18x8.5" ET35 Satin Black APEX FL-5 BMW Wheel

Fit Matters
The right solution for every application

These wheels were developed for various BMW chassis’s and will work in either square or staggered configurations.

Lip Sizes
One design, many levels of beauty

Available with shallow, medium, and deep lip sizes.

This maximizes spoke concavity and reduces weight on the FL-5 design. Lip depth is dependent on fitment, and not selected independently.

"I" Beam Spokes
More than just a pretty face

The spokes of the FL-5 were designed to be robust where they need to be, and extra lightweight where they should be. Weight is reduced by CNC machining material out from the sides of each spoke. It’s expensive and avoided by almost every manufacturer, but affordable with volume. In each size of our FL-5 designs, the I-beam spokes are carefully evaluated from structural aspects to ensure minimal weight, brake clearance, and remarkable strength.

Dual Flow Formed

We use rotary forging for both the front and rear barrels on our FL-5 wheel designs. This produces the strongest lips possible, and we can optimize the depth of the front lip for every unique width and offset.

Beefier Lip
Ready for more abuse

By saving weight elsewhere, we’ve added extra material where it counts. We’re beefing up the barrel’s inner lip on the FL-5 to better handle the repetitive abuse seen on the track.

Hub Centric
No rings or adapters here

All APEX FL-5 wheels are purpose built for select vehicle applications, and centering rings are never required for any BMW application. All 5x120mm bolt pattern wheels feature a direct-fit, 72.56mm center bore.

Brake Clearance
A lot of room in a tight space

Spoke clearance is only half the problem. The barrel construction on a wheel also needs to be big enough to clear the sides of your caliper and rotor. Many aftermarket wheels that have aesthetic compromises in their design may work with smaller stock brakes, or smaller diameter big brake kits, but the larger kits will pose a major problem. The barrel of the FL-5 wheel offers unmatched caliper clearance because wheels shouldn’t limit your choice of aftermarket brake kits, and brake kits shouldn’t force you to run oversized wheels. We 2D modeled most Big Brake Kits available in Solidworks and tweaked the wheel design of the FL-5 prior to production in order to fit as many kits as possible.

Wheel Hardware
Original or Aftermarket, it all works

The FL-5 wheel can be used with all OEM and aftermarket mounting hardware with a 60° tapered seat. Lug bolts, wheel locks, and stud conversion kits all work perfectly. The FL-5 wheel also accepts wheel spacers without issue. The shallow rear chamfer allows the wheel to remain hub centric even when 5mm flat spacers are used. The chamfer is deep enough to clear the chamfered lip found on some aftermarket spacers that would typically cause improper seating of the wheel and, therefore, wheel vibration.

Center Cap
A factory fit and finish

We don't reuse one cap design for all our wheels. Every APEX wheel is designed to work with factory center caps. You can easily replace APEX center caps with OEM roundels for a clean factory look. APEX wheels will come with our redesigned, Gloss Black center cap that mimics the size and shape of a BMW factory center cap.

TPMS
They all fit

TPMS sensors, which monitor tire pressure, are one piece of technology that can't be compromised. The attention to OEM compatibility on the FL-5 wheel doesn't end with center caps. All APEX wheels accept OEM and aftermarket equivalent TPMS sensors, and any standard sized metal or rubber valve stem.

THE APEX STANDARD

Flow Forming
Benefits of forging, without the pain

These APEX wheels are produced using a manufacturing process known as flow forming. This process significantly reduces weight in the barrel, which has the greatest impact on rotational mass. During the manufacturing process, rollers apply high pressure to the inner barrel, compressing the aluminum into its final shape. This effectively eliminates porosity and aligns the grain structure of the metal, which increases tensile strength. The end result is a lightweight and extremely strong barrel that equals that of a traditional forged wheel at a fraction of the cost.

Testing & Certifications
Verifiable 3rd party testing

Many companies promote their wheels as being certified by the VIA when they actually aren’t. That’s like using the USDA logo on food without permission. APEX wheels get officially tested and registered by the VIA in Japan, and we have the proof to back it up. Learn more about false VIA claims.

Japan’s JWL is a commonly followed standard for wheel load ratings. Our flow formed wheels meet, and most exceed, their load rating requirements. Most manufacturers only meet the minimum while some don’t even do that. Check and verify load ratings before you buy. Learn more about wheels that aren’t JWL.

Weight & Strength Optimization
It’s all in the details

We took more time than ever before on this step, revising and iterating our design to reduce weight as much as possible. After many months of BMW-specific optimizations, we minimized weight while maximizing strength. The result is a lightweight wheel with extra strength in all the right places. Use the FL-5 with confidence on both street and track.

Finishes
Because being faster is just not enough

The FL-5 wheels are available in multiple finishes. All APEX wheels are finished using a comprehensive multi-stage liquid paint system over a powder coated base coat. Standard finishes include gloss-metallic finishes, and semi-gloss or matte finishes.

Often overlooked, painted or powder coated lug hole seats can cause hardware to loosen or begin the spread of paint chipping to more visible sections. The coating process of the wheels leaves lug holes, center bores and mounting pads untouched, which ensures proper fit and torque values.

Lifetime Warranty
A wheel you can depend on

As of recent, all our wheels now come with a lifetime structural warranty and 1 year finish warranty, so you can be confident in your purchase. See here for full terms and conditions.