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Re: E30 M3 wheel fitment

5, 6 and 7 series wheels will bolt onto an E30 M3 (same bolt pattern
and center hole).  Some look better than others and the offset may be
slightly different between wheels.  I know that 390mm OEM wheels will
bolt on but the TRX tires are to tall.  The 15" 'bottle opener' wheels
from the '90 or so 7 series also bolt on.  Again, the tires are to tall
and a lower profile is nneded.  Having just put 16" wheels on my M3
I'll tell you what I learned.

5, 6 and 7 series wheels will work but the tire needs to be lower profile to
look right and to gaurantee no rubbing.  Try to stick with tires as close to
stock diameter as possible.

M3 wheels have the following requirements:

5 x 120mm bolt pattern - 5, 6 and 7 series meet this
72.5 mm center hub - 5, 6 and 7 series meet this.  It is important that
        the wheel is hub-centric (like 72.55mm center bore) so the wheel
        isn't supported by the lug nuts.
Offset is critical.  For a 16" x 7.5" wheel the offset should be
between 15 and 30 mm.  30mm makes a 225/45-16 tire sit within 4mm of
the shock. 15 mm puts the outside of the tire even with the fender
lip.  A friend as Borbet 16 x 7.5 type C's with a 15mm offset and a
lot more junk is thrown on the car.  I have TSW Hockenheim's w/ a
30mm and the car stays clean, but doesn't have as wide a stance. 20mm
is probably about perfect.  As a point of reference, the Evolution M3
had a 16" BBS wheel option and it had a 28mm offset.  That's why I
went with 30mm.  We are both running Yoko AVS Intermediates
225/45-16.  I have no rub, he has a little at full lock. If you went
with an 8" wide wheel you probably couldn't go over a 24mm offset.

To make 16" or 17" wheels work you are supposed to have offset control
arm bushings.  Later M3's came with them and aluminum control arms.
Earlier cars had steel control arms and a centered control arm bushing.
Mine is a 12/87 DOM and had offset bushings and steel control arms, a
transition car!  To tell if you have offset bushings, jack up either
side of the car, put a jack stand in place, and look at the rear most
piece of the control arm where it bolts to the frame.  If the piece of
rubber it passes through has the hole in the middle, you have the old
bushings.  If the hole is obviously not centered than you have the
correct bushings.  These change the caster of the front suspension
enough to allow fatter tires.

I have no experience with 17" wheels on M3's but have seen them at
O'fest and in various car rags.  I have heard that 15" is the ideal
wheel for the track for this car (with stock suspension / engine).  I
have my Comp T/A R1's on the factory wheels and keep the 16" set on the
street.

Hope this helped.

matt