I have recently purchased a 1998 328is. Completely stock, no sport package, etc. in excellent shape. It is in desperate need of tires. I'm considering doing some autocross and maybe HP Driving School, but nothing too serious. Mostly just my daily driver with a bit of kick. Suspension needs some work too, but tire come first. I've been considering upgrading the stock 15" to 17" but not sure. Any advice on tires if I stay with 15? And if I go with 17, what should I do? I know offset is important, but what width wheel and offset is recommended for front and/or rear? Thanks, -w
I just went through the very same question with my post. I am the '4 new tires - practical with good perormance' guy. You should read that threard because there are differing opinions on what tires to use. There are some good points made in that thread. The bottom line is it all depends on your budget, your geographic location, the weather your vehicle will be driven in and your priorites. Once you have answered those questions go to tire rack and run a search. Most people are using Bridgestones or Dunlops. You can also call tire rack and let them know what your priorites are and they will help you narrow down your choices. I did both and came to the same conclusion they did. Good luck and have fun with your new tires.
I also have a 98 328is w/ Dinan S2 package. I am running 17 inch wheels during 3 seasons. They are BMW wheels from a 3.0 Z3, the radial spoke and are staggered. I am running 225/45s on front and 245/40s on the rear. I currently have Michelin Pilot Sports. They are great tires, but they are noisy at slow speeds. They perform well in dry and wet. They are not cheap though, you can probably find a tire you are happy with for less. I don't know where you live but if you are in the snow belt, keep your 15s for snow tires and don't run your 17s in the winter. My car came with the sport package originally, so I run the snow tires on the stock 16 inch rims that the car came with. 225/50-16 on Blizzaks, again a great tire and would recommend for winter use. =1 on talking to Tire Rack. I buy all my tires from them. They are great to work with. Check out what they have online, www.tirerack.com. But give them a call and the tire rep will be full of useful information to help you make the decision on what to buy. Buy a used set of M3 wheels and your car will look great. The real deal is the M3 wheel which is a split five spoke. They are forged! They are light and strong. Some don't like the look, but they are truly great wheels! Just be sure they are round if you buy used! Good luck.
