BMW has a wheel design problem

elliswyatt · 08-28-2025, 08:30 PM

I wandered around the BMW showroom today while I was getting my car serviced and among all the over styled SUVs was a refreshingly garden variety 3 series. But then I got a good look at the wheels. Why would they take a perfectly fine wheel design and plop these five weird extensions between the spokes? They look awful and complicate the wheel cleaning process.

Okay, let’s wander over to the interior. Oh no, more shame and disappointment as another “wheel” falls victim to peculiar design choices.

In all seriousness, does anybody like these things?

KevinC · 08-28-2025, 08:58 PM

afadeev · 08-28-2025, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliswyatt

I wandered around the BMW showroom today while I was getting my car serviced and among all the over styled SUVs was a refreshingly garden variety 3 series. But then I got a good look at the wheels. Why would they take a perfectly fine wheel design and plop these five weird extensions between the spokes? They look awful and complicate the wheel cleaning process.

BMW has gone on a bender picking "impossible to clean" wheels for the last decade or so. No idea why.
If in doubt, see the appropriately named 666-style wheel that makes your sample look easy-to-clean:

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliswyatt

In all seriousness, does anybody like these things?

Probably someone does, but I bet those folks don't wash their cars.
Still, not as bad as last decades trend of "spinners" on wheels...

IMHO,
a

vt100 · 08-28-2025, 10:03 PM

Haha… wheels are prob the least of their design problems

Mason Hatcher · 08-28-2025, 10:38 PM

People just loooove to bitch

Three Stents · 08-28-2025, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliswyatt

I wandered around the BMW showroom today while I was getting my car serviced and among all the over styled SUVs was a refreshingly garden variety 3 series. But then I got a good look at the wheels. Why would they take a perfectly fine wheel design and plop these five weird extensions between the spokes? They look awful and complicate the wheel cleaning process.

Okay, let’s wander over to the interior. Oh no, more shame and disappointment as another “wheel” falls victim to peculiar design choices.

In all seriousness, does anybody like these things?

If you haven't test drove a BMW with this steering wheel, then zip it. Many are going after market to get this type of steering wheel. Quit yer bitchin!

afadeev · 08-28-2025, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three Stents

Many are going after market to get this type of steering wheel. Quit yer bitchin!

I dunno, brah, I'm holding out buy a new BMW until they start bundling this steering wheel:

Name: steering wheel.jpg
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elliswyatt · 08-28-2025, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three Stents

If you haven't test drove a BMW with this steering wheel, then zip it. Many are going after market to get this type of steering wheel. Quit yer bitchin!

No thanks. I don’t need to drive it to think it looks ridiculous.

SpaceSilverX1. · 08-28-2025, 11:30 PM

the best-looking wheels for BMWs are still the Alpina wheels. Period.

GeorgeA · 08-28-2025, 11:53 PM

Honestly, most of their new wheels don't look great. Back during the E chassis days, most looked amazing with low offset. Now, they're fairly high offset and just don't have the same deep dish athletic look.

Edit: I'll add in that almost all new cars are suffering with this problem.

NickyC · 08-29-2025, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afadeev

I dunno, brah, I'm holding out buy a new BMW until they start bundling this steering wheel:

Attachment 3808777

I want to play a game.

JeffinOregon · 08-29-2025, 01:14 AM

I do! The steering wheel does look a bit odd, but in use it’s very nice.

elliswyatt · 08-29-2025, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffinOregon

I do! The steering wheel does look a bit odd, but in use it’s very nice.

Okay, fair enough.

Llarry · 08-29-2025, 12:27 PM

As a BMW owner for 30-plus years, I miss the older simple and easy-to-clean designs of the past. My personal favorites would be the M Contour wheels of the E36 M3 (photo) and the somewhat similar "throwing star" wheels of the E34 M5 and the E31 8 series of the 1990s.

SpaceSilverX1. · 08-29-2025, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Llarry

As a BMW owner for 30-plus years, I miss the older simple and easy-to-clean designs of the past. My personal favorites would be the M Contour wheels of the E36 M3 (photo) and the somewhat similar "throwing star" wheels of the E34 M5 and the E31 8 series of the 1990s.

I also love the old school simple wheels.

a long time ago, I had these Brabus Monoblock wheels for my Mercedes. Ridiculously easy to clean and polish.

kjx · 08-29-2025, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliswyatt

Okay, fair enough.

It's not nice. I've driven one of these loaners with that steering wheel. It doesn't feel like a car a man would drive. Feels truly poverty spec by design.

Same story with using a fiddly switch instead of a gear stick in the center console.

On the latest i5, the iDrive controller is also a pain to use. They are downgrading all interiors - some more than others.

BobsM3Coupe · 08-29-2025, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeA

Honestly, most of their new wheels don't look great. Back during the E chassis days, most looked amazing with low offset. Now, they're fairly high offset and just don't have the same deep dish athletic look.

Edit: I'll add in that almost all new cars are suffering with this problem.

Those are the worst to clean. Spokes are to close to each other to clean easily.

W2k · 08-29-2025, 02:04 PM

I have to agree, a lot of the new designs are overcomplicated. Very nice to look at, though. For my i5, I had a choice of several styles most of which would indeed have been an absolute nightmare to clean, but I settled on the relatively sane 938, pictured here.

