bceverly

Hi all,

I was admiring the new car (just took delivery of my '08 LCI 535xi Sport) and noticed for the first time that I only have 17" wheels and tires on it.

From looking at the BMWNA web site, it claims the stock wheels and tires on the 535xi are 18.0 x 8 front and 18.0 x 9 rear (http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/5/535...n/features.htm), style 124 245/40R-18 and 275/35R-18 run flats.

Well, my tires (looking at them now) are 225 50 R 17 in the front and rear both. They are Goodyear Eagle SA M+S tires.

Also, my wheels are a 5-spoke design, not the 7 spoke design I see on the web for the style 124 wheels. They actually look like this:

http://flickr.com/photos/8785697@N05/539531390/

Can someone:

1. Please tell me if I'm crazy (shouldn't a 535xi sport have 18" wheels and tires if the stock car without the sport package has them)?

2. Tell me what the heck the wheel is that is on my car (you guys seem to know your "style ###" stuff very well.

Thanks in advance,
Bryan

C's Bimmer

On the xi with the Sport Package, the 18" wheels are an ADDITIONAL option. On the standard 535i, they come with the 18" wheels. When I ordered my 530xi with Sport Package, I had to taalso request the 18" wheels which cost more money. It's really stupid. I can see customers not knowing this and even some SA's.

Sorry man. Congrats on the car though!

bceverly

I'm not quite sure I follow. The stock wheels are 18's on the car. When you order the sport package, they downgrade the wheels as part of that unless you tell them not to?

Where I get confused is that when I spoke to BMWNA to confirm my order, they specifically told me that I had 18" "style 124" wheels on the car.

Any idea what style/model the wheels are that I included in my Flickr link?

Thanks!

cvb

You should slowly recheck the BMWUSA site. You did get the right wheels. The 535i and 535xi sport packages are different.

On the 535i, the sport package comes with 18" wheels (and costs a lot more than the 535xi sport package)

On the 535xi, the sport pacakge does NOt come with 18" wheels. If you want the 18" wheels, you need to (a) order the sport package and (b) pay $600 for the 18" upgrade.

If you go to the BMW website and select build a 535xi, you'll clearly see the 18" as a $600 option.

Also, the link you have also clearly says 17" wheels:
Exterior and aerodynamics
17 x 7.5 Star Spoke (Style 243) cast alloy wheels, 225/50R-17 all-season tires

Rudy

If I try to build a 535Xi on the US website, it says the following wheels are standard:
17 x 7.5 Star Spoke (Style 243) cast alloy wheels, 225/50R-17 all-season tires

The sport package adds:
-20-way power multi-contour front seats (includes articulated upper backrest, 4-way lumbar support, passenger?s-seat memory, active head restraints and adjustable side and thigh support)
-3-spoke leather-wrapped multi-function sport steering wheel with controls for audio system, cruise control, and Bluetooth? wireless communication for hands-free mobile phone
-Shadowline exterior trim

As an option, for $600 additional dollars, I can select the following 18" wheels, which requires selection of the sport package:
18 x 8.0 front, 18 x 9.0 rear Star Spoke (Style 124) cast alloy wheels, 245/40R-18 run-flat performance tires, 275/35R-18 rear run-flat performance tires

It sounds like unless you specifically ordered the 18" wheel upgrade, you got what you paid for...

cvb

You can check around...style 124 wheels can be found online for a pretty good price...though not as good as $600.

bceverly

Yep. Looks like I just simply didn't understand the subtlety of that change. Had a similar problem when I ordered my '06 530i - the Active Steering option wasn't baked into the sport package like it was in '04 and I had to re-order the car midstream.

I'll talk to my dealer and see if they can help me out on the 18's. Those are what I intended to have on the car.

Thanks for the help everyone!

- Bryan

cvb

Good Luck.

The 18's really make the look of the car in my opinion (I just changed my ED order after I saw the 17's and 18's side by side).

My08535i

My 08 535 will be here in 2.5 Weeks, and Im putting 167's on it the day it arrives, so I will have a set of 18 inch 124's with no miles on them available to sell. Let me know and I can hold them.

C's Bimmer

In order to get the 18" wheels on the xi sport package, you have to pay an additional $600. If you don't check off this option, your car will come with 17's.

It's also important to note the following differences between the xi sport package and the i sport package. This what comes standard on each:

xi Sport:
Shadowline Trim
3 Spoke Sport Steering Wheel
20 Way Sport Seats

i Sport:
Shadowline Trim
3 Spoke Sport Steering Wheel
20 Way Sport Seats
Recalibrated suspension
ARS
18" Wheels (this is an additional OPTION on the xi model)

It's also important to know that the 124 wheels for the xi do not have a deep dish look like the 124's made for non-xi models. This is due to the high offset. This is one of the main reasons I did not go with the 124's for my summer set-up and stuck with my 123's for winter and went with 19's for summer. My M3 CSL wheels have an awesome deep dish look and fit perfect.

Also, keep in mind that your car sits 14mm higher than a standard sport model, due to being an xi. Your going to see a significant wheel gap, especially when you go to 18's. You may want to consider the H&R Sport Springs that are made just for our car. It changes everything!

PS - I'm a pro with the specs and what works and what doesn't with the xi (Suspension, Wheels, etc.). If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I've helped many xi owners on this forum. If you need help, feel free to PM me.