[JamesMA]

Originally Posted by iwannabimmer

I like the design of the 18s but I think the F30s look better with 19s in terms of size. Some aftermarket wheel company should make replicas of the 18s design in size 19.

See photo section with postings of M5 rep wheels

[verbs]

19s look better to me, but I went with the 18s.

Why? Less likely to damage wheels on hard hole hits, better traction under hard acceleration (taller sidewall is more important for acceleration than tire width), roughly 11lbs less rotating mass which is a decent amount of weight to shed on wheels, and not only do I save $900 off the sticker price by not getting the 19" wheels, but I'll also save money on tire replacement on 18" tires vs. 19" tires.

[iwannabimmer]

Originally Posted by JamesMA

See photo section with postings of M5 rep wheels

I've seen them. M5 rep wheels are different than the 18s on F30 Msport.

[ocso1606]

Loving my 19's! Pluse already bought my winter rims/tires

[johnbmw6]

Originally Posted by Calmwinds

I kind of prefer the looks of the 18", anyone out there feel the same?

NOPE 19" M Sport are the wheels for me, 18"

[JamesMA]

Originally Posted by iwannabimmer

I've seen them. M5 rep wheels are different than the 18s on F30 Msport.

I know they are not exactly the same, but I like that look too in a larger wheel and thought that the M5 reps were very close to the mark. I guess you don't.

[DerekS]

Originally Posted by verbs

19s look better to me, but I went with the 18s.

Why? Less likely to damage wheels on hard hole hits, better traction under hard acceleration (taller sidewall is more important for acceleration than tire width), roughly 11lbs less rotating mass which is a decent amount of weight to shed on wheels, and not only do I save $900 off the sticker price by not getting the 19" wheels, but I'll also save money on tire replacement on 18" tires vs. 19" tires.

Interesting comments ! Despite the fact that in Canada the extra cost for 19s is only $500 (compared to $900 in the US), I felt the 18s made more sense for the same reasons you did. In addition, the 18s will make for a better ride.

[iwannabimmer]

Originally Posted by JamesMA

I know they are not exactly the same, but I like that look too in a larger wheel and thought that the M5 reps were very close to the mark. I guess you don't.

I don't because the design of the spokes is different.

[ocso1606]

I love my 19" 403m's

[ocso1606]

loooooove them

[Jamesons Viggen]

I find the 400's to be a much more aggressive and cleaner design.

In a perfect world I would take the 400 and make them 19's, make the rears 9.5" and make them a bit concave.

[e92miami]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

This is not true. If you look closely, the BMW Motorsport race cars have 18" Advan RS wheels (or custom BMW style). Also look at Formula 1 cars. Too little sidewall height results in loss of grip. Plus, larger wheels means that the wheel barrel must travel at a higher speed (because it is farther from the wheel center) which increases the force needed to rotate the wheel. Larger wheels = less performance, but better looks.

+1

[Mako]

Originally Posted by Jamesons Viggen

I find the 400's to be a much more aggressive and cleaner design.

In a perfect world I would take the 400 and make them 19's, make the rears 9.5" and make them a bit concave.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by verbs

19s look better to me, but I went with the 18s.

Why? Less likely to damage wheels on hard hole hits, better traction under hard acceleration (taller sidewall is more important for acceleration than tire width), roughly 11lbs less rotating mass which is a decent amount of weight to shed on wheels, and not only do I save $900 off the sticker price by not getting the 19" wheels, but I'll also save money on tire replacement on 18" tires vs. 19" tires.

Where did you get this information, and what brand tyres did it state?

[shivaswrath]

I decided the same thing too - in the Northeast, our potholes are everywhere (despite the America Revitalization Act, which has nicely repaved most of the parkways/highways I take); the 18's are also easier on the $$ and spine!

Originally Posted by okolisr

I haven't seen this mentioned this yet, but I always learned that the main performance benefit from larger-diameter wheels (with lower-aspect-ratio tires to keep the same overall diameter) is NOT because of the larger wheel size, rather it's because of the lower aspect ratio of the tires which results in REDUCED TIRE SIDEWALL HEIGHT. With reduced sidewall height, tires do less flexing and floating while cornering, for better stability and road contact.

Here are rough theoretical calculations:

The 18" 400M wheels have 225/45 front tires (225mm x 45% = 101.25mm sidewall height) and 255/40 rear tires (255mm x 40% = 102mm sidewall height).

The 19" 403M wheels have 225/40 front tires (225mm x 40% = 90mm sidewall height) and 255/35 rear tires (255mm x 35% = 89.25mm sidewall height).

So basically, the 403M tires have roughly 12mm less tire sidewall height than the 400M. That's more than a 10% difference, and enough to increase sidewall stiffness and improve handling significantly.

PERSONALLY, despite this significant improvement with the 19" 403M wheels, I still plan to order the 18" 400M wheels. Why? Because the same reduced tire sidewall height that improves handling also makes it much more likely that I will break a wheel in one of our many St. Louis, MO year-round potholes. Not to mention the endless spine jarring when I keep my car in "sport mode" all the time.

The bottom line is that even though I do faster cornering in my BMW than 95% of drivers, I don't need the "ultimate" capability. The 18" 400M wheels are plenty good enough.

And they look great.

[tennistodd]

18" wheels are WAY TOO SMALL for the F30. 19 would be the smallest I would go. Im actually going with 20's. Much better fit.

[justinnum1]

Originally Posted by tennistodd

18" wheels are WAY TOO SMALL for the F30. 19 would be the smallest I would go. Im actually going with 20's. Much better fit.

performance>looks

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

I like the design and how they look, but i dont think it makes sense to pay extra money and lose performance. Thats extra weight where you dont want extra weight.

I highly doubt you will notice any difference except maybe a little rougher ride with the 19's. When i had my Audo i went to a wheel package that was 8 lbs per side lighter and didn't notice anything. The big difference is getting good tires like the Pilot Super Sports and remove the Run flats. Plus for a 900 dollar option thats cheap for some 19's with tires.

[tennistodd]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

performance>looks

I dont really think the f30 is a super performance car. Bit slow without mods. I do however want a larger wheel. The 3er has grown in size so much the 18's look lost. It's definitely not a shabby ride and I wont be tracking it. Just my 2 cents

[WJGreer]

Originally Posted by tennistodd

I dont really think the f30 is a super performance car. Bit slow without mods.

Slow compared to what, a fighter jet? There's no F30 that posts a 0-60 above 6 seconds. When I was a kid, Camaros did that in the mid 7s.

[Shep1]

18s are best in my opinion

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by Shep1

18s are best in my opinion

Whoop.