Wheels and Tires

An important part of the handling of any car is the sneakers that it wears.

Rims

For our car, we chose IFG A5 rims in 17 x 8 size.  We use a ET40 offset since that's the closest to the ET41 offset of typical M3 rims.  The IFG wheels are already hubcentric for 3-series BMWs so they do not require hubspacers (a nice feature).  They are forged in construction (strong) and very lightweight (18.6 pounds each) for their size.   The wheels are powder coated (instead of painted) which provides a very durable, chip-resistant finish.

The rear fenders of the 318ti are not as wide as a normal E36 sedan or coupe and therefore does not have the same clearance.  In addition to it's non-E36 rear suspension (as it's a derivative of the E30), it also differs from normal E36 cars.  The rear tires rub slightly under full throttle (the rear of the car squats), we'll be fitting the rear with IFG A5 in 17 x 8 but with an ET45 offset (pulls the wheel inwards) so that we will not have to roll (or cut) the inside fenders.  Otherwise, a trip to the local body shop for some trimming will do the trick.

Raise the rear of the car (with taller springs) would also solve the slight rubber issue, but that would then make the car look less balanced, as it's currently lowered 1.75 front and rear.

We have since updated the car with Rial Type MS rims in the same size.

Tires

Pirelli tires grace the IFG wheels.  We equipped the car with the P7000 Super Sport in 235/40ZR17 in size.  Categorized as Ultra High Performance All Season Tires, they're engineered to perform in colder temperatures where normal ultra-high performance tires may not have the ability to heat to ideal operating temperatures.

For the summer, we're using Pirelli's P-Zero C (225/45R17 all around).  With a treadwear of only 60, they're very sticky at the track while outgripping all normal street tires.  These tires retail for $290 each through Pirelli's Racing Department.

In the effort to squeeze more rubber under the car in the future, we rolled the rear fender lips with Tire Rack's fender roller.  With the 17x9 rear rims (42.5-44 offset) we will be able to squeeze 255/40 on the rear while using 235/40s on the front.

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