Vehicles Covered in this Guide All years and models of 1 series Hatchbacks (5 door hatch: F20, 3 door hatch: F21). Our fitment testing has focused on the Coupe and convertible models available in the US, but international customers have provided feedback that the wheel and tire fitments carry over to the hatchback chassis.
Chassis Introduction The F2X's perfect size and weight distribution make it one of the most desirable models in BMW's modern lineup. Although the platform has somewhat specific width and offset requirements, they nearly mirror those of the previous 1-Series, meaning we already have many different fitment options available.
For those considering 17" wheels:
Brake clearance is tight with certain stock brake calipers when running 17" wheels on the F22 chassis. The optional brake packages with 370mm front rotors available on some cars will not clear 17" wheels. Cars with 345mm rear rotors will have extremely tight clearances with the vibration dampeners on the ends of the brake pads and caliper-to-barrel clearance as well. 17" wheels will clear the calipers themselves, but debris may be caught between the rear brake calipers and the barrel of the wheels which may cause scratching on both components over time.
Caliper color alone is not a viable way of identifying which brakes you have! If you are unsure which brake package your car is equipped with, you can review Bimmerworld's technical article here for information on the various brake packages by model.
Available Wheel Designs
Performance Street and Track Wheel Fitment
Wider fitments for enhanced performance
BMW 1 Series F20 F21
BMW 1 Series F20 F21
BMW 1 Series F20 F21
Because the 2-Series fitment requirements are so specific, we only offer a limited number of high-offset wheel options which can be used for nearly all types of street, track or race driving. They work well with anything from all-season tires to all-out racing slicks.
Square Setups Recommended for most types of street and performance driving. Allows proper front-to-rear tire rotation to extend tire life & improve handling balance.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
- Rear Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
- Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8, ML-10RT
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 245/40-17
- Rear Tire Size: 245/40-17
- Direct fit with ET40 offset and OE suspenion.
- 5mm front spacers may be required with Coilovers or HAS kits.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 17x9" ET42
- Rear Wheel Size: 17x9" ET42
- Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Rear Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Front 5-12mm spacers required at a minimum with OE suspension. Additional front negative camber required. Hub extenders may be required
- Rear negative camber and/or rolled fenders required. Adjustable lower control arms recommended.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 17x9" ET52
- Rear Wheel Size: 17x9" ET52
- Available in: ARC-8
- Front 20-25mm spacers required for suspension clearance. The exact spacer requirement will depend on your suspension configuration. Motorsport-oriented coilovers with excellent clearance recommended.
- Not recommended for cars with aftermarket coilovers that reduce inner clearance (see note below).
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Rear Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Aggressive front negative camber recommended. Approx. -3° to -4°. Additional rear camber is recommended for on-track performance.
- 245/40-17 tires may also be used to reduce the camber and spacer width requirements.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8)
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8)
- Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, ML-10RT, SM-10
- Popular fitment.
- Typically a direct fit. Certain tire compounds that run wider-than-average may require front negative camber.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 225/40-18
- 235/40-18 tires can be a direct fit, but we strongly suggest dialing in front and rear negative camber to prevent rubbing. Amount of camber varies depending on tire brand and ride height.
- 245/35-18 tires require at least 1.5 degrees of front negative camber, and 1.8 degrees of rear negative camber depending on tire brand and suspension setup.
- 255/35-18 tires require at least 2.2 degrees of front negative camber and 1.8 degrees of rear negative camber depending on tire brand and suspension setup.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET40
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET40
- Available in: ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
- Direct Fit
- Aftermarket suspension that limits inner clearance will require 5mm front spacers
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 225/40-18
- 235/40-18 tires can also be used but some additional negative camber up front and 3mm spacers may be required for compounds that run wide.
- 245/35-18 tires may require additional negative camber.
- 255/35-18 tires require at least 5mm spacers and at least 2 degrees of negative camber.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET45
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET45
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7
- Front 3mm or 5mm spacers required. Certain aftermarket suspensions may require larger front spacers. See below.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 225/40-18
- 235/40-18 tires require 5mm front spacers. Tire models that run wide may require additional spacing.
- 245/35-18 tires require 5mm front spacers and at least 1.5 degrees of negative camber.
- 255/35-18 tires require at least 12mm front spacers and at least 2 degrees of negative camber.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x9" ET42
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9" ET42
- Available in: ARC-8
- 8mm front spacers required (hub extender required).
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 255/35-18
- Rear Tire Size: 255/35-18
- Additional front negative camber recommended. At least -2.5° is required for 200 or lower TW tires that run wide.
- Additional rear camber or fender rolling may be required with tire models that run wide.
Staggered Setups Maintains stock-like handling characteristics, tires can only be rotated left to right. Maximizes both front and rear tire width. Staggered setups are recommended for highly tuned cars that need extra rear tire width in order to control their increased power output.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8)
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET58
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7
- Popular fitment.
- Direct fit.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 255/35-18
- 235/40-18 front tires can also be used, but we strongly suggest dialing in front negative camber to prevent rubbing. Amount of camber varies depending on tire brand and ride height.
- 265/35-18 rear tires may also be used, but may require 3mm or larger spacers, or trimming fender liner and shock dust boot.
- xDrive requires 225/40-18 Front / 255/35-18 Rear OR 235/40-18 Front / 265/35-18 Rear tires
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET40 or ET45
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET58
- Available in ARC-8, EC-7, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
- Popular fitment.
- Direct fit.
- ET45 wheels will require 5mm front spacers.
- Aftermarket suspension that limits inner clearance will require 5mm front spacers with ET40 and 10-12mm spacers with ET45
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 255/35-18
- 235/40-18 front tires can also be used, but we strongly suggest dialing in front negative camber to prevent rubbing. Amount of camber varies depending on tire brand and ride height.
- 265/35-18 rear tires may also be used, but may require 3mm or larger spacers, or trimming fender liner and shock dust boot.
- xDrive requires 225/40-18 Front / 255/35-18 Rear OR 235/40-18 Front / 265/35-18 Rear tires
Additional Resources
Concavity & Face Profiles
Each of our wheel designs is available in two or three different levels of concavity, which we call Profiles. The Profile is dictated by the width and offset, meaning wide lower-offset wheels will have more concavity, while narrow higher-offset wheels will have less concavity.
Identifying Suspension Types
If you’re using coilovers, see the image below to identify which type of coilover spring you have, as it may effect your wheel fitment.
Aftermarket 2-Series Suspensions Known To Reduce Inner Clearance (includes but not limited to):
- Bilstein PSS9 & PSS10
- KW Height-Adjustable Spring (HAS) kit
- KW Variants
- KW Clubsports
- Öhlins Road & Track
About Camber Plates
Adjustable camber plates do more than just aid in wide wheel and tire fitment. They provide increased grip and reduced tire wear by spreading the load evenly during cornering. Learn more in our blog article, The Positives of Negative Camber.
Big Brake Kit Clearances
We have tested many brake kits with the wheels listed in this guide. Please email us with any questions related to brake clearance, we’ll be happy to help.
Still have questions?
Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com