[JAYtheVET]

Hello All,

My name is Jason and I am an American that decided to stay in Germany after leaving the Army in 2010.

Here is my X1:

Model: X1-XDrive 23 Diesel 211 PS (207 HP) M-Sport Package
Options: Fully loaded without HUD

I look forward to chatting with all of you in the future.

[JAYtheVET]

Pics added

[chriscross]

These Borbet wheels look great! The tires need some shine on them and they'll make the set look even bigger.

Love the plates, Büddy

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by chriscross

These Borbet wheels look great! The tires need some shine on them and they'll make the set look even bigger.

Love the plates, Büddy

Thanks Chris

I love the wheels, they look and fit perfect. You're right, the tires do need a shine. I just haven't had the chance to buy a proper product. I am glad I bought Matte wheels as it provides a nice contrast to the shiny black look.

Funny thing about the plates:

When you read it as a Non-German speaker is says BUDDY...

When you read it as a German speaker it says BOOTY...

...I can't believe the Germans let that go through.

[chriscross]

I recently found out that BMW sells 21" wheels for the new X1: Bmw 21" wheels

I also found the same style wheels that you have, the Borbet BY, in 21": Borbet BY 21"

So they are 8,5x21 ET45 5x112 which is very similar to the OEM 21" wheel, the only difference being the width 8,5 vs 8.

Would these fit on my U11 M35i? I understand that in theory I can pay a fine in Austria since technically this particular wheel is not tested by the relevant authorities (TÜV?). How serious of an offence is this in case they actually fit well?

[FZI89]

Originally Posted by chriscross

I recently found out that BMW sells 21" wheels for the new X1: Bmw 21" wheels

I also found the same style wheels that you have, the Borbet BY, in 21": Borbet BY 21"

So they are 8,5x21 ET45 5x112 which is very similar to the OEM 21" wheel, the only difference being the width 8,5 vs 8.

Would these fit on my U11 M35i? I understand that in theory I can pay a fine in Austria since technically this particular wheel is not tested by the relevant authorities (TÜV?). How serious of an offence is this in case they actually fit well?

In Austria, the fine is about 110-120 euro in total. This applies whenever you get checked.

Do you already have your X1 or still waiting for it? What wheels do you have on it/ordered with it?

I would highly recommend trying out the 20” wheels first before buying the 21”. The jump from 19” to 20” was not so bad, but the jump from 20” to 21” is quite significant.

Also one more thing to point out, if you’re not planning to lower the ride height, 21” on the X1 with its noticeable gap might look funny

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by chriscross

I recently found out that BMW sells 21" wheels for the new X1: Bmw 21" wheels

I also found the same style wheels that you have, the Borbet BY, in 21": Borbet BY 21"

So they are 8,5x21 ET45 5x112 which is very similar to the OEM 21" wheel, the only difference being the width 8,5 vs 8.

Would these fit on my U11 M35i? I understand that in theory I can pay a fine in Austria since technically this particular wheel is not tested by the relevant authorities (TÜV?). How serious of an offence is this in case they actually fit well?

I can't say for sure that the Borbet 8.5x21 would fit without having to modify the wheel wells due to tire rub when turning - which would be a major issue.

I know the roads is Austria are well maintained...that being said, I still wouldn't put 21's on an X1. The ride quality would suffer significantly and 21's on an X1 would (sorry for saying this) look ridiculous. 20's are the perfect size for this car. If you want less wheel well - install lowering springs.

[FlashMonkey929]

Originally Posted by JAYtheVET

I can't say for sure that the Borbet 8.5x21 would fit without having to modify the wheel wells due to tire rub when turning - which would be a major issue.

I know the roads is Austria are well maintained...that being said, I still wouldn't put 21's on an X1. The ride quality would suffer significantly and 21's on an X1 would (sorry for saying this) look ridiculous. 20's are the perfect size for this car. If you want less wheel well - install lowering springs.

I'm running 19x8.5 ET32 on my car with no rubbing issues. ET45 should be fine if I recall correctly when I put the wheels on and checked clearance. Nothing some spacers wouldn't fix if there is any rubbing.

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by FlashMonkey929

Nothing some spacers wouldn't fix if there is any rubbing.

Spacers would cause the wheels to protrude past the wheel well. In Austria this is not allowed. Chris would be pulled over by the police and his car would be towed.

