OEM BMW wheels are notoriously heavy. Some are in the 23-29 lb range. Add run flat tires that weigh 26lbs and you are at over 50lbs a corner of unsprung weight.
The lightest wheels you can afford that are still strong enough to use with the car are going to be best. My Elise rims weigh about 14lbs each, I had MINI wheels that were only 12lbs each. I think Breyton and OZ make some lightweight rims in the 16lb range. BBS has beautiful forged rims under 20lbs as well, some are only about 12-14lbs.
The less weight you have at each corner, the faster the car will accelerate and the nicer the steering will feel. It makes a huge difference! My MINI with 12lb rims was a dream compared to the stock 26lb multi piece wheels it came with. Steering was like night and day.
Keep in mind, you have a car that weighs over 3000 lbs, so you need to factor that when selecting lightweight wheels. Also consider where you will drive, are the roads generally smooth or very rough and full of potholes? Here in DC, it is easy to trash wheels just driving, which is why most BMWs come with very heavy duty rims.
Good luck whatever you decide!
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Originally Posted by samael
What's a good weight for the wheels? Any idea what the OEM's weigh?
Perusing through what's available, I like the simple, machined or chrome 5 spoke designs. Not looking for something flashy or that stands out more than the OEM's do. A lot of those 5 spokes aren't that expensive. But, some of them seem to be on the heavier side. A couple of ones I like show weights of 23 and 26 lbs.
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