The new BMW 3 Series is bringing to market a series of new features for the BMW family – from the Intelligent Personal Assistant to the lift-related dampers and iDrive 7.0, and many more, making the G20 3 Series one of the most advanced BMWs ever built.
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Yet, there is one feature that not many may have noticed – Self-righting (centered) wheel center caps. Even though it’s not a first for the BMW Group – Rolls-Royce has been doing this in their products – the cool new feature shows the level of detail that engineers have given to the G20 platform.
The self-righting wheel center caps works by having a counterweight in the wheel center cap which helps keeping upwards the orientation of the BMW logo. Basically, the distinctive BMW logo with white-blue propeller does not rotate with the wheel while driving, but stays horizontal.
In contrast to the Rolls-Royce solution which has a screen in front of the “spinning” center cap, on the BMW 3 Series you can actually rotate the center cap with your hand.
The diameter of the BMW logo is 65 mm for light-alloy wheels with 120 mm pitch circle diameter. BMW says the hub cap is available in two sizes and therefore suitable for all BMW cars with original BMW alloy wheels.
The installation is simple – the fixed hub cap can easily be fitted with a tire change. In addition, the rotating hub cap can be replaced again.
In Europe, a set of the self-righting wheel center caps is priced at 89 euros.
Something else for folks to pry off your car?
It’s nearly impossible to do so without breaking it. I forgot to transfer my caps over to my summer set of wheels and I wasted hours before I gave up and just took all the wheels off.
Part numbers?
36122455269 for some E and most F-series
36122455268 for some F and G-series
The lists are long, so its easier to just look them up before buying than to post the whole lists.
Oh you know I’m getting a set of these when available in the US.
Reminds me how hoodlums would steal the colorful VWbug hood emblem off around 1956 models. They made good belt buckles.
Bringing, not binging.
Neat they can be retrofit, but low on my list.
There has never been a “propeller” in BMW logo, genius. The checkered pattern is flag of Bavaria, not a “propeller”.
That drunk American woman once retched this nonsense and now you repeat it? Firstly, it is nonsense. Secondly, it is American. Don’t insult your readers by injecting with anything “American”
Yes, since they did aviation engines thru 2 World Wars, why would they invoke a propellor? “American” is BMW’s largest factory & 1 of their largest markets.
I believe it IS actually a propeller and the colours are from the Bavarian flag. Although BMW themselves claimed a while ago that it’s not a propeller and they just confirmed it previously because it sounded good.
No, BMW never “confirmed” anything like that. Again, this unfortunate blunder about some “propeller” was made by some US representative working for BMW may years ago, probably after a night of hard partying (everything looked like a “propeller” to her). This is what ignorant people mistakenly attempt to interpret as “BMW confirmed”. In fact, BMW immediately debunked this nonsense. It has not been mentioned since.
“New”? Please. Trucks have had these for years. Instead of simply massaging the manufacturer’s ego, the truck version has a purpose: they contain an odometer that tracks the mileage on the attached tire. I remember seeing them as a kid in the late ’50s.
“does not rotate with the wheel while driving”
Oh yes it does. The RR one does not but it’s a more advanced design.
I did notice that, and I absolutely LOVE details like this! I’m pretty sure they will now introduce this to all new models and LCI’s from now on.