Wider 2018 Sport tires

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the details, Definitely something for me to think about when the time comes to replace my originals
Have you lowered the suspension, along with adding the spacers? I have heard that the lower, wider stance combo really improves handling.

 

[PBNB]

Just put 175/55r20 on front 20x5 and 195/50r20 on rear 20x5.5. No spacers. Clearance all around.

It is interesting to see what owners are trying to do to improve the ride and handling.

These tires are matched to the i3s and provide a little more width than the previous 20" option. The offsets on the original 20" wheels (43 front, 53 rear) are greater than the i3s wheels at (33 front, 39 rear).

If the axle width on the i3 plain is narrower than the i3s that could explain why the offsets are so different. I expect that the axle widths are the same across all the variations. BMW just played around with the offsets and tire widths to change the feel of the ride.

I really notice my winter set provides a much harsher ride and it seems to be a bit more squirrelly at higher speeds compared to my 20" option wheels and tires.

I am still trying to work out why if the i3s wheels have less offset? What are the fender flares actually doing? Are they an extension of the fender providing more room for the tires or a cosmetic addition? Given the sizes and offsets, I would say that they are not really increasing the inner fender area as most of the added width is pulled to the inside closer to the suspension. I hoping to see an i3s up close to see what the flares are doing with the wider 20" wheels.

 

[PBNB]

I put 175/55r20 on front 20x5 and 195/50r20 on rear 20x5.5 several months ago (2015 REx). I already had 15/20mm spacers front and back and kept them.
Temperature, driving style, and use of HVAC are way more of a factor on range than the increased tire size. I have not noticed any directly relate-able range decrease ... but to be fair, I don't drive for maximized range to begin with.

This set up is the stock set up on the i3S and both tires (175/55r20 and 195/50r20) are available in the Ecopia EP500 Summer tread. Easy way to look them up on TireRack is select a 2018 i3S - there is only one option.

I feel the car is much more planted with the wider tires and am very happy with the upgrade.

Do the wheels and tires still sit inside the fender? I would think that the combination of offset, spacers and extra tire width would push these out about an inch further compared to an i3s. Just wondering if the tires are potentially going to hit the fender during excessive wheel travel?

 

[fritzner]

I put 175/55r20 on front 20x5 and 195/50r20 on rear 20x5.5 several months ago (2015 REx). I already had 15/20mm spacers front and back and kept them.
Temperature, driving style, and use of HVAC are way more of a factor on range than the increased tire size. I have not noticed any directly relate-able range decrease ... but to be fair, I don't drive for maximized range to begin with.

This set up is the stock set up on the i3S and both tires (175/55r20 and 195/50r20) are available in the Ecopia EP500 Summer tread. Easy way to look them up on TireRack is select a 2018 i3S - there is only one option.

I feel the car is much more planted with the wider tires and am very happy with the upgrade.

Do the wheels and tires still sit inside the fender? I would think that the combination of offset, spacers and extra tire width would push these out about an inch further compared to an i3s. Just wondering if the tires are potentially going to hit the fender during excessive wheel travel?

I have 15mm spacers in the front and 20mm spacers in the rear and I have H&R springs. The rears do stick out a very tiny bit, but I haven't had any rubbing. I frequently travel some sub-par windy roads with several kids in the car. Granted the kids aren't very heavy.

Here are a bunch of pics of the 175/195 tires.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BMWi3/permalink/2213630545377461/

The standard i3 with stock tires can easily handle 10/15mm spacers with the tires inside the fender wells. The i3S wheels will fit flush on an standard i3. The flares are added to keep the wheel tucked under the fenders as is typically found on most cars while increasing the track which increases handling. The flares also add some aggressiveness to the aesthetics.

 

[PBNB]

Here are a bunch of pics of the 175/195 tires.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BMWi3/permalink/2213630545377461/

Thanks for the link, unfortunately, I do not use facebook. Do you have the photos somewhere else on the internet?

 

[fritzner]

Here are a bunch of pics of the 175/195 tires.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BMWi3/permalink/2213630545377461/

Thanks for the link, unfortunately, I do not use facebook. Do you have the photos somewhere else on the internet?

Unfortunately I do not. And I cannot find a way to directly post a pic here - I can only post a link. Sorry.
I will say that the i3 group on FB is very active with over 16,000 members.