New Rims for my 2015 BMW i3

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mrfly04

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
5
Will this 6-spoke, satin black American Racing AR890 rims look good on my white 2015 BMW i3?

AR890-Satin-img-1.jpg
 
I'm sure those rims would look great on the i3! I have the blacked-out Rial X10-i and they look so nice.

The problem is, the i3 wheels are a nonstandard size. To install those rims, you would need at least some spacers, and likely some other things as well. Unfortunately, this means that aftermarket rim options are very slim with the i3.
 
These might work if you can get them narrow enough with the correct offset, and then find a tire to work that is also narrow. I have a tire shop that I can do test fitting when I do get some time to work on this but it hasn't been a high priority right now since I have new summers and winters. I will need to wear them out first.

I have been looking for alternatives mainly because of the squirrelly ride provided by the skinny Bridgestone tires.

Keep in mind that wider tires will most likely take more power to turn, reducing the range.
 
mrfly04 said:
Will this 6-spoke, satin black American Racing AR890 rims look good on my white 2015 BMW i3?


Those wheels are 8x17 or 8.5x20 and do not match the bolt pattern. They are are much wider than your 2015 i3 which is 5Jx19.


That is not going to be an easy fit. You will need adapters and spacers. They will stick way out.

In my opinion it would look wrong, even with custom wheel arches.
 
How about getting BMW Style 430 or 431 wheels? They are the right bolt pattern. Be sure to check the offset on style 431. The 431s would also need the i3 S wheel arches to make them fit. I don't know if the arches will snap on to a pre-LCI car or there needs to be a little body work.



BMW-i3-wheels.jpg
 
I didn't realize how much of a wheel/tire guy I was until I installed the BMW winter set on the i3. Those winter tires are sooooo skinny, I've seen motorbikes with wider tires! I
 
FWIW, thinner tends to work better in snow. The actual tire patch is the same as a smaller, wider tire, and has less drag, which, on an EV, is a big deal.
 
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