Captain Ahab
Member
I agree.Tires and coilovers are your best bet to move the car to a more BMW M-like experience. Aftermarket 18 or 19s would benefit looks but likely just add on cost unnecessarily if handling is your primary goal.
If you want a bang for the buck handling improvement, I would proceed as follows:
A. *BEST* tires (whatever that means to your intended use);
B. Sway bars, coilovers OR lowering springs (intended use is important, again);
C. Reduce rotational mass and unsprung mass (to potentially go faster - everywhere - reduce mass - everywhere lol)
My two cents.
Remember, your feelings and thoughts go a long way into your perception of something, and how satisfied you will be with your chouce. Like the placebo affect. - If you want something that you are ultimately convinced is the best choice to realize your intentions, you will likely be most psychologically pleased by this choice. I know that I have occasionally convinced myself of things that are not true; I have seen that behavior in others, I think that is normal human behavior.
In short, I presented you with my opinion of the path I would take, to achieve the things I think matter most, relative to your expressed goal.
Is it objectively the best path? Is it the best path for you? I dunno.
Best of luck!