The CI-R is the widest-ranging wheel BBS makes, and it is the one we stock most deeply — over 500 fitments. That range is the whole point of the wheel, and it is also what makes it confusing to shop. This guide covers how the line is structured, what Face 1 and Face 2 actually mean, how the Unlimited programme works, and how to land on the right size.
What the CI-R is
The CI-R is a one-piece multi-spoke wheel. It sits in the middle of the BBS range — above the entry lines like the SR and SX, below the fully forged motorsport wheels like the Fi-R and RI-A.
That position is deliberate. The CI-R is for someone who wants BBS engineering and BBS finish quality on a car that gets driven, in a size and colour that actually suits it, without paying forged-wheel money. It is the sensible default in the range, which is exactly why it has more fitments than anything else we carry.
Face 1 and Face 2 — the thing to understand first
CI-R fitments are offered in two face profiles, and this is the detail that trips people up when comparing listings.
Face 1 covers the narrower, lower-offset end of the range — for example 20x8.5 ET52.5. Face 2 covers the wide, high-offset fitments — 21x11 ET72, 21x11.5 ET78, 21x12 ET84.5.
Those Face 2 offsets look extreme written down. They are not a mistake. On wide-bodied and mid-engined cars the hub sits far outboard relative to the arch, and a very high positive offset is what pulls the wheel back into the bodywork. If you are cross-shopping a 21x12 ET84.5 against a wheel with ET20, they are not comparable numbers — they are solving different geometry.
Get the face right and the offset follows. Get it wrong and nothing else in the spec will save the fitment.
BBS Unlimited — made-to-order colour
Unlimited is BBS's bespoke finish programme, and a large part of our CI-R range is built through it. Rather than picking from three or four stock finishes, you specify the wheel.
Finishes we stock through the Unlimited programme include:
- Satin Platinum
- Satin Black
- Gloss Diamond Black
- Satin Bronze
- Satin Gold
- Satin White-Gold
- Satin Indigo Blue
- Ceramic Polish
You can also specify the assembly bolts — black or silver kits are available separately, in sets of ten — which is the kind of detail that either matters to you enormously or not at all.
The trade-off is time. Unlimited wheels are made to order rather than pulled from stock, so plan around that if you have a date to hit. Ask us for the current lead time when you enquire — it moves.
Choosing an offset — the three mistakes we see most
Copying a setup from a different chassis. A fitment that works on an E92 will not necessarily work on an F82. Brake packages differ, arch geometry differs, and a spec screenshotted from a forum thread is not a fitment check.
Ignoring ride height. Offset and ride height interact. A wheel that clears at stock height can foul on coilovers at the same offset, because the tyre moves through the arch differently.
Forgetting the tyre. The wheel spec is only half the equation. A 265 and a 285 on the same rim sit differently against the arch lip. We confirm both together, not just the wheel.
CI-R vs CH-R vs XR — which one you actually want
- CI-R — widest size range, Unlimited colour options, one-piece. The default choice, and the right one for most builds.
- CH-R — forged monoblock with clinch-rim construction and a concave face. Lighter and stronger; fewer sizes; higher price.
- XR — lightweight one-piece at a lower price point, in classic finishes. The value option if the CI-R's size range is more than you need.
If you want a rim protector, look at the CC-R instead. BMW owners should start from the BBS wheels for BMW page, which filters the whole range to 5x120.
PFS rings and clips — what ships with your wheels
Most CI-R fitments require a PFS ring and retaining clip, sized to the wheel — usually 82mm, occasionally 70mm on smaller fitments. This is not an optional accessory: it locates the wheel correctly on the hub.
We supply the right hardware with every set and confirm the size against your car before shipping, which removes the single most common post-delivery problem on BBS wheels.
Get the fitment confirmed
With 500-plus fitments in this line, the fastest route is to tell us the car rather than work through the filters. Send your year, make, model, ride height and current tyre size and we will come back with the correct CI-R specification — including whether Face 1 or Face 2 applies.
Miami pickup with professional mounting, road-force balancing and TPMS transfer, or insured nationwide shipping. Call (305) 847-9935 or email [email protected].
Browse the full BBS CI-R collection.