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[Brandon135i]

Hi All

I wanted to say thanks to everyone that helped me on this forum with questions as I recently replaced my OEM 261 wheels and run flats that came with the car.

My Goals. In no particular order
a) a better look
b) better performance
c) lighter wheels (builds off of "b" above, but I thought worth mentioning since a lot goes into "better performance")
d) better ride (mostly related to the tires)
e) minimal if any rolling of fenders needed or other mods to make the combination fit.
f) do not spend a huge fortune

How I use my car
It's a daily driver that I like to have some fun on the roads. I have not taken it to the track, maybe some day, but the set up was not for that purpose.

Wheels decision
I was torn between between VMR's and Apex but in the end decided to go with Apex because for me:
a) they were local to my area
b) they were lighter then other wheels (I race road bicycles so I am a weight weenie, but hard to argue that less rotational mass allows for better acceleration and rolling power not to mention simple weight reduction helps overall.)

I called both Apex and VMR directly to talk with both. Both companies were great on the phone and willing to help. For that a shout out to stay thanks to both companies.

One thing I really liked about Apex was that they seemed to really know my specific car and exactly the set up that would work best. I was going to got with 19" wheels, but after talking with them decided on the 18"'s. For the driving I do it makes more sense. Driving city roads with potholes all over is not the best for a 19" set up.

Tires decision
It was pretty simple that my first choice based on all the reviews and everything were Michelin Pilot Supersports. Unfortuanlty I was told by TireRack that they were out of stock and no production run scheduled for at least sixty days. Bummer....

I looked at few other brands and models and based on the recommendation from Edge Motorworks in Mountain View I went with the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sports. All the guys there run them on their cars for my use case, and some on the track, and said you can not beat the price/performance/durability.

Installation
I had the work done at Edge Mortorworks in Mountain View based off the recommendations of a few other guys in NorCal who have used them. They were great with everything. I like that they know BMW specs and even know how much weight BMW uses to do the alignment and they changed it for my normal weight in the car. I'll use them again for some other mods I want do.


In the end between the wheels and tires I shaved off an estimated seven pounds per wheel/tire combo. I'd like to say I feel it accelerate faster, but hard to really say if that is just because I dropped a few grand or it's real, although the math says its real.

One thing I can say with absolute certainty is that it rides 10x better, is much quieter and handles better. I also like the new look better then the OEM wheels.

If I can keep my foot out of it I am guessing I will get decent tire life. I'll report on that.

Final specs
Wheels: Apex ARC 8's
Front: 18x8.5" ET45
Rear: 18x9.5" ET62

Tires:
Brigestone
Front: Potenza RE760 235/40/18F
Rear: Potenza RE760 265/35/18R

Suspension/Fender Mods/Camber
- stock M Sport package

Notes:
No rubbing.

Thanks again for all the help!
Brandon

[chris82]

Nice, love Apex wheels. I had these in anthracite on my 128i, very very much regret having to sell them

[Brandon135i]

Thanks Chris82!

[cbl117]

Originally Posted by Brandon135i

In the end between the wheels and tires I shaved off an estimated seven pounds per wheel/tire combo. I'd like to say I feel it accelerate faster, but hard to really say if that is just because I dropped a few grand or it's real, although the math says its real.

Brandon

Nice writeup. I've always been curious about less rotational mass and how it affects acceleration. How does rotational mass equate to weight of the vehicle?

[Expert@ApexWheels]

Beautiful 1-series, thank you for sharing photos! Really enjoyed the in depth review and your choices as well.

[Dr. Jello]

Nice review, I live in the same area and will look up the shop! I want to do this setup, but I read that the fronts rub? Have any rubbing issues?

[VMRWheels]

Thanks for the shout! The wheels look great on your car!