Lifestyle

Choosing the Perfect Tesla Model S Performance Racing Tire

Published

10 years ago

March 4, 2015

Finding the perfect tire is a never ending pursuit in the world of racing. For those taking their Tesla Model S to the track, the most frequently asked questions are around tires. What tires support the weight of the Model S and performs the best on a race track? Having gone through several tire configurations in our Tesla racing conquests we can now provide some answers to that question.

Your choice of tire really depends on what you are trying to achieve with the Model S. We’ve broken it down to three usage categories as follows:

If you track your Model S very infrequently (ie. once a year), then any tire will work. Tracking in the beginner’s groups won’t stress your tires since most of the time you’ll be driving at lower speeds while learning racing best practices.
If you do it frequently and/or do performance driving (usually in the intermediate groups) softer compound performance tires would be your best choice.
If you are racing your Tesla in the advanced group where ever millisecond counts then racing tires are a must.

We will review performance vs. racing tires in detail, and outline the pros and cons of each.

Performance Tires

Usually found under Performance Summer (Extreme/High/Max) category at retailers like Tire Rack. Our choice of performance tires is, 265/35ZR-20 BFGoodrich G-Force Rival, grade 200. While they very slightly exceed the spec for front wheels, rubbing is very minimal, only when tires are new, and only on full lock. We found it to be a non-issue fot track use and daily driving. This is how the tires look like on a race track:

Pros:

The tires can be used for both race track and daily street driving. We did not find them consuming substantially more energy. They are fully street legal, comfortable to drive on, and they don’t wear out nearly as much as racing tires.
On the track the tires provide an excellent balance between traction/grip and slide/drift, allowing for an easy, controlled drift through turns (as much as stability control will allow).
You can achieve a fairly steady 0.9 to 1.0 lateral G through the turns, with occasional spikes to 1.1 and as high as 1.3.
At $260 per tire, they are very economical and versatile. Overall, fun tires to use on the track.

Cons:

These are not meant for all out racing. The edges of the tires will get torn up if you drive very aggressively on them.

G-Force Rival Damaged 1

Using a higher tire pressure will alleviate some of the wear but it will ultimately succumb to the car’s weight. Some feathering is normal, but as shown on these photos, these tears are deep and often go down all the way to the cord. Move to racing tires if this is happening to you.

Racing Tires

Racing tires can be found under the Racetrack / Competition Only category at online retailers such as Tire Rack. Our choice of racing tire is the Toyo Proxes R888 @ 285/35ZR-20, grade 100. Finding racing tires for the Tesla Model S can be challenging mainly because of the car’s heavy weight, something not all tires can support. It’s not everyday that you see a 4600+ “race car” tearing it up on the track. There’s only two or three racing tire choices that fit the bill. Of the two choices available, 285 wide 20″ vs. 265 wide 19″, the bigger tires are our favorites. This is what they look like mounted on the car:

Wheel Well The larger tires work extremely well for racing purposes but be mindful that minor rubbing against the inner plastic fender can occur at approximately 3/4th of the steering wheel turn. It’s not an issue for racing applications because most turns are less than 1/4th of steering wheel turn.

This picture to the right was taken after driving slowly with the steering wheel turned to full lock.

The overall tire diameter is almost the same as the standard Model S tires. There are sufficient horizontal and vertical clearances with the suspension set to Standard.

Pros:

One of the benefits of having a larger racing tires is that the steering wheel lockup issue during banked turns is eliminated. Based on our experiences the Model S steering wheel locks up under high G and until the forces are reduced. Examples of where this has occurred are Fontana turn 1, Laguna Seca turn 9, Sonoma turn 1. We’ve been in contact with Tesla about the issue, but understandably addressing it is low on the priority list since this issue only occurs under extreme driving forces.
Softer and wider tires provide better traction because of the grippier compound. However a stiffer suspension is usually needed to be able to fully realize the potential. We did not find an improvement in lateral G, but we did notice a longer duration for holding the G.
One of the main advantages of these tires vs. performance tires is race track durability. They are capable of handling the grueling conditions of racing especially including the heavy weight of the Tesla.

Cons:

While they are technically street legal (barely), the tires resemble slicks and not suitable for daily driving.
Parking becomes a difficult task especially if you need to make a full turn.
Racing tires are very noisy because of the increased friction against ground surfaces.
Racing tires are not designed for wet conditions. They did surprisingly well on a wet race track surface, but do not repeat our mistake and try driving through standing water.
And lastly, while these softer, wider, and grippier tires improve traction on a race track, more energy is needed to move rotate them. How much more? A whopping 20%. We registered 390 Wh/mile of street driving using the racing tires vs. 320 Wh/mile when using standard tires.
The tires need to be transported to the track.
At $380 per tire, racing tires are much more expensive than performance tires. They also tend to wear down much faster.

We’ll be gathering some more track data over time using our racing 285/35ZR-20 Toyo Proxes R888. We’ll be monitoring the effects these racing tires have on energy usage, lateral Gs and of course our lap times!

Lifestyle

Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update

Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 30, 2025

Joey Klender

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.

The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.

Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video

With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:

Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
Advertisement

— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025

To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”

Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.

Elon Musk

xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 26, 2025

Simon Alvarez

xAI-supercomputer-memphis-environment-pushback

(Credit: xAI)

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs

Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.

In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.

xAI is committed to cleaning the areas around schools and homes in Memphis. We work continuously with city and county officials to remove waste and improve the community. Today, our team was working hard to clean up the roadways. On average our crews remove 8-10 discarded… pic.twitter.com/PHwVVSFKrU— xAI Memphis (@xAIMemphis) July 18, 2025

“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.

Musk Foundation donation

Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.

The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”

Musk Foundation provided a large donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis to fill in federal funding gap. https://t.co/6e2oJ3xZpB— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 26, 2025

“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.

The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”

Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

Published

1 month ago

July 12, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever.

Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP FIT unlocks large gov & commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.

They also have some… https://t.co/z2x8NRdQpI pic.twitter.com/tUd08SzyHz— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) July 10, 2025

Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Thank you. Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla. I appreciate your earlier 2021 post and today’s as well. We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!— Ben Schaffer (@BenSchafferUP) July 10, 2025

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”