Track Fitments for BMW G20/G21 3 Series & G22/G23/G26 4 Series: 19x9.5 ET25 Square

The fitments discussed are ideal for track cars that want the flexibility of a 4-way rotatable wheel and tire setup

All specific adjustments, tire spec details, and additional hardware requirements needed to run these fitments are explored and explained

We recently expanded our VS-5RS offerings to include fitments for BMW’s G20/G21 3 and 4 series. While we’ve focused on producing OEM+ direct fit options in square and staggered fitments for popular 3 Series G-chassis BMWs like the 318i, 320i, 330i, M340i as well as the 4 Series models like the 420i, 440i, and M440i, we’ve received a lot of questions about running a 19x9.5” square setup on the G20/21/etc platform. You can check out some of those fitment choices in the galleries for relevant G-chassis 3 Series here and 4 Series here, and you can explore our comprehensive G-chassis fitment guides for 3 Series here and 4 Series here.

With more and more of these cars being sold with BMW’s AWD xDrive package, the benefit of being able to do full front-to-rear wheel and tire rotation with a square fitment has become increasingly appealing for daily drivers. Additionally, an aggressive square fitment is ideal for track rats looking to both save on tire costs and benefit from more balanced handling. The video above showcases our latest test fitment of just such a setup. In this article, we’ll give a full breakdown of this fitment setup and take a look at the modifications required to make it work.

Making an aggressive square setup like this fit has always been difficult for a few reasons. First, the rear of the car has a significant amount of room for wider wheels and tires, but requires higher offset fitments to take advantage of the available room without rubbing against the factory fenders. Up front, space is limited by the front strut assembly found on both the factory suspension and with certain aftermarket coilovers.

We brought in a G20 with stock suspension and the factory alignment early on in our wheel development phase to test our 19x9.5” ET25 Supra fitment. That test fit is documented in our development thread here, and below are some images of what this fitment looks like on stock suspension:

G20 Stock Photos:

No Spacers Used.

This test-fit proved that while the setup could work, it required dialing-in more camber – especially in the rear to prevent poke. With that in mind, we set out to find a modified car for our next test.

A friend and customer of the brand, Chris, had the perfect car for this test-fit and volunteered to help. Chris’ G20 recently had Ohlins installed and was given a fresh alignment, meaning this M340 was already dialed-in and the ideal candidate to validate this square fitment. All of the final photoshoot photography and video featured the following specs:

Modified G20 Specifications:

Suspension: Ohlins Road & Track Coilovers

Alignment/Camber: -2.5° Front and -2° Rear

Spacers: 12mm front spacers used for strut clearance

Wheels: VS-5RS in Satin Bronze

Front & Rear: 19x9.5” ET25

Tires:

Front: Falken RT660 - 265/35-19

Rear: Michelin Pilot Sport 4s - 265/35-19

Different tires used F and R to validate clearances and for future staggered testfits.

Front:

The Ohlins coilovers required a 12mm front spacer to move the wheel and tire away from the lower spring perch. This is a common requirement from what we’ve seen with Ohlins (and other coilovers like KW and Bilstein). Even with the front spacers and lower effective offset, the tire is nearly flush with the front fenders. Falken RT660s tend to run quite wide, so narrower tire models in the same listed tire size won’t poke quite as much. Chris purchased a set of these wheels after our test and mounted Yokohama AD08Rs on them in the same 265/35-19 size. He recently ran the car at Laguna Seca at a slightly higher ride height than pictured and experience no rubbing at all.

Additional negative camber in the -3° range could be dialed-in if you intend to run particularly wide tires and are using 12mm spacers. Alternatively, other coilover brands may have spring and perch assemblies with a slimmer silhouette or shorter front stack height springs that would offer improved clearance and reduce the required width of front spacers.

Rubbing against the fender liners did occur at full steering lock, particularly in reverse. This is due to caster arm bushing flex and is normal with wider front wheel setups, and generally only occurs during parking maneuvers at low speeds which shouldn’t cause major damage to the tires or fender liner.

19x9” ET25 notes:

We also tested the 19x9 ET25 wheel with this setup and a narrower Michelin front tire. While the narrower wheel and front tire buys you additional inner clearance, you’ll still need a 5mm front spacer with this Ohlins suspension.

Rear:

The rear fitment is a bit less complex to make work. At -2°, the tires tucked into the rear fenders by a thin margin. Wider tire compounds may need additional camber beyond -2°. No spacers were used on the rear and, overall, the additional camber tucked-in the rear wheels significantly at the fender edge compared to the initial SM-10 test-fit. There is plenty of room on the inner edge, unlike the front fitment.

Tire Notes:

While 265/30-19s could be used front and rear for a slightly easier fit, the tire model availability is far better in 265/35-19. A solid selection of track tires is available in this size, making it the obvious choice for someone that tracks their 3 or 4 series. 255/35-19 has even better availability than 265, although most of the tires in this size are street-oriented. Get the full tire breakdown, including recommended models, with our G2X fitment guide.

Availability and Finish Notes:

This 19x9.5” ET25 setup is available on our website in both the new forged VS-5RS that you’ve seen featured, as well as the flow-formed SM-10. Most finishes are currently in-stock. We also have a bolt-on 19x9” ET25 and 19x10” ET38 fitment. If you love the look of the VS-5RS on this car, but want an easier, purpose-built fitment, you can also order the direct-fit wheels on our site. Please note that the Satin Bronze finish featured here is currently only available on the 19x9.5” ET25 wheels, but let us know if you’d like to see us bring Satin Bronze to the direct-fit VS-5RS wheels in the future!

A Deeper Dive:

Tom M.

Tom is a BMW Fitment Expert at APEX Wheels. Prior to joining the company in 2019, he worked for BMW of North America as Fleet Manager: Portland (OR) for the ReachNow car-sharing program, and as Warranty Administrator/Loaner Fleet Manager at BMW Portland. In addition, Tom has extensive training in BMW TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) as well as in-depth knowledge of all BMW chassis and their wheel fitment options, with and without aftermarket brake and suspension upgrades. His high-performance driving experience includes autocross events in southern Oregon and track days at PIR in his 2004 E46 330i with 17x9 ET42 APEX ARC-8 wheels. Vehicles he owned prior to indulging his passion for BMWs include a 1989 Jaguar XJ6 and a 2006 S197 Ford Mustang. Fun Fact: Tom is a huge Formula 1 fan. Have questions about wheels for your BMW? Use our contact form and ask for Tom.