The 128i Finds Its Footing with Apex Wheels and Falken RT660+ Tires

New Shoes for the 128i – Apex ARC-8s and RT660+ Tires Installed

If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been slowly but surely transforming my 128i into a more track-capable machine—without totally giving up its street manners. Well, the latest upgrade might just be the most visually satisfying one yet: a fresh set of 17x8.5" Apex ARC-8 wheels wrapped in sticky 235/40R17 Falken RT660+ tires.

I’ll just say it: this setup looks fantastic. It's easily the best aesthetic improvement I’ve made to the car. There's just something about meaty tires on functional wheels that screams purpose without trying too hard. BMW center caps are on the way to complete the look, because yes—as much as I hate to admit it, I’m apparently that guy.

Weight Savings? Yes, Please.

Out of curiosity (and because I’m a sucker for data), I broke out the trusty bathroom scale. Here’s the breakdown:

• Stock front (17x7, 205s): 44.8 lbs

• Stock rear (17x7.5, 225s): 46.2 lbs

• Total (staggered): 182 lbs

Compare that to the new setup:

• Apex ARC-8 + 235 RT660+ (all four): 41.8 lbs each

• Total (square): 167.2 lbs

That’s a 14.8 lb reduction in rotating mass—a noticeable difference if you're the type of person who can feel a half-degree of steering angle or a tenth of a second in a slalom. Which, that's not quite me, but hey, reducing unsprung mass helps me sleep at night.

The Setup: Square and Sticky

I went with this combo because Apex claims it's the largest setup you can run without needing any modifications. And for most people, that’s probably true. In my case, though, I ran into a little hiccup: I noticed some rubbing at the right rear—not the kind of noise you want to hear after installing fresh rubber.

A closer look revealed that the right rear fender sits slightly more inboard than the left. I’ve owned the car for two years and never noticed it until now, but I suspect it’s the result of a prior accident on that corner that I've covered in a previous blog post. It’s subtle—just a few millimeters—but with this wheel and tire combo, it was enough to cause interference.

So out came the fender roller, the heat gun, and the temperature gun, and I got to work. A little bit of time, patience, and elbow grease, and the clearance issue was resolved. Add that to the ever-growing list of things I’ve had to undo or fix from the previous owner...

Rotation, Finally

The new square setup has transformed how this car drives. It rotates! Gone is the front-end push of the stock staggered setup. I took it out for a little “testing” in an empty parking lot, and wow—this thing is a riot now. Grip for days, sharper turn-in, and way more balance. It's like a whole new car.

Accidental Class Build?

While poking around online, I realized I’d basically stumbled into building the car to the limit of a local BMW CCA autocross class. Totally unintentional—but oddly satisfying. I’ll be trying to make it out to as many of their events as I can this season. I mean, what's the point of having fresh new sticky rubber if you don't really test it out, right?