I Put Formula 1 Wheels on a Road Car... BIG MISTAKE?

Опубликовано 4 января 2026, 12:01

What happens if you fit Formula 1 wheels to a normal road car?
In this episode of Wheelie Bad Ideas, we take our BMW Z4 and replace its standard road tyres with F1-style slicks, then test them back-to-back against normal road tyres.
We put both setups through the same performance tests:

* 0–62 mph acceleration
* Quarter-mile
* Braking
* Slalom
* Lap time

Formula 1 wheels are designed for smooth circuits, tyre blankets, and tightly controlled conditions. Road tyres are designed for potholes, cold temperatures, water, and unpredictability. So when you strip away compromise and go full motorsport, do you gain performance, or does everything fall apart?
This film isn’t just about speed. It’s about understanding why road car tyres look the way they do, what happens when you ignore real-world conditions, and whether Formula 1 technology has any place on the road.
With the help of our engineer, we find out exactly where this idea works, where it doesn’t, and why no manufacturer would ever sell a road car like this.
Subscribe for more Wheelie Bad Ideas, where we keep changing one thing and learning the hard way why it matters.

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Chapters 📖
0:00 On this weeks episode…
00:48 Finding Formula 1 wheels
01:14 Fitting the wheels to our Z4
02:18 The BMW Z4 is Formula 1 ready
02:36 Things didn’t go to plan
04:20 First challenge: acceleration run
05:55 Second challenge: breaking test
08:02 Third challenge: handlng test
10:37 Final challenge: fastest lap
10:49 Road tyres timed lap
12:18 Formula 1 tyres timed lap
15:02: Who is the winner?
15:56 Rory and Peters reflect on the series