BMW E30 wheel reference — every factory wheel, verified

Fitment basics

Every standard E30 — 316 through 325iX, all four body styles — uses a 4x100 bolt pattern with a 57.1mm centre bore. The E30 M3 is the exception: it runs the big-bore five-lug hub, 5x120 with a nominal 72.6mm bore, and its wheels do not interchange with a standard E30 in either direction. Factory offsets are high and positive: ET35 on most 14-inch wheels, ET24–ET30 on the 15-inch wheels, and ET41–ET47 on the all-wheel-drive 325iX, which uses its own dedicated high-offset wheels throughout.

Steel wheels

Base cars left the factory on steel wheels with hubcaps or full wheel covers. Three factory steels exist. The 5Jx14 ET35 (part no. 36 11 1 125 684, later superseded by 36 11 1 125 686) served the four-cylinder base models from August 1982. The 5.5Jx14 ET35 is the standard steel across almost the whole range — silver as 36 11 1 125 686, and in black from September 1985 as 36 11 1 178 826, a number BMW kept in supply for decades as the classic winter-wheel fitment. The 325iX got its own steel: a black 6Jx14 at ET47 (36 11 1 701 137), the iX-specific high offset. Factory tyre on the standard steels was 175/70 R14. The manufacturer of the E30 steel wheels (Lemmerz vs Kronprinz) could not be verified.

Michelin TRX metric alloys (1982–1985)

The earliest E30 alloy option was the Michelin TRX metric wheel — a 365mm-diameter rim (roughly 14.4 inches) that only accepts metric TRX tyres, originally 200/60 HR 365. The launch-era part number was 36 11 1 128 262, replaced from November 1984 by 36 11 1 178 802, both 150 TD x 365 at ET35 for the 320i and 323i. The 325iX again got its own version at ET47: 36 11 1 128 944, which BMW kept in service supply until 2003. TRX tyres are still made in small runs, but the odd diameter is why so many TRX cars wear later wheels today — original sets in good condition are a genuine period-correct rarity.

The bottlecap — 6Jx14 ET35

The 14-inch alloy most associated with the everyday E30 is the flat-faced disc wheel enthusiasts call the bottlecap (German: Gullideckel). The catalogue shows a brief launch predecessor, 36 11 1 127 064, listed for only a few weeks in 1982 before the definitive 36 11 1 125 688 took over. It is a 6Jx14 ET35, wore 195/65 R14 tyres, and was made by Lemmerz — original wheels carry the Lemmerz stamp. It was fitted across the non-iS, non-iX, non-M3 range through roughly 1991 and was standard on US 325e and 325i cars of the era. A note on a widely repeated error: several publications quote the bottlecap at ET33. The parts catalogue and every documented original wheel say ET35.

One more myth worth killing: no separate pre-facelift "turbine" or fan-style 14-inch alloy exists in the BMW catalogue. Before the facelift there were exactly two E30 alloys — the bottlecap and the TRX metric wheel.

The BBS cross-spoke family — basketweaves and Euroweaves

The cross-spoke wheels BBS built for BMW are the defining E30 alloys. The 14-inch basketweave, 6.5Jx14 ET30 (36 11 2 225 540, from March 1986, KBA 41017), was standard on the sporting variants — US 325is and 318is, the 320is, and European sport models — on 195/65 R14 tyres. From March 1990 the same wheel appeared in granite silver (granitsilber) for the Design and Edition special models, under part numbers 36 11 1 179 408 and 36 11 1 180 992.

The 15-inch version is the wheel UK owners call the Euroweave: 7Jx15 ET24, part no. 36 11 1 179 066, standard on the UK 325i Sport and optional elsewhere, on 205/55 R15 tyres. Original wheels carry cast-in KBA approval numbers 41016, 41296 or 41363 depending on production run. From June 1990 BMW offered the same wheel in Nogaro silver as 36 11 2 226 898, associated with the late M-Technic and Sport Edition cars.

The 325iX again used dedicated high-offset versions of both: a 6.5Jx14 at ET45 (36 11 1 179 312, plus granite-silver 36 11 1 180 993 for iX Edition cars) and a 7Jx15 at ET41 (36 11 1 179 140, KBA 41489).

Styling 10 — the late facelift option

From August 1990 a second 15-inch design joined the options list: the wheel catalogued today as BMW Styling 10, part no. 36 11 1 181 240, a 7Jx15 ET24 with KBA approval 41974, again on 205/55 R15. It was offered across the facelift range to the end of production. Its manufacturer is Unknown — no verifiable source documents who cast it.

E30 M3 wheels — and the ET24 myth

The standard M3 wheel, fitted to the M3 sedan and M3 Convertible from 1986, is a BBS cross-spoke 7Jx15 in 5x120 — part no. 36 11 2 225 375, KBA 41119, factory tyre 205/55 VR15. Its offset is ET30. This deserves emphasis because much of the internet, including well-known US references, lists the M3 15-inch wheel as ET24 — that figure belongs to the 4x100 Euroweave, a completely different wheel. Every documented original M3 wheel, the German restorer records and the parts catalogue agree: ET30.

The M3 Evolution II (500 cars, 1988) introduced the 7.5Jx16 ET27 in silver, part no. 36 11 2 225 621, on 225/45 ZR16 tyres — BMW later used this number as the service replacement for the 15-inch wheel too. The M3 Sport Evolution (600 cars, built December 1989 to March 1990) wore the same 7.5Jx16 ET27 with Nogaro-silver centres and a polished-effect outer rim as 36 11 2 226 804, with its own Nogaro hub cap (36 13 2 226 806).

The Cecotto Edition (480 cars) and UK-only Ravaglia Edition (25 cars) of 1989 wore 7.5x16 cross-spokes with metallic-black painted centres — the distinguishing feature versus the silver Evo II wheels. A separate part number for the edition wheels could not be verified, and their exact offset is presumed ET27 but not independently confirmed; both are marked Unknown here rather than guessed.

Alpina 20-spoke — the open-lug classic

The E30-based Alpinas — C1 2.3, C2 2.5 and 2.7, B3 2.7, B6 2.8, 3.5 and 3.5S (1983–1990) — wore Alpina's own 20-spoke 16-inch wheel, the design enthusiasts call the open-lug. These carry Alpina article numbers, not BMW 36-11 numbers, and were manufactured for Alpina by Ronal — confirmed by Alpina itself when it reissued the wheel through Alpina Classic (front 7Jx16 ET28, rear 8Jx16, sold as a staggered set). Factory tyres were 205/50 R16 front and 225/45 R16 rear, with the 8J rear requiring arch rework per Alpina. Original-production part numbers, weights and the original rear offset are Unknown — only the modern reissue is fully documented. Note the B6 3.5S is M3-based and therefore 5x120; its exact wheel specification is not two-source verified.

Master reference table

Every verified factory E30 wheel in one place. All wheels are 4x100 with a 57.1mm bore except the M3 wheels (5x120, 72.6mm). Values that could not be verified from BMW catalogue data plus an independent source are marked Unknown.

Buying original E30 wheels

Because these wheels are 30 to 40 years old, condition decides everything. Check the stamped size and offset cast into the back of the spokes or barrel, confirm the cast-in KBA number where one applies, and look hard for kerb rash, bends and past straightening work. On cross-spoke wheels inspect the area around the lug holes for cracks. Genuine wheels carry BMW part numbers and maker stamps (Lemmerz on bottlecaps, BBS on the weaves) — reproductions usually don't. Every set we sell is photographed exactly as it is, stamps and flaws included.