Tesla modifier Unplugged Performance has just dropped its complete body kit for the refreshed Model 3 sedan, aka Project Highland. Unplugged promises that the kit boosts downforce, and it makes the Model 3 refresh look pretty good, too. But the most extreme part of this kit is one of the optional extras, like a set of carbon fiber wheels that cost three times the price of the body kit and half as much as a new Model 3 itself. Carbon fiber wheels are difficult to make, but the reduction in unsprung mass makes them worth the effort (and the cost).
$20k Carbon Wheels On A $40k Car
Unplugged’s body kit, which starts at $7,430, is just one of a wide range of real performance-enhancing parts for Tesla vehicles. Currently available upgrades include limited slip differentials, new suspension kits, carbon-ceramic brakes, and even a bolt-in harness bar.
The coolest of all, though, might be the carbon wheels. The UP-03 wheels have a carbon fiber barrel, the outer part of the wheel. The company says they deliver lower NVH, and since they’re lighter than stock, they also increase the range in city traffic.
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A forged aluminum face makes the wheels a bit more user-friendly. Curbs are still an issue, but tire shops shouldn’t be. The difference probably keeps the price down, too, because while these wheels run from $19,995 to $20,995 (they’re offered in 19 to 21-inch sizes), that’s about the same as Ford charged for its own carbon wheels on the Mustang in 2019. Add in five years of inflation (and remember that Ford’s price includes a discount for the cost of the stock wheels), and suddenly, they’re a bargain.
A Body Kit With Real Performance Benefits
Unplugged hasn’t simply styled a kit for aesthetics and hoped that there are no drawbacks. The company says it has optimized its kit using computational fluid dynamics, with CFD testing and simulations showing that its carbon fiber kit makes real downforce – 426 pounds of it, increasing stability and adding grip. The hit on drag, it says, is just 1.93 percent.
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The kit includes a front lip spoiler, canards, and deflectors. It has new side skirts and a new rear diffuser trim, as well as a surprisingly large adjustable wing. All the parts are made from dry carbon fiber, offered with a satin or gloss finish, and they look very good. Of course, if you want the Model 3 to perform at its best, you need more than just aero, and Unplugged has plenty of experience extracting performance from the Model 3 as a track toy.
