BMW M now offering center lock wheels for M2, M3, M4

Center-locking wheels were originally developed for racing as they make for faster tire changes during a pitstop. Just take a look at how fast an F1 pitstop happens compared to early 2000s NASCAR and you'll see its difference.

However, over the years center lock wheels have since been adapted for use in road cars, particularly with Porsche and its 911 GT-series cars. Now, it's BMW's turn to offer such wheels for the M2, M3, and M4 in its M Performance Parts catalog.

The wheel itself is not a completely new one either. It used to be a bespoke wheel made for the BMW 3.0 CSL, but now even those who were not able to have the incredibly rare Bimmer can have the center lock wheel, albeit in a different color.

The BMW 3.0 CSL has its wheels painted in matte gold, but the one on the BMW M Performance Parts catalog only comes in matte black. Furthermore, the wheels are only offered in one staggered size setup: 19-inch in front, and 20-inch at the back.

BMW owners have to take note though that while center lock wheels are easier to mount, it's another thing when it comes to torqueing them to specs. Typical lug bolts require torque specs of around 85-90 ft-lbs, but the BMW center lock wheel requires a whopping 686 ft-lbs of torque to be fully tightened. Yes, the typical torque wrench you use for your usual track days won't suffice; you'll need something much bigger.

So what performance gain do you get for having center lock wheels? You'll probably shed a bit of rotational mass that only those with the most sensitive butts can feel. But of course, you get a lot more street cred by rocking these bad boys on your next car meet.