APEX Lightweight Wheels for BMW

APEX's ground breaking lighweight alloy wheels are a favorite of the BMW wheel business right now. Their wheels incorporate everything that you would want in a stylish but functional all-around wheel. Their wheels invoke classic motorsport design elements combined with precise engineering and advanced manufacturing processes. With an excellent reputation for quality, attention to detail, and technical support, APEX has become the premier wheel supplier for BMWs. This page will serve as a 'jumping off point' to browse and decide on an APEX wheel that fits your needs - whether for all-out track use or to finish off the ultimate street build. We'll show you the various APEX wheel styles and their unique Profiles as well as sizing, offset, and color options.

For much more BMW wheel tech and information, browse to our BMW Wheel Fitment Guide by clicking here. Some of the same information will be repeated here.

Page Links:
1. APEX Wheel styles and profiles
2. APEX Wheel colors
3. Wheel Offset Calculator
4. Wheel Clearance, including notes on suspensions, brakes, and bodywork
5. Aggressive Wheel Offsets by Model and Wheel Size
6. APEX Wheel Galleries by Model



APEX Wheel Styles and Profiles
APEX produces four wheel designs:

ARC-8 Flat face Concave face	EC-7 Profile 1 Profile 2 Profile 3	PS-7 Profile 1 Profile 2 Profile 3
AERO7 Flat face

Within each wheel design are different profile options. The profile of the wheel refers to the shape and depth of the wheel center. The location and shape of the spokes are relative to the offset of the wheel and where the wheel needs the most strength. A higher offset wheel typically has a 'flat' or 'Profile 1' face. The spokes are uniform across the face of the wheel and do not curve inward much. As the offset of the wheel goes lower the spokes must curve inward to meet the hub.

ARC-8 wheels are offered in a flat or deep concave face.
EC-7 and PS-7 wheels are designed with three profiles becoming progressively more contoured as the offset gets lower. Click here for a comparison.
The PS-7 and EC-7 are very similar but the PS-7 has a slightly different shape and size of the lip to help support stretched tire sizes for street use.
AERO7 wheels are offered only in a flat face.



APEX Wheel Colors
APEX wheels are available in multiple colors that complement the wheel itself as well as BMW's own colors and design. Each wheel design is available in three standard colors with two additional colors available for select styles and fitments.

APEX wheel colors on an EC-7 Profile 3 wheel:


On select wheels there are two additional colors that have metallic flake in the paint for a brighter appearance. Hyper Silver and Race Silver are nearly identical (differences in lighting make them appear more different in photos than they really are). These Hyper colors are available in limited quantities and only on select sizes and offsets.




Wheel Offset Calculator
A lot of the differences in wheel fitment come from the wheel offset. A higher offset will set the wheel further under the bodywork (and closer to the suspension and brakes). A lower offset will position the wheel closer to the outside fender. Offset is related to wheel width so you have to take the two into consideration when planning your wheel sizing. The tool below can be used to calculate and visualize the final position of your new wheel compared to your current setup. You will need the width and offset specs of your current wheel and the new wheel. Plug that data into our tool below and check the Results below. Lost or unsure? Give us a call or e-mail and we'll be glad to help!

Click here for our Wheel Offset Calculator.

We fitted 3 APEX EC-7 18x9.5 wheels with different offsets to the rear of an E90 330i to demonstrate changes in offsets (ET is offset in mm).




Notes on Fitment and Clearances
Here are the major factors to consider when fitting new wheels. There's more to consider than just these few things. For more insight, check out our general Wheel Fitment Guide.

	Tire Sizing and Brand. Perhaps the biggest factor in aggressive fitments is the tire choice. A 9.5" wheel can take a 245, 255, 265, 275, or 285mm wide tire. But did you know that those tire widths are not actual widths? They are classes that the manufacturer chooses to associate with their tire products. A 275 may measure out to be more like a 285. Each tire manufacturer will list the actual widths on their website (or Tire Rack) so you can make a more informed choice of tire in an aggressive fitment. Also take into consideration tire sidewall height (a percentage of the tire width) and the shape of the tire. More aggressive tires tend have wider widths and squared off shoulders to maximize the contact patch. Also consider the rolling diameter and the revolutions per mile of each tire. The revolutions of the tire is very important for speedometer accuracy and absolutely critical in AWD cars. A difference of more than 3% in revolutions from your original equipment wheel/tire should be avoided.
	Ride Height. Reducing the gap between the fender and the top of the tire obviously plays a huge role in clearance and wheel fitment. As we said before, anything beyond BMW's conservative wheel upgrades is a grey area as far as clearance. How much tire will fit within the confines of the fender and wheel well depends largely on the ride height. We prefer to advise customers to lower their car first on the stock wheels/tires. Once the desired stance and look are achieved then select a wheel/tire size that will work. Use other cars and M cars as inspiration (M wheels on a non-M car make a great upgrade). One of the worst things you can do is spend thousands of dollars on huge wheels/tires that don't fit your lowered suspension. It's much easier to change or adjust suspension settings around a new set of wheels than the other way around. A special note about coil overs. These are an excellent way of adjusting ride height to suit your clearance and stance needs. But the design and construction of coil overs means that they are more likely to interfere with wheels. In a stock suspension and tall stock spring this spring seat sits over the wheel/tire. But to get a reduced ride height that is also adjustable, the coil over spring seat sits further down and alongside the tire sidewall. A wheel with too high of an offset will make contact with this spring seat collar. Most suspension companies will advise a 2-3mm gap to account for wheel flex and heat expansion. Three solutions exist: raise the collar to clear (changing your ride height and stance), a wheel spacer, or a lower offset wheel. You decide which option will work best for your situation but always take your coil overs into account when looking at wheel options.
	Bodywork. Believe it or not, not all body panels are the same. Manufacturing tolerances may mean that what works on one car may not be a guaranteed fit on another. Suppliers and molds change, cars are in accidents and repaired differently, aftermarket body kits are installed, climate and environment differences all introduce the possibility of slight variations in clearances. To fit an aggressive wheel size you may need to modify, trim, roll, or pull bodywork to clear.
	Alignment. One trick in getting over-sized tires to clear fenders is to increase the amount of negative camber. This will tilt the tire away from the fender line. This can also have another benefit - better handling through reduced understeer. However, too much negative camber will have the tire riding on the inside edge when driven in a straight line. Camber is great for track cars but bad for street cars (especially driven many miles on the highway).
	Big Brakes. Larger brake kits from StopTech, Brembo, and others take up more space within the wheel well. Not only does the wheel have to fit over and around the brakes but you have to ensure the spoke design doesn't interfere either. Most brake manufacturers will provide you with a template or specs to check the spoke clearance for your wheels. Most will advise a 2-3mm gap to account for wheel flex and heat expansion.

Aggressive Wheel Offsets by Model and Wheel Size
With so many APEX wheel options it's easy to get carried away with too aggressive a size and offset and then run into fitment or clearance issues later on. As a general rule we go by BMW's own optional wheel packages as safe or mild fitments. But straying too far from BMW's specs could get you into trouble. We try to make the process easy for you but much of the decision comes down to your own personal tastes and the current spec of your car (and any changes you plan for the future, i.e. lowering). We have a limited return policy on mounted wheels/tires. If you have any questions or want to check a fitment, please call or e-mail us.

Click here for Sample Wheel Sizes and Offsets.



Wheel Galleries by BMW Model
Click here to view photo galleries of wheels by BMW model. Most of these photos are of APEX wheels but some other wheels are included for reference.