This subject doesn't really need to be brought up again, so of course I will anyway. When it comes to the great M3 wheel and tire debate, Oldham is big on 18s, Jacquot thinks the 19s would look better.
Originally I was with Jacquot on this, at least when it came to buying our '02 M3 coupe. Then those 18s grew on me and I switched to the Oldham camp. He's also the boss, so I figured it was the smart move anyway.
When it was time to decide on the rubber for our M3 sedan, I had no trouble with the 18s. And whenever I look at them I have no regrets. I mean check out that sidewall. Sure, it's a little taller than you may be used to, but the way its rounded off and smooth makes it looks like some sort of racing slick. And in a world of increasingly frail-looking wheels and tires, these look sturdy and durable. Nothing wrong with that.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
carguy622 says:
05:03 PM, 05/ 7/09
Sturdy and durable? I don't know about that, those spokes look visually frail, but I have no problem with the diameter or side-wall.
This M3 debate is staring to sound like a fight between my dad and his mother-in-law (good old grammy). They both want the final word, but nobody seems to get it.
clarkma5 says:
05:20 PM, 05/ 7/09
I'm still a little on the fence about the way the 18s are styled on this car, but I agree 100% that having a little more sidewall really looks better. Rubber band tires are a huge turnoff for me...honestly it's one of the most off-putting aspects of the Ferrari F430, for instance, among other cars.
chavis10 says:
05:28 PM, 05/ 7/09
The 19"s not only look much nicer but they are lower and mass and perform better. Sounds like a no brainer to me. Besides, why worry about the cost of bent rims when the car was free?
srlracing says:
05:43 PM, 05/ 7/09
I have no problem with the 18's but if I were buying a M3 I'd go for the polished 19's.
As for chavis10: how are bigger wheels lighter? I have never seen a wheel that was lighter in a larger size.
banhugh says:
06:55 PM, 05/ 7/09
Well at least they might (again, might) be of equal weight to the 18" if they are thinner in non crucial positions...
For example the 18" Honda Factory Performance rims are of equal weight to the 17" standard aluminum wheels.
zjev says:
07:55 PM, 05/ 7/09
Ok, you convinced me, the 18s win!
s197gt says:
08:06 PM, 05/ 7/09
i'd go w/the 18's.
shaddai says:
08:54 PM, 05/ 7/09
I'd want the 19"s but not want to pay for them.
jatbeni says:
08:58 PM, 05/ 7/09
The 19s are lighter - at least in this case. Consider this - when you replace the alloy on the diameter, you replace it with rubber - so its not exactly free. And BMW did a better job that most (they charge $1200 after all), so they are actually lighter - when you take the combined weight of the wheel and tire.
Of course, bent rims would bother me, specially considering the worsening condition of roads in Chicago, and I don't like over sized rims either - seems another wasteful need that has been engineered in by the marketing departments at various manufacturers - and the weight difference is only a couple of lbs upfront, and 0.6 lbs in at the back - so I am with the 18s.
cx7lover says:
10:05 PM, 05/ 7/09
These 18's look like they would hide a lot of that nasty brake dust so yes I think these are better, I like the color and the design.
blueguydotcom says:
05:13 AM, 05/ 8/09
I'd prefer 17s. I've had 18s on 3 BMWs. Yuck. Especially a big yuck for RFTs (which the M3, thankfully, does not have).
Still, gimme 17s. I could not care less about the appearance of the car. The 3 series is just a bland, lame looking car no matter what's done to it, so basing anything on looks for a 3 series is a pointless endeavor.
edubya says:
08:43 AM, 05/ 8/09
I'm another one who's tired of the rubber band trend. The 18s suit my taste, and these look especially cool.
And re Chavis10's comment about the car being free, I'm very glad IL doesn't make testing decisions solely based on whether they're paying or not. Clearly, some people prefer the 18s and would get them regardless of the state of their pocketbooks.
Blueguy, would you stop the dancing around and just tell us how you really feel about the 3 series? I'd really like to know. :)
breif says:
09:05 AM, 05/ 8/09
jatbeni,
The 19" wheels/tires might be lighter, but their moment of inertia might be greater, and actually require more torque to spin them. That is another disadvantage of the larger wheels.
m_thrizzle says:
09:24 AM, 05/ 8/09
While I agree that 18" wheels will provide slightly better performance, I absolutely hate the look of those wheels! They are not sporty looking at all. They look like a wheel that BMW offered on E46 330i's ~6 years ago.
equ says:
09:33 AM, 05/ 8/09
17's don't fit the M. At least the give the M kudos on the tallish sidewall 18" option. It has more sidewall than my 330i (40 profile rather than 35). This is the same in my Cayman S, and dare I say, I immediately notice increased harshness on both the cayman & M when they're on 19's. Fat tire look all the way! If you really want that look, check out base cayman/boxster on 17's, they look awesome, all rubber by today's standards.
dougtheeng says:
11:43 AM, 05/ 8/09
I like the grey rims, so I'd take the 18s.
audisport says:
12:45 PM, 05/ 8/09
The way they are made can mean the difference in weight. Forged vs Cast etc.
blueguydotcom says:
05:16 PM, 05/ 8/09
equ, too bad they won't fit. I look forward to the day my car's 18s are bald... my wife has given me the greenlight to ditch the 335i's nasty flying-saucer 18 inch wheels and horrid RFTs for some lighter, more enjoyable 17 inch wheels and real tires.
worthyofed says:
10:59 PM, 05/ 9/09
How about some real news about this car? Three posts over the span of a week arguing about the rims and the color? Okay cool.... let's hear about how it drives!
swiftygifty says:
12:48 PM, 05/13/09
19's are lighter & stronger because they are forged and 18's are cast only...also BMW is the only company along with Lexus that provide forged wheels as an option.
drmillerM3 says:
08:32 AM, 05/20/09
"The 19" wheels/tires might be lighter, but their moment of inertia might be greater, and actually require more torque to spin them. That is another disadvantage of the larger wheels."
Lol, how? Sorry but that makes no sense; it's actually the opposite.
And no offense to Ed, but I'd prefer a stiffer sidewall on a performance car, not a rounded sidewall that will be happy to roll over on you. Its an M3 not a 325i.
On my e46 M3, I'm looking forward to replacing my 19's with 18's, but for different reasons.
The 18's will be lighter (due to construction, not size people! They'll actually be bigger due to width), I want a squared set-up so that all 4 wheels can be rotated, and because tires are cheaper in 18's. There's also a lot more selection of high-performance tires in the 275/35/18 size vs 275/30/19 sizes. If I wasn't doing DE's and autox, I wouldn't go to 18's. Or if I could afford 19's of this same caliber, but high quality wheels are expensive.
The ONLY valid argument you guys have for 18's over 19's In This Case is cheaper replacement tires, but if your buying this car new, I doubt that's the most important factor.
The 19" option wheels are better in every respect versus the 18's, and for the $1200 difference (read: cheap), I wouldn't think twice about it. Might as well just buy some aftermarket BBS at this point and be done with it.