Lifestyle
Tesla, teardowns, and treats: Sandy Munro talks 2,300-mile journey across the U.S.
The Tesla community is widely-familiar with automotive teardown legend Sandy Munro. The longtime Detroit automotive veteran has spent the last week in a 2021 Refreshed Tesla Model 3 with colleague Cory Steuben, driving over 2,300 miles from Michigan to the West Coast to talk Tesla, teardowns, and treats with the electric automaker’s faithful followers.
Munro chatted with Teslarati on Tuesday morning, close to exactly a week after his journey began, give or take a few hours. Munro’s purpose for the trip was to meet with several Munro and Associates clients who have requested the manufacturing expert’s two cents on their products for decades.
Munro’s 2021 Refreshed Model 3 was the car of choice for his 2,300-mile, 36-hour drive. (Credit: Tony Pham)
2,300 miles for Tesla fans and Treats
While his meetings were with other companies, Munro told us that he did not meet with Tesla or any executives exclusively. Instead, he was flagged down by several Tesla Owners groups who are situated across the state of California. It has been a pleasurable drive. In fact, Munro told me, “it has been one hell of a trip.” Munro has been showered with gifts and merchandise from Owners Clubs across the state. “We have a trunk full of goodies in the Model 3 here, and they’ve taken great care of us,” he said. “I had some of the best pizza of my life in San Diego. I haven’t had anything that good since I was in Italy.”
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- Credit: Tony Pham
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- Credit: Tony Pham
But his trip was more than just shared meals with Tesla owners across the state. He had plenty of time to talk with enthusiasts about their vehicles. He chatted with the Northern California-based group Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, where he spoke and conversed about all things Tesla related.
He did have a quick sneak preview of the Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, where he said, “I can’t go into much detail right now, but I can say it was phenomenal. I was in the passenger’s seat, and I was very impressed with what I saw, but I will leave it at that,” he commented.
Model 3 Improvements
Munro was a vocal critic of the original Model 3, using choice words when he described it to me during our interview. However, Tesla’s manufacturing processes, from build quality to paint, have all been improved since his teardown of an early Model 3 build. “This car has improved significantly,” Munro said. “The paint is great; it’s very impressive,” he remarked, but he still thinks there are some panel gap issues that Tesla needs to improve upon, but they may come with time and more refinements in the manufacturing process.
Most importantly, the paint issue is what Munro seemed to be super impressed with. He indicated that there was only one imperfection that he could notice in the 2021 Model 3, and he doesn’t even blame Tesla for it. “There is a small teardrop in the passenger’s side wing, but I don’t blame that on Tesla. It’s whoever made that part, not the paint.”
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- Credit: Ryan from The Kilowatts
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- Credit: Ryan from The Kilowatts
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- Credit: Ryan from The Kilowatts
I made sure to ask Munro whether Tesla’s paint facility had made the improvements internally, to which he replied he thought the early production years were most likely to blame for the paint mishaps. “I think they were just rushing to get in there and get production started. But a paint shop, when I look at it, should be as clean as the dining room table,” he said. Munro noted several steps automakers need to take when things like hair, dust, or dirt are found in a vehicle’s paint. It ultimately comes down to shutting the whole shop down and doing a clean sweep of the entire facility.
Tesla may have done this in 2020 after several permits found by Teslarati indicated paint shop revisions at Fremont were underway.
Tesla Fans: the best thing since the Jeep Wrangler wave
“I haven’t seen anything like Tesla fans since Jeep Wrangler people came about,” Munro said. “When I drive my Jeep Wrangler, and I see someone else with one, I am waving.” He talked about the monumental loyalty that every automotive brand enthusiast group experiences, but there is something different about Tesla. Munro said there are owners of Teslas and Jeeps who “extoll the virtues of their vehicles,” who are proud to drive their cars, and more importantly, glad to support their preferred companies through the good times and the bad ones.
It was a wonderful privilege to have our members meet @MunroAssociates. Here is their video of the meet up. https://t.co/l6pz0JlkPo pic.twitter.com/ynWkCLEJns
— Tesla Owners Of Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) January 26, 2021
Tesla teardown episodes have expanded Munro’s fan base considerably. He recounted multiple stories of when Supercharger visits resulted in photo ops for fans and unexpected conversations. His favorite, though, was an 8-year old child who asked, “Are you Sandy Munro?”
“Here’s this kid, his Mom drives a Tesla, he wants one of his own, and he sees me and tells me he likes my car,” he said.
Credit: Tony Pham
To his surprise, young fans are not the only ones with a keen eye on recognizing him. He also told multiple stories of how surprised he was to see the older generation driving the automotive industry’s newest thing. “I’ve never seen it before. There are 70-year-olds driving these cars, saying ‘It’s the best car I’ve ever had,’” even though they have been loyal GM or Ford owners for 5 or 6 decades. “They’re delighted” that they’ve made the switch, Munro says, and it seems like he certainly expects the trend to continue.
“This is the future,” Munro said. “There’s no question about it.”
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.
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
— 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.
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 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.”
“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.
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.”
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.
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!”
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