I have 205/50/16 Bridgestone RE730's, and they have very impressive performance. They are not noisy on the highway, either. Of course you will feel more bumps with the very stiff sidewalls, but it is not bad at all. I have used them in autocrossing, and they hold up well and have a lot of grip. My wheels are the Mille Miglia MM 11-2 from www.tirerack.com. They have a javascript program that allows you to see each wheel on an E30. I'm not sure what offset mine are, but they fit fine. They seem to go out of stock quickly, so they may not show up on the search. They are available in 17", if you're interested.

I just got some BF Goodrich g-Force T/A R1's (race tires) of size 225/50/14 and will use them on my stock basketweaves for autocrossing (in the stock class.) They did not rub, but there is very little room between the tire and strut (but it is enough.) So in my experience 225's will fit.

Will Ott
89 325is

Thanks for you help. I guess my remaining question is will the 17's fit without rolling the fenders if I put on 225-45-17 tires Bridgstone Potenza RE730. These tires got a grest review from the Tire Rack.

What is the maximum wheel size I can put on my e30 325is, the car has a new sport suspension - lowered approx 1.5 inches. I was told I can fit 17 / 7.5 BBS RX one piece and some say 16 inch wheels are better. What is the biggest tire to go with the wheels. This about look and performance. Mark

If impressing the gang at the local mall parking lot is what you're after, then 17" rims should make them swoon. But if performance is your goal, read on. Larger wheels and tires that you see on high performance and race cars are largely due to the need for increased clearance for larger brake rotors. There is also a small benefit of cooler running tire temps at high speed. Larger racing wheels and tires are made of lightweight material and actually wheigh less than most 14" stock wheel and tire set ups. Therefore the unsprung weight is actually reduced. The average under $350 16" or 17" street wheel and tire weighs about the same as a small piano. Unsprung weight is crucial to proper suspension setup and overall handling. It's a simple rule, less is more. A good performance wheel weighs less than 15lbs (how much less depends on how deep your pockets are) Another thing to consider is the steering responce is quicker with overall smaller diameter rims/tires. Personally, I would not go over 16x7.5 and 225/45 tires. It goes against the BMW credo: form follows function.