This is the same car as in
this thread but now 4.5 months on, we have:
- better sunlight and weather for photos in Seattle, so a more representative set of Enzian Blue photos.
- the
963M summer wheel + tire set on. This and all the post-factory changes in between has started to make it feel enough like a different, more "complete" car to me and inspired splitting out a new thread.
- custom plates, finally! Washington state was backed up on custom plate production due to the pandemic and it took about 4 months to get mine.
- miscellaneous carbon fiber parts (beyond VPC installed parts), and PPF on everything (as in the older thread). The windshield also has Stek Dynoflex and I'm sure it's prevented a bunch of chips and cracks already. For comparison, my exactly 1-year old X5 has had 2 trips to Safelite to fill in large cracks (3 to 7 mm in diameter).
- front & rear 24x7 Blackvue dashcams, Valentine V1 Gen 2 blend-mounted, M Performance floor mats, carbon fiber seat back tops (Autotechnic), BMW carbon fiber slim-line license plate frame, Weathertech trunk mat with ///M logo 'overwrite'
To focus on the wheels, these are the lightest wheels that BMW makes shaving off a whole 3.5 kg of unsprung mass off the 826Ms according to
this page:
"How much does the lightest wheel weigh and which one of the range is actually the lightest?
Kristian: The lightest OEM wheels are the 963M weighing in 9,9 kg for the 19" (front) and 10,9 kg for the 20" rims (rear). So these 4 rims are approximately 3,5kg lighter compared to a 826M car set."
How much do they cost?
They are
listed on ShopBMWUSA with the Michelin PS4S tires (mounted and balanced) for $6,420 before tax. When I saw them listed on a local dealer's version of that site for $5,578 in the middle of winter, I just jumped on them, and they'd been in storage since.
How do they feel?
They feel great. I can't say I'm sensitive enough to notice 3.5 kg+ of reduced unsprung mass, but there is some intangible overall goodness in how the car handles with the wheels and tires together. A good part of it is from switching from winter to summer (sidewall is stiffer so there's less flex, and corresponding body sway/rebound, felt in cornering). The tires contribute somewhat to road noise though.
Avoid, consider or buy 963Ms with summer around the corner?
There are better ways to spend what they cost, but if you are going to have a separate wheel and tire set for summer/winter anyway, the additional cost for these (considering the cost of tires too in that equation) may not be that large. If you must have the best possible wheels for (incremental) performance, then absolutely, buy. They do look good too as the following photos will show. My personal perspective on these wheels for where I live is that they'd be great in summer but may be a bit too dark for overcast winter days, so my switch back to 825Ms for winter feel like a good balance.
More photos?
I post rarely to social media but I did want to provide dedicated content for fellow enthusiasts (dissociated from my personal profile):
https://www.instagram.com/enzianblue_g82/
Voodoo Blue, Mexico Blue, Enzian Blue, Santorini Blue?
Going an Individual blue in this tone, but can't tell them apart? Here are some other member-posted pics:
Voodoo |
Mexico |
Enzian |
Santorini
Still confused? Owners can barely tell the difference because these colors are so rare that you'll
just about never even run into a variant in your area to do a side-by-side comparison. Suitably specced, you'll end up with a 1 of 1 in the world. You can't go wrong with any of these blues, or indeed, with most of the unique colors in the
BMW Individual palette.
Also
snareman has real-life painted samples for sale if you want to see these in real life and various lighting conditions to make up your mind.