2001-2003 BMW M5 Wheels & Rims

E39 BMW M5 Wheel Guide

The E39 is the M5 many owners consider the best of the line: a naturally aspirated V8, a manual gearbox, and rear wheel drive. In the US it was sold for the 2000 through 2003 model years, and every one of those cars shares the same wheel specs. If you have a 2000 M5, everything on this page applies to your car too. Below is what the factory fitted, what changes when you go aftermarket, and the one hub detail that catches E39 owners out.

Factory E39 M5 Wheel and Tire Sizes

BMW offered the E39 M5 with one wheel: the Style 65, an 18 inch staggered set in shadow chrome.

• Front: 18x8, ET20, 245/40ZR18 tire
• Rear: 18x9.5, ET22, 275/35ZR18 tire
• Bolt Pattern: 5x120
• Hub Bore: 74.1mm
• Hardware: M12x1.5 lug bolts

The 74.1mm Hub Bore

This is the detail that matters most. Almost every other 5x120 BMW uses a 72.56mm hub bore, including the E60 and F10 M5 that came after it. The E39 M5 hub is larger at 74.1mm. A wheel bored to 72.56mm will not slide over an E39 M5 hub, so wheels pulled from a later M5 or an M3 will not mount without being machined. Aftermarket wheels with a larger bore fit fine with a 74.1mm hub centric ring, which keeps the wheel centered on the hub instead of on the lug bolts. If you are not sure a wheel will fit, our team can confirm it before you order.

Aftermarket Sizes That Fit

From our measurements and order history, the E39 M5 takes 18 to 20 inch wheels, 8 to 9 inches wide up front and 9 to 10 inches wide in the rear. Most owners stay staggered like the factory set, since the car is rear wheel drive and a wider rear wheel fills the arch. A 19 inch set is the most common step up. It keeps enough sidewall for the ride to stay comfortable on a car that is now more than twenty years old. A 20 inch set gives the boldest look but leaves less sidewall to protect the rim from potholes and curbs. Offset varies by wheel, and each listing on this page shows its own.

Lug Bolts

The E39 uses lug bolts, not studs and nuts. The factory bolts have a ball seat to match the factory wheels. Many aftermarket wheels use a conical seat instead, and running the wrong seat lets the wheel work loose. When you change wheels, confirm the seat type and use bolts that match the new wheel.

What Fits From Other BMWs

The bolt pattern matches the E60 and F10 M5, the E36 through F80 M3, and the rest of the 5x120 family. The hub bore does not, so wheels from those cars need a larger bore before they will mount. Wheels from the F90 (5x112) and the G90/G99 (5x132) M5 will not bolt on at all. Compare every generation on our main BMW M5 wheels page, or see real cars in the BMW M5 wheel gallery.

E39 M5 Wheel FAQ