E39 M5 Wheels

First, the original equipment

A unique feature of this M5 is the Nurburgring suspension, consisting of a larger rear anti-roll bar, the EDC system, and the staggered-size wheels which are 17x8 in the front and 17x9 in the rear.  This is a "one year" feature as the '93 model has 17x8 all around, and the '95 went with 18" wheels.

I like these wheels quite a bit, and even color-matched them to the lower trim piece for a more integrated appearance.  The fronts wear 245/40-17 tires and the rears wear 275/40-17.

Opportunity knocks

While looking for a set of 18" wheels for a project car I am building, I came across a set of E39 M5 wheels with tires at a very attractive price.  I had planned on selling off the tires as they were the wrong size for the project car, but before I did that I tried them on the M5.  The tire sizes were correct, 245/40-18 front and 275/35-18 rear.

This presented a problem; the wheels looked damn good on the car!  The "black chrome" finish is very close to the "Sebring Gray" of the lower trim, but with more depth to the paint and a bit of shimmer.  To make matters even worse (worse in terms of finding a reason to get them off the M5 and onto the project car), the stiffer sidewalls of the Dunlop 8080E tires enhanced handling and there was no compromise in ride quality.

Uh-oh, they might have to be left on the M5.

For more pics, click here.