[Below Speed Limit]

After reading pretty much every single thread in this and other forums, I wanted to bring all information I gathered together into this thread so future buyers (or anyone else) can benefit from it.

- Competition wheels (601M) are cast whereas regular wheels (343M) are BBS forged. We don't know which company makes the 601M wheels, but it is not BBS.
- 601Ms are 5.5 lbs heavier in each wheel adding 22 pounds to the weight of the car.
- There were people whose 601M wheels had minor cracks in them after a few hundred miles of usage.
- 601M wheels are 0.5 inches wider all around, thus can support wider tires (305 and 275).
- 343Ms are stronger, lighter, thus will crack and go out of balance a lot harder whereas 601Ms are softer and heavier and are more prone to damage and balancing issues.
- 601Ms cost $800 from BMW whereas 343Ms $cost 1200.
- 601Ms look pretty bad from pictures, but upclose they look pretty great (no worse or better than 343Ms).

That being said, it makes me wonder what BMW was thinking putting these wheels into the competition package. They are inferior in every single aspect. They are not as strong, they are cheaper, and heavier all around. Who in their right mind from the ///M team would put these wheels in a "competition package" that cost $7,300 is beyond me.

After knowing this (as many members may not have known all of this prior to ordering their cars), anyone still choosing the competition wheel would most likely do so just to set their car apart from others and to show that they have competition package in their car.