Z3 + Z4M Wheels

[z3machinist]

the stock wheels (Wheel Style #40) that came on my Z3 kinda looked like starfish to me. given how I drive my Z3 everyday, I just couldn't take the starfish anymore...

so I installed BMW Wheel Style #224 / BMW Z4M Wheels on my Z3, mainly got them since they were staggered like the stock ones.

I do realize since #224's are a little bigger than standard Z3 wheels at 18" instead of 17" like the starfish.

the tire place said the 224 tire specs would rub on the Z3, so they changed them slightly:

• fronts: 224/40 18
• rear: 255/35 18

the new 224's / tire combination does not rub, however they don't sit flush with the body anymore.

also cornering feels a bit more tippy, never felt like that with the starfish.

on my way to/from work i do 125mph in a stretch and I feel like it's also a tad bit less stable over 100.

my Z3 is stock, I don't have any spacers of any kind, is this a use case for spacers?

I took a few shots of the 224's on the Z3 to try to show how they don't sit flush:

 

[AntStark]

Lovin this

Also ..I think the original M wheels look better. Someone will be along in a minute to talk about offsets etc

 

[z3machinist]

Also ..I think the original M wheels look better. Someone will be along in a minute to talk about offsets etc

you don't think they look like starfish? lol

 

[AntStark]

Any 5 spoke wheel is going to look a bit starfishy. Nothing wrong with that

 

[z3machinist]

must just be me then

 

[NZ00Z3]

People in the USA search the interweb to purchase those wheels because the previous owner got rid of them and you've got a set.

Yes, they look a bit like star fish but not a bad as Sponge Bob.

You are lucky to live in a place where you can get up to 125 mph twice daily and keep your license. Most people only get to risk that sort of speed once in their life.

The Z3M has been designed for speed. The BMW engineers did a great job. You only see the wheels when you walk up to the car or look back after you have parked it. The rest of the time, when you are driving it, you don't see the wheels. As you regularly drive at light speeds, stick to the starfish and their safer performance. Life is cheap, don't spend it on under preforming wheels at the speeds that you travel at.

 

[z3machinist]

You only see the wheels when you walk up to the car or look back after you have parked it. The rest of the time, when you are driving it, you don't see the wheels.

an unfortunate consequence of being an industrial designer, I suppose

 

[miller1098]

an unfortunate consequence of being an industrial designer, I suppose

Look at your car again and notice it’s curves but for the shut lines there not a straight line on it,notice your standard m wheels the same rule applies . Being an industrial designer you don’t do curves lol .wheels are very individual but very few are worthy of gracing an z///M

 

[z3machinist]

wheels are very individual but very few are worthy of gracing an z///M

check these out:

• Z3 #47
• Z8 #59
• Z4M #224

comparatively, #40 starfish appear to be somewhat of a design experiment for BMW

I think the starfish are definitely unique, no matter how you look at them

but then again, design is a purely subjective thing

 

[miller1098]

Design experiment or carefully thought out exclusively designed and fitted production. They don’t fit on any other z3. You're in the enviable position of driving a z///M but you call it a z3 so I suppose any wheels will do lol