Originally Posted by dan avoN7

The speed at which the owner reported hitting the pothole is very questionable. I also own a M3 and find it very odd that he was in 4th gear traveling at 25mph, let alone up a HILL. It's just speculation at this point but that struck me as odd..

Also it's not likely that the wheel came apart due to the impact. The pothole likely cracked the wheel and after driving for a little while longer (until he noticed there was a problem) the center separated from the rest of the wheel. A similar comparison can be made with tires. If you have a hole in a sidewall, blow the bead of a tire, etc.. and continue to drive on that flat tire it will eventually split in two right at the sidewall.

Knowledge.. the more you know