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[afadeev]

Folks,

My '11 (LCI) 335xi wants to go to the track.
That means it needs set of track wheels and tires. My priorities are as follows: 1). fit the car; 2). be round; 2). be light (< 20 lbs); 3). be strong (forged?); 4). somewhat reasonably priced; 5). easy to clean; 6). look alright.

Definitely:
No spacers to minimize the hassle and balancing issues.
No plans to roll the fenders.
Likely:
Square setup for neutral handling and front/back rotation
18" as most 17" wont clear the calipers, and 19" wheels and tires are heavier for no obvious gain.


Thus the questions:
1). What track setup are you running and why?
2). Would 18x8.5 (35-38mm) or 18x9 (42mm) be a better fit for 245/40-18 tires (lots of tires in that size i.e.: Bridgestone RE-11s, Toyo Proxes R888, or R1A's)?
3). Would 255/35-18 tires fit up front (and back) on 18x8.5 38mm wheels without rubbing, during aggressive cornering ?



Some wheel thoughts:
1. Money is no object: Volk TE37, HRE R40, Advan TCIII, Forgeline (Turner runs these)
2. Apex EC-7 or ARC-8
3. Enkei NT03
4. your suggestion ???



TIA,
alex f

[edirtaynine]

ec7 square set up would be perfect for all your criteria.

[Gen_E92]

^ +1

EC7 in 18x9 +31 all around with 255s will easily fit unless your car is aggressively lowered

[TSM330i]

Money no object: Forgeline or Advan

I'm running Enkei RPF1 18x8.5 et40. I'm pre-LCI so I runn a 5mm spacer front and rear. Great wheel/tire combo. Wheels are 18.5lbs.

If you're going full R-comps, I'm not sure you'll need a 255/35 with you having AWD. It's amazing the amount of grip you get from these tires. I run BFGoodrich R1 in 225/40-18 for the track. Never an issue of grip with them. MUCH more than my Michelin PSS (255/35 front and 265/35 rear).

[FrozenM5]

This Is Africa

[idrift4wd]

no kosei k1??

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by idrift4wd

no kosei k1??

Nope: they only come in max 17" diameter, which wont clear the brake calipers: http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/kosei-wheels.jsp


Thanks to TSM330i and Gen_E92 for votes in favor of Apex EC-7s. The wheel look very promising, but appear to be not available at this time (ETA anyone?).
http://www.myapexparts.com/2012/04/2...wheel-release/


alex f

Originally Posted by afadeev

Nope: they only come in max 17" diameter, which wont clear the brake calipers: http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/kosei-wheels.jsp

Just because not ALL 17's will fit doesn't mean that some won't.

No reason to go crazy on a set of track-only wheels/tires when there are more than a handful of 17's that are strong, light, cheap, and will fit just fine: ARC-8, Kosei K1, LTW5, etc.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Just because not ALL 17's will fit doesn't mean that some won't.

No reason to go crazy on a set of track-only wheels/tires when there are more than a handful of 17's that are strong, light, cheap, and will fit just fine: ARC-8, Kosei K1, LTW5, etc.

You are right - a few 17" wheels with spokes attached close to the outside edge of the barrell will fit over the brake calipers. Alas, Kosei K1 is not one of them (per TireRack).

17" wheels would be a bit lighter, and the 17" tires are cheaper, but they will absolutely not fit over E90 M3 brakes. That limits the value of the wheels should you upgrade to an M3 down the road, or want to sell them (M3 ownership and demand for track supplies go hand in hand).

Regarding Apex EC-7 18x9 availability, I called Apex and was told that the wheels are expected to hit US shores by late July at the earliest.

alex

[shockin330i]

kosei's fit just fine on my ride...