• For over 50 years, BBS has been the undisputed leader in high-performance wheel engineering and manufacturing.
• BBS has more than 250 series championships to its name, supplying top-tier motorsport efforts, like Formula 1, WRC, NASCAR, and more with trusted equipment.
• The FI-R Evo is the latest addition to BBS’s road wheel program, building upon the FI family’s legacy and helping move the wheel industry forward.
• Shown here on a British Racing Green G80 M3C, the BBS flagship wheel is striking, especially in the new Citrine Gold finish.

It was 1983. You’d just turned the key on your brand new Guards Red 930 Turbo, cranked “Separate Ways” by Journey on the tape deck, thrown on a resurgent pair of Wayfarers, and one other essential accessory: a set of BBS RS wheels.

The mesh-style wheel was arguably as iconic as the cars it was often fitted to, helping define BBS as a premium wheel brand for the next few decades. In 2024, these BBS RS wheels are only available as second-hand refurbs, but still command two to three times the premium as new. Indeed, even today, a special type of panache is associated with wheels born from the BBS Motorsport program: the E50, E87, E88, and so on. They are badges of honor as much as they are engineering marvels of their era, and have become essential parts of any true gearhead’s wheel collection. That’s a big reason why a set of E88s ended up on our E91 GTS Tribute project built by Precision Sport Industries (PSI).

But outside of the brand’s coveted “E” lineup, there’s a new family of wheels born from the minds of BBS Motorsport that have already amassed incredible enthusiast fanfare: the FI.

NEW FLAGSHIP

The BBS Motorsport department knew that three-piece wheels would always have their place in racing. It’s a cost-saving measure that allows teams to use the same forged aluminum face with different inner and outer barrels for optimal sizing and servicing. Cracked barrels or curbed lips could be easily replaced rather than having to bin the wheel altogether. For all intents and purposes, the BBS Motorsport department would have its hands busy making and servicing these wheels until the end of time. It didn’t need a new challenge.

Still, just like Michelin engineered an all-new compound to meet the unique demands of the Porsche Carrera GT—the Pilot Sport Cup 2—BBS Motorsport was keen to take the next step. In 2007, that evolution began with a wheel that BBS called the “FI.” That wheel spent two years in development, officially launching in the US in 2009. The BBS FI was debuted in 19” and 20” diameters, but a very small batch was also available in an 18” version. It caused an immense stir in the industry, not only because it was a gorgeous design unlike anything the wheel market had seen, but also because of its scale-defying weight. The widest 18” variant weighed 17lbs, while the portliest 20” FI (22.5lbs) shaved more than 10lbs from the nearest factory wheel equivalent. Looking at the wheel up close, you can start to see where BBS Motorsport was able to shave weight; the scalloped spokes were the most obvious giveaway that would later inspire countless wheel manufacturers to follow. Indeed, the FI became a wheel that was “well admired” by the industry, spawning several copies that offered portions of the FI aesthetic, but lacked the motorsport engineering behind it.

TRY TO KEEP UP

In the time it took the industry to catch up to the FI, the BBS Motorsport department had already been busy working on the next two iterations of this split-five-spoke family: the RI-D and the FI-R. The RI-D is produced by BBS Japan using a special 7000 series alloy called “Duralumin” that helps make this wheel as light and strong as possible. It sets itself apart with its special Dura center cap, honoring that it was the world’s first extra-super duralumin wheel ever made in 2011. Despite the design being over a decade old today, a 20×11.5 RI-D is lighter than other “lightweight” modern rivals at only 20.3 lbs. It’s shown here on our refreshed Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute in BBS Diamond Gold.

Two years on from the RI-D, we met the FI-R. The die-forged FI-R started from the same 6000 series aluminum as the FI, but benefitted from additional engineering breakthroughs that allowed BBS Motorsport engineers to remove additional material (“relief holes”) from each spoke without sacrificing the wheel’s integrity. The result easily set a new standard; a 20×10.5” FI-R weighed an almost impossible 18.5lbs.

The FI-R was developed as a technical response to copycats in the market, and both wheels left the wheel industry scratching their heads. Once again, it’d take many years for even well-established wheel companies to figure out how BBS was able to accomplish this.

