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[B-Dawg]

Ok so I just picked up a 08 135i coupe and it has 215/40 & 245/35 18" winter tires so I'm looking for summer tires for daily driving and autocross.

I found a reasonably priced used set of 17" sparco pista's with 225 & 235 45-17" Hankook v12's. But for autoX 22# wheels seem heavy. My other option is buying new 17" TRMotorsport C2 (19#) with 225/45 and 245/40-17" Star Specs or Kuhmo extas (probably star specs for better wet traction).

So is it worth twice the price for 3-4# per corner, have 0.5" wider rims, and better tires?

[Clovef]

Tough to say as it is really a matter of opinion. The option with star specs or kumos will have a significant edge but cost more and won't last as long. I personally went with apex arc-8 235/40/18 275/35/18 but I am having a hard time fitting them with. They should fit but the shop says they won't. To me, why pay so much for the car then cheap out on the one connection to the road. Tires make the biggest impact on the car.

[B-Dawg]

Good point.

And in case you are wondering, I know this may sound odd, but I do prefer 17" wheels to 18". MA roads took a toll on my m135's that were on my zhp, and I switched to m68's and was quite pleased. Smoother ride with minimal handling sacrifice, with less damage to rims. Plus as you said, the star specs and kuhmos wear rather quickly, so 17" sizes make it (slightly) more economical.

[Terry989]

I just installed a set of D-Force LTW5 on my 128i with M-sport package. At 16-pounds or less each, they are extremely light weight. The 40mm offset is not ideal, especially in the rear, so you need to choose your tires carefully. I looked at a lot of tire specs, and finally went with the Michelin PSS since their 17x40/245 is not as wide as most of the tires out there. You would not believe the difference in width from tire to tire for a 17x40/245! In the end, they are a good fit with plenty of clearance with stock alignment and ride height. The car is transformed with a smoother ride, much faster acceleration, and surprisingly, it took most of the heavy steering feel out of the front end. The only downside is that the car seems to wonder a little more in a straight line requiring more steering input. I attribute this mostly to taking so much rotational mass off of the car. Since your rotating wheels basically act as gyroscopes, removing 40 pounds of mass off of these will reduce the straight line stability.

Like you, I prefer 17" for their better ride quality and faster acceleration. As for as handling goes, don't believe the hype about 18" handling better. On a smooth track, it may be the case, but on roads, the 17" will adsorb imperfections in the road better keeping the car more settled and planted.

[B-Dawg]

Terry, what are the rims' width? You did 245/40/17 on all corners? The TRMotorsport C2's are 8.5" wide, which seems like with the 40 offset and 235/40/17's the front fender maybe tight (and I'm not a fan of rolling). Thanks for your input.

[Terry989]

Rims are:
Front: 17x8 (15.5 lbs each)
Rear: 17x8.5 (16.0 lbs each)

Tires:
Front: 225/45-17
Rear: 245/40-17 (again, if fitting 245 tires, choose one that is relatively narrow and avoid dropping the car much - - - stock M-sport suspension is fine)

If you want to run a square setup, I believe the recommendation with these rims/offsets are 235/45-17, in this case I would use the 17x8 rims. These **might** rub some in the front, but this is the recommendation I have had from others. Just look for a tire with a narrow tread width if you go this route.

[Greenkirby21]

I'm running a similar set up to terry above. I got OZ ultraleggera that are 17x8 but my wheels are staggered 225/45 front and 245/40 rear

[B-Dawg]

The research I've done is that 235/40/17 (square) will not rub with a 40 offset with 8" OZ's. But will it rub with 8.5" rims with 40 offset?

I like the idea of the slightly wider rims in case I change the suspension later that would allow for wider than 235's.

[eddinanm3]

With the 215/40 & 245/35 18" winter tires you mentioned, can you please tell me the wheel width and offset for front and rear?

[Kim Schwartz]

Originally Posted by B-Dawg

The research I've done is that 235/40/17 (square) will not rub with a 40 offset with 8" OZ's. But will it rub with 8.5" rims with 40 offset?

I like the idea of the slightly wider rims in case I change the suspension later that would allow for wider than 235's.

...also with 8.5" wheels at 40mm offset even with 225's, not only may they rub but they are only about 2.5 mm from the suspension.

[B-Dawg]

Originally Posted by Kim Schwartz

...also with 8.5" wheels at 40mm offset even with 225's, not only may they rub but they are only about 2.5 mm from the suspension.

That's what I wasn't sure of. Thanks for the info.

[VMRWheels]

What we recommend for VMR's is a 18x8.5 +45, 18x9.5 +50 or if you wanted VB3's they'll be 18x8.5 +40, 18x9.5 +45 on 225/40/18, 245/35/18. Some will request a 255/35 rear since the 245 sizes are extremely limited. Yokohama S-drives would be the best in the 225,245 combo.

[B-Dawg]

Originally Posted by Kim Schwartz

...also with 8.5" wheels at 40mm offset even with 225's, not only may they rub but they are only about 2.5 mm from the suspension.

Originally Posted by eddinanm3

With the 215/40 & 245/35 18" winter tires you mentioned, can you please tell me the wheel width and offset for front and rear?

They are the stock style 264's which I think are 7.5" and 49mm front 8.5" and 52mm rear.

[B-Dawg]

Thanks for the help. I found a set of used 17x8 Sparco Pistas with 225/45 and 235/45 Hankook V12 evos for a reasonable price. The rims are in like new condition and once I wear out the Hankooks (50% left) I'll go with a 235/40 square setup - probable Star Specs. I love the look of the anthracite wheels with the Sparkling Graphite car.

[mikal7]

Terry, do you have any photos??

[Terry989]

I don't have any at the moment, but I'll wash the car this weekend and take some.

[Terry989]

I finally had time to take some photos. My car is a 2009 with the M-sport package (stock ride height and alignment specs). As you can see, while it pushed the wheels out some, there is plenty of clearance and no rubbing issues with the PSS tires.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

I'm running a similar set up to terry above. I got OZ ultraleggera that are 17x8 but my wheels are staggered 225/45 front and 245/40 rear

Ive got an even more similar to that.

17x8 OZ Ultraleggera with a 245/40 Square setup


17" Ultra brothers

[John_01]

Mine is another example of Michelin PSS in 225/45/17 and 245/40/17, except on 17x8 ET45 rims. It fills out the front guards nicely now that I have the M3 front arms and performance suspension. The rear has some space to spare.