[FlashMonkey929]

Originally Posted by JAYtheVET

Spacers would cause the wheels to protrude past the wheel well. In Austria this is not allowed. Chris would be pulled over by the police and his car would be towed.

at ET32 my wheels are flush with the top of the wheel well, a 5mm spacer shouldn't cause any poke at all.

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by FlashMonkey929

at ET32 my wheels are flush with the top of the wheel well, a 5mm spacer shouldn't cause any poke at all.

Deleted my last response, I was mad at something unrelated to your comment.

I think you're right about the poke, he should be fine there. I'm worried about the rub, I don't think 5mm would be enough. The 8x20" Borbets I have are flush with the wheel well and to put 8.5's + 2" of diameter would be cutting it close. The rules are very strict in Europe.

[FlashMonkey929]

Originally Posted by JAYtheVET

Deleted my last response, I was mad at something unrelated to your comment.

I think you're right about the poke, he should be fine there. I'm worried about the rub, I don't think 5mm would be enough. The 8x20" Borbets I have are flush with the wheel well and to put 8.5's + 2" of diameter would be cutting it close. The rules are very strict in Europe.

No harm, no foul.

If the tires are the correct diameter (I think it was something like 704mm), there wouldn't be any change in height of the mounted wheel. However, if running the incorrect tread width relative to the wheel causing the sidewall to bulge, that may cause an issue.

[chriscross]

So the 21" tires are 245/35 instead of 245/40 on the 20" so no change in height, I guess. The only real difference is the 8,5J vs the 8J rim width, which means 1/2" or about 12,5mm. That being said, the wheel would stick out just that much compared to regular one...I'm sure the wheel well can accomodate a bit over 1 cm without the tire sticking out, no?

[liionel]

love it. just realised the radar doesnt have the center line in the grille?

[chriscross]

On a second thought, that 1/2" width is even split in half (half protruding outward and half inward the wheel well). At the same time, the widest part of that wheel is the tire itself...and that stays 245 mm. Thoughts?

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by liionel

love it. just realised the radar doesnt have the center line in the grille?

Nope, it's the grille from China. I was very surprised with the quality and everything still works as it should. I installed it myself and saved around 800€ when everything was said and done.

[JAYtheVET]

Originally Posted by chriscross

On a second thought, that 1/2" width is even split in half (half protruding outward and half inward the wheel well). At the same time, the widest part of that wheel is the tire itself...and that stays 245 mm. Thoughts?

Still not a fan of the 21's. That's just my personal opinion though. We live in Europe -- not Houston, Texas..

If you can find a shop that will humor you. Put an 8.5x21 et 45 on the car when you get it and decide for yourself. Nobody has done it yet, as far as I know. In theory it should work.

For me, logically. When my 8x20" et45 sits flush with the wheel well and doesn't rub...well, that's it.

The funny thing here is, I'm awful at math...so I don't want to do the calculations -- I'm a robotics (mechanical) engineer.

If you make a 21" wheel work -- I applaud you.

[chriscross]

Update...I emailed the TÜV people here in Vienna and from what I understand, as long as the wheel has a certificate (no matter for which car model), they can take the "permissible wheel load" number from it and check if the wheels can withstand the front and rear axles' permissible load stated by the car manufacturer for your brand/model/engine.

Another thing they check is how the wheels sit on the car. That means you have to buy the wheels first (this is the part where you have to stay reasonable and stay close to OEM numbers), mount them and get the car to their garage. They check if it chafes anywhere or sticks out of the wheel well...they also say a simple plastic fender flare can be added to cover the width issue in case the wheel sticks out too much. I have those small flares on my X6M Competition 2024, they came with the car, so BMW must have them.

The TÜV inspection cost is 330 EUR and they issue a certificate that you can take to "Landefahrzeugprüfstelle Wien" (I know, it's a mouthful) where they add the wheels to your car registration paperwork, rendering them street legal.

[chriscross]

Here's the little plastic thingy that makes your European wide tire problem go away...this came on my new X6M LCI by default.

[JAYtheVET]

With that you should be good. As long as the TÜV Gutachter isn't a jerk. You shouldn't rub on the inside with the right tires mounted either. I checked mine with full turn and there's plenty of space on the inside of the wheel well.

[chriscross]

Thanks, Jason! That's good info.

By my calculations using available online tools the entire 21" setup should stick out 1 mm over the OEM standard. I might not even need the plastic fender bits. Fingers crossed!

There's still some time before the car is delivered, but once it is, I'll try to update everyone here if my 21" plan had worked.