There’s exciting news on the E46 M3 front this month. I purchased a beautiful set of Dinan Champion wheels from a fellow member of the NAM3 forum. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a while but had never seen a set as perfect as this before.
I’d come close in 2024 to buying a set from fellow NCC member Doug, who sold me his Vorsteiner rear diffuser. He had a beautiful set and offered a fair price, but the wheel offsets were for a standard BMW E46, not the M3. I didn’t want to be forced to use spacers to make the wheels fit.
Here’s full background on the wheels from Google AI search:
Dinan Champion wheels for the E46 BMW M3 are a rare, discontinued, lightweight forged wheel made by Champion in Japan. They were offered as part of Dinan’s performance packages and are highly regarded in the E46 M3 community. Key Features and Specifications:
Dinan Champion wheels are recognized for their high strength and low weight, often cited as some of the lightest available for the E46 M3, weighing in at around 20 lbs per wheel. They were produced in two main staggered fitments for the E46 M3, designed to accommodate wider tires for enhanced grip and improved handling.
- Construction: Forged process by Champion in Japan, providing a high strength-to-weight ratio.
- Aesthetics: Feature a silver-painted face with polished lips and Dinan-branded center caps.
- Performance: Designed as a direct fit for the E46 M3 without the need for spacers, optimizing fitment for the chassis.
| Specification | Standard Version | Wider Version (Rarer M3 Spec) |
|---|---|---|
| Front Wheel Size | 19″ x 9″ | 19″ x 9.5″ |
| Rear Wheel Size | 19″ x 9.5″ | 19″ x 10″ |
| Front Offset | +48mm | +45mm |
| Rear Offset | +45mm | +35mm |
Dinan Champion wheels are no longer in production and are difficult to find brand new. They primarily circulate in the used market through online classifieds on enthusiast forums such as NA M3 Forums and Bimmerpost, or auction sites like eBay and Bring a Trailer.
Due to multiple fitments for different BMW chassis (e.g., E39, E60 M5), it is crucial to verify the specific size and offset to ensure correct fitment for the E46 M3. Availability is scarce, and pricing varies significantly by condition (e.g., curb rash, chipping of clear coat on lips). Potential buyers should carefully check the condition, as minor cosmetic defects are common on used sets. The polished lips can be refinished by most wheel repair shops.[\AI]
Former owner Clarence had refinished the wheels and was straightforward to deal with on the transaction. The fact that he was a forum member reassured me on a much larger than usual Internet transaction. He did a fantastic job packing the wheels for a cross-country trip to their new home.
I’ll be spending an inordinate amount of time considering what size tires to put on my new wheels. My car already has 19-inch wheels as part of the ZCP Competition package. But the Dinan wheels are wider than my current ones, especially in the front (8″ vs. 9.5″). I’ve found differing information on what size tires are best for these wheels.
An old Dinan catalog containing all the possible upgrades for the E46 M3 puts the sizing as 265/30 in front and 275/30 in the rear, which would reduce the inherent understeer from staggered wheel sizes. (My tires are currently 235/35 and 265/30, the standard +1 sizing.) A detailed magazine article on the Dinan S3, the full modifications package including a supercharger, said the sizes are 275/30 fronts and 285/30 rears. I could go 245/35 and 275/30, the standard +2 sizes for the E46 M3 19-inch wheels, but a 245 tire on a 9.5 inch is quite stretched.
Not every combination of tire sizes will work. You need to keep the front and rear tire circumferences within 1 inch of each other, or you’ll have speedometer and stability control issues. I don’t want anything too extreme, but I also don’t want to not get the tire sizes the wheels were designed to accommodate.
Of course, then there is the brand to buy. Michelin Pilot Sports are often the default choice of enthusiasts, but they come at a premium. And a recent Tire Rack test suggests there are less expensive tires as good or better.
Since these will be summer tires I have plenty of time. I could sell my current ZCP wheels and take a big chunk out of the purchase price, but I haven’t decided yet. Plenty of decisions still need to be made to get these on my car, and they will fuel another post this spring. If the massive snowstorm is heading your way, be careful. And if you own one of these modern classics, don’t drive it in the snow!