SpaceSilverX1. · 08-29-2025, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

Those are the worst to clean. Spokes are to close to each other to clean easily.

BMW must be monitoring this forum. Almost immediately after this thread started yesterday, their official YouTube channel released a video on how to wash BMW wheels. (almost like one of those infomercials)

Tommo3 · 08-30-2025, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

I also love the old school simple wheels.

a long time ago, I had these Brabus Monoblock wheels for my Mercedes. Ridiculously easy to clean and polish.

Do people really polish the wheels? I thought that was part of a service.

ShocknAwe · 08-30-2025, 08:40 PM

Woof

That's not a problem because it's hard to clean, so much worse, just kill it with fire.

Ugly stick, meet your maker.

NickyC · 08-30-2025, 11:42 PM

GOAT wheels. Everything else is a downgrade.

08-28-2025, 08:30 PM	#1
elliswyatt Private First Class 96 Rep 132 Posts Drives: 2021 M240i 6MT, 2016 Mk7 GTI Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: St. Louis, Missouri iTrader: (0)	BMW has a wheel design problem I wandered around the BMW showroom today while I was getting my car serviced and among all the over styled SUVs was a refreshingly garden variety 3 series. But then I got a good look at the wheels. Why would they take a perfectly fine wheel design and plop these five weird extensions between the spokes? They look awful and complicate the wheel cleaning process. Okay, let’s wander over to the interior. Oh no, more shame and disappointment as another “wheel” falls victim to peculiar design choices. In all seriousness, does anybody like these things? Attached Images __________________ www.coldwartourist.com
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08-28-2025, 08:58 PM	#2
KevinC your average JAMF 4001 Rep 4,349 Posts Drives: '21 M2 Comp, '19 Golf R Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Cochise County, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 VW Golf R [5.00] 2021 BMW M2 Competi ... [3.50]
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08-28-2025, 10:03 PM	#4
vt100 Lieutenant 309 Rep 439 Posts Drives: '06 Z4MC, '12 128i Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: SFO iTrader: (1)	Haha… wheels are prob the least of their design problems
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08-28-2025, 10:38 PM	#5
Mason Hatcher Captain 1375 Rep 812 Posts Drives: BMW X3 Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: FW-TX iTrader: (0)	People just loooove to bitch
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08-28-2025, 11:30 PM	#9
SpaceSilverX1. Second Lieutenant 405 Rep 249 Posts Drives: U11, G60, W211, AZ20 Join Date: Aug 2025 Location: no front license plate state iTrader: (0)	the best-looking wheels for BMWs are still the Alpina wheels. Period.
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08-28-2025, 11:53 PM	#10
GeorgeA Major 800 Rep 1,440 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (3)	Honestly, most of their new wheels don't look great. Back during the E chassis days, most looked amazing with low offset. Now, they're fairly high offset and just don't have the same deep dish athletic look. Edit: I'll add in that almost all new cars are suffering with this problem.
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08-29-2025, 01:14 AM	#12
JeffinOregon Private 107 Rep 57 Posts Drives: 2025 230i Join Date: Jun 2025 Location: Bend, Or. iTrader: (0)	I do! The steering wheel does look a bit odd, but in use it’s very nice. Attached Images
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08-29-2025, 12:27 PM	#14
Llarry Rear Commander 28442 Rep 962 Posts Drives: 2025 M850i GCpe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oregon iTrader: (0) Garage List 2025 BMW M850ix Gra ... [10.00] 2022 Honda Ridgelin ... [10.00] 2021 Porsche Macan GTS [6.25]	As a BMW owner for 30-plus years, I miss the older simple and easy-to-clean designs of the past. My personal favorites would be the M Contour wheels of the E36 M3 (photo) and the somewhat similar "throwing star" wheels of the E34 M5 and the E31 8 series of the 1990s. Attached Images __________________ '25 M850ix GC Tanzanite w/Black & Fiona Red BMW CCA 31 years Is 4 years over yet?
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08-29-2025, 02:04 PM	#18
W2k Private First Class 479 Rep 123 Posts Drives: 2025 BMW i5 xDrive40 Join Date: Mar 2025 Location: Stockholm, Sweden iTrader: (0)	I have to agree, a lot of the new designs are overcomplicated. Very nice to look at, though. For my i5, I had a choice of several styles most of which would indeed have been an absolute nightmare to clean, but I settled on the relatively sane 938, pictured here. Attached Images
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08-30-2025, 08:40 PM	#21
ShocknAwe 1Addict 4557 Rep 8,747 Posts Drives: N54 E82, M57 E70, 964 C4 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	Woof That's not a problem because it's hard to clean, so much worse, just kill it with fire. Ugly stick, meet your maker. __________________ 2010 E82 1 Series M Clone Hydra Performance augmented OEM+
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08-30-2025, 11:42 PM	#22
NickyC Lieutenant General 21290 Rep 11,820 Posts Drives: M4 CS. Former G82, x2 F82, F80 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Jacked out of my mind iTrader: (24)	GOAT wheels. Everything else is a downgrade. Attached Images
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