t collectible and they aren’t going to pay more to have an unkown 3 series model at a premium. Your average buyer isn’t looking or cares about this package. Other than the limited slip differential, everything else is easy for someone to install on a base car if they want. This is a good example of a lot anchor.
This is 100% a sell on your own situation if you want the full value. Your only issue is that it spent its life in Colorado, where there is snow and salt. But there will be an enthusiast out there who wants this and will pay a premium.
If you want full value, a BMW dealership will not give it to you. You are probably going to get the most out of a website like Cars and Bids where people actually care about a ZHP. No average consumer looking for a 3 series is going to start drooling over a manual or 30 horsepower which is why the dealer couldn’t care less. Cars like this fall into the “corvette guy” definition of rarity, who think having the only blue car manufactured during the 2014 Daytona 500 makes it a collectors item. Is it kind of cool that your car is slightly more like an M3 than a 340? Sure. Does that make it a collectors item? probably not in the near future.
See if any data points on BringATrailer.com, otherwise look at BMW focused classified as you have been instructed. You can also try to extend lease up to 6 months while you figure it out.
Your 2018 BMW 340i ZHP car is worth quit a bit more than the $38K buyout. On the east cost they are going for $50K+ with under 30,000 miles. Buy it out through BMW as a CPO (if it qualifies) and enjoy the car. I believe they will be worth at least $35 in 3-4 years. Good Luck!
Wow thanks for all the great advice! It looks like I’m headed for a lease buyout. All the perspectives were extremely helpful.
I appreciate the light you all gave to the dealer perspective. As someone who searches nationally for the right car I can be a bit biased on how valuable this would be on a lot, but I can also see that it’s a “lot anchor” because they are looking for a specific buyer, or just need to sell it close to a regular 340 price.
Bottom line is that I like the car, I actually installed an integrated Radenso radar which is sort of expensive (although easy to remove), and it’s not a good market to lease a new one. I’ll ride out this car for a few more years and if I’m lucky I will break even or even make a little money on the private market. The I can buy that M3 I want when pricing is better (fingers crossed).
Now on to leasing a new Lexus for my wife at full MSRP…
