Fitment guide

BMW E36/7 E36/8 Z3 Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide

Originally published | 04/06/2022
Updated | 09/21/2023

Vehicle Covered in this Guide 1995-2002 E36/7 and E36/8 Z3 coupe and roadster narrowbody and widebody.

This guide does not cover Z3M models. Please see our Z3M Fitment guide for those models. 

Narrowbody VS Widebody

Pre-facelift (non-LCI) models (production dates before April of 1999) had both a narrowbody and widebody version of the car depending on the engine. This difference affected the rear track width and fenders. 4 cylinder models were narrowbody cars while 6 cylinder cars were widebody cars.

Post-facelift LCI models all share the same widebody regardless of engine type. Z3M models share the same wide body but have shorter axles allowing them to run wider rear wheels and lower offsets. M models are not covered in this guide.

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Available Wheel Designs

Forged Designs

Flow Formed Designs

Bolt Pattern

5x120mm

Centerbore

72.56mm

Lug Seat

60° Conical Seat

Lug Thread Pitch

M12x1.5mm

OEM+ Wheel Fitment

Easy upgrades for street-driven cars

  • Green BMW Z3 - ARC-8 in Hyper Silver

These bolt-on wheel fitments are ideal for enthusiasts enjoying their car day-to-day on the street. 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 section below.

NarrowBody Fitments

As one would expect, rear wheel size is somewhat limited and offsets are higher with these fitments but we offer several options for this chassis that work quite well in both square and staggered configurations.

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: 17x8.5" ET40 (ARC-8)
    • Available in: ARC-8

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 235/45-17 
    • Direct fit with most street tires. Certain compounds that run wide may require additional negative camber up front.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

  • Narrower Alternative: Front & Rear 225/45-17
    • Direct fit.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Yokohama Advan Apex V601 (280TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

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: 17x8.5" ET40 (ARC-8) // Rear: 17x9” ET42
    • Available in: ARC-8

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 225/45-17 // Rear: 255/40-17
    • Direct Fit.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

WideBody Fitments

The widebody cars have more room in the rear fenders and access to a wider range of APEX products as a result. The more powerful engines benefit from the increased grip wider rear wheels and tires provide while lower optimal offsets give these owners access to more concave fitments. Staggered fitments are typically what we recommend although square fitments can be run for those who wish to rotate.

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: 17x8.5" ET40 (ARC-8)
    • Available in: ARC-8

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 235/45-17 
    • Direct fit with most street tires. Certain compounds that run wide may require additional negative camber up front.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Wheels

  • Front & Rear: 18x8.5" ET35 and ET38 (ARC-8)
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 235/40-18 
    • Direct Fit.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Yokohama Advan Apex V601 (280TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW), Kumho Ecsta PS91 (260TW)

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: 17x8.5" ET40 (ARC-8) // Rear: 17x9.5” ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 235/45-17 // Rear: 255/40-17
    • Direct Fit.
    • 225/45-17 front tires can also be used as a direct fit.
    • 275/40-17 rear tires can also be used but may require a rear fender roll to fit without rubbing.
    • All Season:Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Wheels

  • Front: 18x8.5" ET35 and ET38 (ARC-8) // Rear: 18x9.5” ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 235/40-18 // Rear: 255/35-18
    • Direct Fit.
    • 225/40-18 front tires can also be used as a direct fit.
    • 275/35-18 rear tires can also be used but may require a rear fender roll to fit without rubbing.
    • All Season:Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Performance Street and Track Wheel Fitment

Wider fitments for enhanced performance

  • Green BMW Z3 - ARC-8 in Hyper Silver
  • Red BMW Z3 - ARC-8 in Anthracite
  • Black BMW Z3 - ARC-8R in Polished
  • Silver BMW Z3 - ARC-8 in Hyper Black

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 run 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.

NarrowBody Fitments

As one would expect, rear wheel size is somewhat limited and offsets are higher with these fitments but we offer several options for this chassis that work quite well in both square and staggered configurations.

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: 18x8.5" ET35 and ET38 (ARC-8)
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 235/40-18 
    • Direct fit with most street tires. Certain compounds that run wide may require additional negative camber up front.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer:Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Yokohama Advan Apex V601 (280TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW), Kumho Ecsta PS91 (260TW)

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: 18x8.5" ET35 and ET38 (ARC-8) // Rear: 18x9” ET42
    • Available in: ARC-8

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 225/40-18 // Rear: 255/35-18
    • Direct Fit.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Yokohama Advan Apex V601 (280TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW), Kumho Ecsta PS91 (260TW)

WideBody Fitments

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: 17x9" ET30
    • Available in: ARC-8, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 245/40-17 
    • Additional front negative camber required.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Wheels

  • Front & Rear: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7)
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front & Rear 245/35-18
    • Additional front negative camber required.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

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: 17x9" ET30 // Rear: 17x9.5” ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 245/40-17 // Rear: 275/40-17
    • Front negative camber required
    • Rear fender roll required
    • 255/40-17 rear tires can also be used for an easier fitment
    • All Season:Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer: Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Wheels

  • Front: 18x9" ET30 // Rear: 18x9.5” ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick: Front: 245/35-18 // Rear: 275/35-18
    • Front negative camber required.
    • Rear fender roll required.
    • 265/35-18 rear tires can also be used for an easier fitment but still may require a rear fender roll when using more aggressive compounds.
    • All Season: Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 (540TW), Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ (440TW), Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (500TW)
    • Ultra-High Performance Summer: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (340TW), Falken Azenis FK510 (300TW), Kumho Ecsta PS31 (460TW), BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 (340TW), Direzza DZ102 (460TW), Sumitomo HTR Z5 (320TW)
    • Max Performance Summer:Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (300TW), Continental Extremecontact Sport (340TW), Bridgestone S-04 PP (280TW), Hankook V12 Evo2 (320TW)

Additional Resources

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 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

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.

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.

Still have questions?

Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com