Vehicle Covered in this Guide 2015-2020 BMW F80 M3
Brake Clearance Information
In the engineering phase of wheel development we 3D scan factory brakes and review 2D aftermarket brake templates in order to optimize our barrel profiles and spoke curvatures. As a result, our wheels offer massive brake clearance so you can run the smallest possible wheel diameter.
Click Here to view our F8X M3/4 master brake clearance guide
* The factory Carbon Ceramic 6 piston 400x38mm front brakes require 19" wheels or larger. Fitments that have been confirmed to clear will have the following brake clearance indicator: Clears CCB
* We have recently optimized our 18" ARC-8 barrel to accommodate the factory steel brakes. Older ARC-8s made before 2021 will not clear the 380mm 4 piston base blue steel brakes
Bolt Pattern
5x120mm
Centerbore
72.56mm
Lug Seat
60° Conical
Lug Thread Pitch
M14x1.25mm
Easy upgrades for street-driven cars
These bolt-on wheel fitments are ideal for enthusiasts enjoying their car day-to-day on the street, and they are typically paired with all-season or performance-oriented summer tires. These wheel and tire configurations will improve the appearance and performance of the car without requiring modifications or adjustments to the factory alignment. Just bolt-on and enjoy!
While these wheel fitments can be used for track days and AutoX, performance will be left on the table. Drivers that prioritize performance should review our Performance Street & Track and/or Hardcore Track & Race sections below.
Wheels
Front: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7) // Rear: 18x10” ET25
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front: 255/40-18 // Rear: 275/40-18
Wheels
Front: 19x9" ET28 (ARC-8) or ET30 // Rear: 19x10" ET25
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 255/35-19 // Rear 275/35-19
Aggressive fitments focused on appearance and concavity
Ideal for the driver who wants to fill out the wheel wells with the widest possible rubber and/or perfectly flush offsets. These fitments are sometimes direct bolt-on, but oftentimes require small spacers, negative camber, or rolled fenders for the sake of dialing in the perfect blend of function and form.
Narrower tire sizes relative to wheel width are more common here to help move the tire sidewall away from the fenders with more aggressive offsets. Street-oriented all-season and summer tires are popular options.
Wheels
Front: 20x9.5" ET22 // Rear: 20x11" ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front: 265/30-20 // Rear: 295/30-20
Alternative: Front: 255/30-20 // Rear: 295/30-20
Wider fitments for enhanced performance
Whether you enjoy spirited street driving or you are a weekend track warrior chasing lap times, these wheel & tire configurations are ideal for enthusiasts looking for a more dramatic improvement in performance and they are typically paired with performance oriented summer tires or track oriented R-compounds.
The suspension type, alignment settings, and tire brand/size can be changed accordingly to set the car up for either environment. While many of these wheel fitments can be ran with the factory alignment, if you plan to track the car we highly recommended dialing in negative camber to improve handling and to extract the most performance and longevity out of your tires. See fitment notes under each tire configuration below to see if modifications are required.
Square Configurations
Recommended for enthusiasts that want to mitigate understeer and rotate tires front & rear for extended life. Square configurations may compromise rear-end grip when compared to staggered configurations.
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x10" ET25
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 275/35-18
Wider Alternative: Front & Rear 285/35-18
Wheels
Front & Rear: 19x10" ET25
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 275/30-19
Staggered Configurations
Recommended for enthusiasts that prioritize rear end grip/traction. Wheels and tires cannot be rotated front to rear and large staggers may induce understeer.
Wheels
Front: 18x10" ET25 // Rear: 18x11" ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 275/35-18 // Rear 305/35-18
Wider Alternative: Front 275/35-18 tires // Rear 315/30-18 tires
Narrower Alternative: Front 265/35-18 tires // Rear 295/35-18 tires
Wheels
Front: 19x10" ET25 // Rear: 19x11" ET43 (ARC-8) or ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 275/30-19 // Rear 305/30-19
Narrower alternative: Front 265/35-19 tires // Rear 305/30-19 tires
Track focused fitments that require significant modifications
These wheel and tire configurations are best suited for hardcore track junkies and club racers competing for a spot on the podium. Everything from Extreme Summer tires to full Racing Slicks are commonly used depending on your experience behind the wheel, class rules, etc. While some of these wheel fitments can be ran with the factory alignment, additional negative camber is strongly encouraged to maximize performance and tire longevity. See fitment notes under each tire configuration below to see if modifications are required.
Even with the appropriate amount of negative camber dialed in, some of the more extreme fitments can scrub the inner plastic fender liners under suspension compression and/or when turning the steering wheel to full lock. This is par for the course when pushing the limits of wheel and tire fitment.
Square Configurations
Recommended for enthusiasts that want to mitigate understeer and rotate tires front & rear for extended life. Square configurations may compromise rear-end grip when compared to staggered configurations.
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x10" ET25
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 275/35-18 tires
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x10.5" ET40
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 295/30-18 tires
Wider Alternative: Front & Rear 305-645-18 tires
Narrower Alternative: Front & Rear 275/35-18 tires
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x10.5" ET22
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 295/30-18 tires
Wider Alternative: Front & Rear 305-645-18 tires
Narrower Alternative: Front & Rear 275/35-18 tires
Wheels
Front: 18x11" ET25 // Rear: 18x11" ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 305-645-18
Wider Alternative: Front & Rear 315/30-18
Narrower Alternative: Front & Rear 295/30-18
Staggered Configurations
Recommended for enthusiasts that prioritize rear end grip/traction. Wheels and tires cannot be rotated front to rear and large staggers may induce understeer.
Wheels
Front: 18x10" ET25 // Rear: 18x11" ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 275/35-18 // Rear 305/35-18
Wider Alternative: Front 275/35-18 tires // Rear 315/30-18 tires
Narrower Alternative: Front 265/35-18 // Rear 295/35-18
Wheels
Front: 18x10.5" ET22 // Rear: 18x11" ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 295/30-18 // Rear 315/30-18
Wheels
Front: 19x10" ET25 // Rear: 19x11" ET43 (ARC-8) or ET44
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front 275/30-19 // Rear 305/30-19
Wider Alternative: Front 295/30-19 // Rear 315/30-19
Narrower Alternative: Front 265/35-19 // Rear 305/30-19
Our wheels are popular for winter use because of their unmatched brake clearance. We recommend a square fitment to keep things simple and rotatable, although staggered fitments can also be used.
Wheels
Front & Rear: 18x9 ET30 or ET31 (EC-7)
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear: 245/40-18 tires
Wider alternative: Front & Rear 255/40-18 tires
Taller Alternative: Front & Rear 245/45-18 tires
Wheels
Front: 19x9" ET28 (ARC-8) or ET30
Tires
APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear: 255/35-19 tires
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 F8X M3/M4 suspensions known to reduce inner clearance (includes but not limited to):
Should I Dial in Negative Camber, and How Much is Right for me?
Whether you are a casual weekend track warrior that still enjoys your car on the street, or a hard core racer competing for a spot on the podium, negative camber is a vital part of chassis setup that has many benefits. Not only will adding negative camber create more room for wider wheel and tire configurations, it more importantly improves handling, turn-in and tire longevity. Learn more in our blog article, The Positives of Negative Camber.
Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com