derBayerische November/December 2021 - 31

M I K E A N D M A N D Y C O L E : H A V E Z H P S , W I L L T R A V E L
(Above) Mike and Mandy Cole, their ZHPs, and their 135i.
rod bearing Mike swapped in a
replacement engine and the car is now
primarily street driven. Given that
Mandy and Mike have experience and
enjoy wrapping cars, they wrapped the
135i in a green/black combination.
They say they aren't professionals, but
I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference
between Stubby's wrap and a
" professional " wrap. It's quite good!
Mandy found her current Silver
Grey Metallic 2005 330i in April of
2020. This was a special car because
it had BMW's Performance Package,
option code " ZHP. " BMW marketed
the ZHP package as bringing " trackinspired
excitement to your daily
drive " , and they accomplished this
with an M-Tech II body kit, special
interior treatments, a sportier suspension,
unique wheels, updated chassis
bracing, an updated differential, and
updated camshafts coupled with a
different DME that raised both power
and engine redline. On this ZHP,
Mandy has installed a performance
coilover suspension, stainless steel
brake lines, PFC brakes, and trackspecific
Style 135 wheels with RE71
tires.
Mike found his Orient Blue 2004
330i with ZHP Performance Package
at a CarMax, but not how you might
think. Both Mike and Mandy saw the
car and asked the owner if he planned
to sell the car to CarMax that day. The
seller said he planned to sell it eventually,
so Mike got his contact information.
Mike called monthly until the
owner was ready to sell, and eight
months later the car was his.
Persistence paid off! This ZHP now
rides on a full M3 performance
suspension, it has an M3 rear drop
out and differential, and it has a roll
bar. In addition MIke has dedicated
wheels, tires, and PFC brake pads for
track events.
Both ZHPs have seen plenty of
track time. Mandy's first HPDE with
her ZHP was a Friday at the Track
(FATT) event at Summit Point in
August of 2020. Mike was her support
and pit crew for that event.
Mandy didn't enjoy the FATT event for
a number of reasons, but decided to
give HPDEs another chance in
September of 2020 with the National
Capital Chapter on the Jefferson
Circuit. Mandy was glad she gave it
another chance and said that she
" loved the NCC event and was hooked
after that. "
When I met them at the NCC
Shenandoah HPDE this past June,
they had both of their ZHPs in the paddock,
a tent that provided much-needed
shade, and big smiles on their
faces. We were all in the same run
group and I recall giving them both
multiple point-bys throughout the
weekend. Those ZHPs (and their
drivers) are fast! Although I've taken
my kids to many NCC events, this was
the first weekend that my wife brought
them to Summit Point to hang out and
spectate while I was driving. They
both asked if they could ride along
during one of my sessions on track,
but perhaps we'll wait until they're out
of booster seats first. If that interest
(Below Left) All business when Mike drives his ZHP. (Below Right) All smiles when Mandy drives her ZHP.
continues, maybe one day I'll be fortunate
enough to share adjoining
paddock parking with my kids and
their cars, similar to Mike and Mandy.
And maybe we'll even have the same
cars, or very similar models at least!
While Mike and Mandy's favorite
NCC events are HPDEs, they also
enjoy autocrosses, tours, and Cars &
Coffee. They attended this year's
Solomons Island event and plan to
attend the NCC Summit Point HPDE
on the Main Circuit in October with
their ZHPs. It appears the BMW CCA
bug has bitten them hard! I think it's
wonderful that our great chapter can
provide such a variety of automotive
events that allow for families of all
ages to join in on the fun. If you'd like
to follow along with Mandy and Mike's
automotive adventures or just see
some great photography, check their
ZHP-inspired Instagram accounts:
November I December
31

https://www.instagram.com/dadszhp/ https://www.instagram.com/mandy.zhp/ https://www.instagram.com/mandy.zhp/ https://www.instagram.com/dadszhp/

derBayerische November/December 2021

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