

Lifestyle
Unplugged Performance unveils first ever Tesla Cybertruck aftermarket wheel
Unplugged Performance (UP) unveiled the first-ever Tesla Cybertruck aftermarket wheel on Wednesday. The CYBRHEX Forged wheel was designed by UP which partnered with Sasha Selipanov, an accomplished sports car designer whose work can be seen on the Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Huracan, Koenigsegg Gemera, Koenigsegg CC850, and many more.
UP CEO Ben Schaffer was having a late-night conversation with Selipanov about design. Selipanov showed an old concept car that he developed, the Pharoah. The design dated back to 2007 and predated Selipanov’s work with Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Koenigsegg. Schaffer immediately liked it and thought it brought up feelings of an unlimited future where the lines between retro and futuristic designs blurred. The CYBRHEX wheel is the result of that late-night conversation.
Along with the new aftermarket Cybertruck wheel, Schaffer said that the new design is a sign of things to come regarding UP’s support of the Cybertruck’s future.
Credit: Unplugged Performance
“The Cybertruck represents an exciting phase and future for our brand. Having started as the first engineering house to enhance Tesla vehicles, we’re thrilled with the Cybertruck’s potential to cross all boundaries and surpass legacy assumptions of what a vehicle can do,” said Schaffer
“We have enormous plans to support the Cybertruck future, and this wheel debut is a sign of things to come as we re-write expectations. It remains our priority at UP to continue our partnerships with cutting-edge, world-class factories as well as the brightest and best minds in design.”
Schaffer also shared thoughts about the design of both the wheel and electric vehicle it was made for.
“There’s a shared quality of timelessness with CYBRHEX design and the Cybertruck. The 70’s inspired wedge design in both cases represents a visual that would be equally appropriate inserted in scenes from the 1970s, the 2000s, or even a hundred years into the future. This design aesthetic also would be equally appropriate on earth or roaming the surface of other planets. A desire to push the limits of design, and a shared passion for the art of making exciting cars inspired our collaboration to turn the concept into reality.” he said.
Selipanov added that he was excited to team up with UP for the new design and wanted something that would be fit for both Earth and Mars.
“I’m excited to team up with Unplugged Performance for this new wheel design. We aimed for something that looks equally at home on Earth and on Mars. The result is a great match for the brutalist aesthetics of the Tesla Cybertruck.”Selipanov said.
“It is fantastic to see the return of brutalist “wedge” shapes to car design. Pioneered in the 1970s by the great Italian design masters, this form language always looked towards the future and towards space exploration in particular. My 2007 Pharaoh sketches were inspired by that era in car design, I am thrilled to have contributed to Unplugged Performance’s new CYBRHEX wheel,” he added.
“The ‘CG in real-life’ CYBRHEX design has already been fitted on the Model S Plaid with Tesla’s large carbon ceramic brake kit and has been developed for the entire range of Tesla Vehicles, including the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y,” UP said in a press release. You can view all the photos in the gallery below.
[rl_gallery id=”221206″]
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
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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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