THROUGH MOTORSPORT

The biggest difference between “everyone else” and BBS is its motorsport tie. While the industry would eventually “catch up” and be able to visually mimic BBS’s cues, it’s infinitely harder to copy the engineering that went into it. ”Technology through Motorsports” is much more than just a tagline—its most coveted designs, technologies, and innovations are directly linked to BBS’s motorsport achievements.

After the FI-R, BBS concentrated its effort on producing different variations of the FI family: the CI-R (pictured above), RI-A, and RI-S. Each of these wheels wouldn’t reset any records, but the variants helped suit a wide variety of tastes and price points. The exercise worked. More enthusiasts were able to experience the fruits of BBS’s engineering first-hand without having to settle for one of its competitors.

The introduction of these supplementary wheels was an important step for BBS. The wheel company was making a point: it wasn’t always just about lightness. Was it possible to engineer a lighter wheel? Of course. But BBS maintained that the key to a truly well-engineered performance wheel is a proper “stiffness-to-weight” ratio.

“The balance of “stiffness to weight” is very important. The OE wheels on modern performance vehicles are designed to meet the performance requirements of that vehicle. The stiffness and durability specifications from the OE manufacturers are very important factors so the finished product meets the intended performance capabilities of the vehicle.” – BBS Motorsport

In essence, performance, lightweight design, and engineering are all crucially tethered together; sacrificing one for another is a flawed approach that could have very dire consequences. An important lesson to learn.

Still, the hardcore enthusiasts were left wondering whether BBS Motorsport would have any other tricks up its sleeves. Was the FI-R the “maximum” for this family of wheels?

NEXT EVOLUTION

That answer was a defiant “no”. A couple of months ago, the FI-R Evo was born and took the relief holes exercise to its engineering limit. The new wheel wasn’t the only thing. Its launch coincided with one of BBS’s newest finishes: a striking color it calls Citrine Gold.

I think Citrine Gold is one of my favorite new finishes from the brand. This lighter gold hue doesn’t have the visual dynamism of BBS’s diamond finishes—it won’t change color depending on the light source—but trust me, that doesn’t take anything away from how beautiful this color appears in person. Somehow, the matte finish makes it feel every bit upscale as its price tag suggests, and it helps bring out all of the FI-R Evo’s updated details. Compared to the “standard” FI-R, everything seems sharper and more polished on the Evo. The amount of “relief holes” haven’t dramatically increased—there’s one extra oblong hole near the end of each spoke—but BBS admits that the Evo may be the furthest this wheel could mature with the 6000 series aluminum (at least with the technology we currently possess).

GOLD AND GREEN

We couldn’t have asked for a better “test subject” for the FI-R Evo: a BMW Individual British Racing Green G80 M3 Competition. Admittedly, it already had a wheel upgrade—a set of square 827M wheels from the CS—so we were curious how the FI-R Evos would stack up.

The answer is undeniably better. The FI-R Evo’s sharpness perfectly matches the G8X’s bold and angular body lines. The Citrine Gold finish isn’t too dissimilar to the 827M, but the G8X takes on a much sportier vibe with these fitted. Will the design win you favor on the forums or at your local cars and coffee? No, but the attention-hungry crowd rocking Batman GMTs and Yeezys won’t understand the FI-R Evo. Impressing the masses has never been what the FI lineage has ever been about; it’s a motorsport engineering exercise, not a statement piece. The FI-R Evo is the Vacheron, the tailored suit in the wheel market today—it will be a respected, timeless staple that doesn’t feel pressured to break the internet.

A PROUD DYNASTY

BBS’s commitment to crafting high-performance wheels for the most critical enthusiasts is written all over the FI-R Evo, like it was for the original RS. Since the original FI in 2007, this family of wheels has begun to write its own legacy within the larger context of BBS’s storied history, a brilliant reflection of its unmatched motorsport engineering and achievement.

It was a rare occasion to get these three examples—the 18” FI, 19” RI-D, and 20” FI-R Evo—together to help celebrate the arrival of the latest wheel. It would’ve only been sweetened by an F80 M3 with FI-Rs. There may not be an iconic 2024 equivalent soundtrack or fashion accessory like there was in 1983, but I believe the FI-R Evo holds enough weight to stand alone as one of the industry’s crowning achievements of all time.

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