News
Unplugged Performance now offers the ultimate Tesla suspension upgrade
Unplugged Performance has released its ultimate Tesla suspension upgrade, the all-new Ohlins X UP TTS performance suspension setup.
Suspension is currently one of the best upgrades you can make on an electric vehicle. Due to their generally higher curb weight, a good performance suspension setup can keep the car planted and controlled, no matter how big the bump or turn you take. Unplugged Performance has been one such place to get these upgrades for your Tesla for years. But they are taking it to another level with the Ohlins TTS performance suspension setup.
Stock Tesla Suspension –
This performance suspension setup works entirely differently from the stock suspension found on any stock Tesla. The stock suspension found on a Tesla Model 3 or Tesla Model Y is relatively rudimentary. A cylinder filled with liquid resists compression when the wheel goes up or down, and a spring pushes that cylinder down to reset after every bounce.
The suspension in the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X is far more complex. These vehicles are equipped with air suspension, whereby a small rubber bag inside a spring on each wheel is inflated and deflated to control ride height and stiffness. And in the case of Tesla products, through camera sensing, these vehicles can even react to the road surface the car “sees.”
-->The Ohlins suspension works more similarly to the stock suspension found on the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y. The “coilover” suspension setup means that the spring is still placed over the cylinder to be compressed, but in this case, the rate at which the spring compresses, the rate at which the cylinder compresses, the ride height, and much more are both adjustable and perfectly designed for your car and the track.
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- Credit: Unplugged Performance
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- Credit: Unplugged Performance
The $15,000 Difference –
Via their partnership with Ohlins, Unplugged Performance is now offering the “pinnacle” of Tesla performance suspension offerings. With this comes a very pinnacle price tag as well. But what makes these setups worth the $15,000?
First, it needs to be acknowledged that this suspension is not for driving around town or picking up the groceries. The focus on track performance was paramount in the engineering process. To quote Ben Schaffer, CEO of Unplugged Performance, “we made this [suspension] for ourselves and ultimate track use.” The suspension was designed with one car and purpose: to make the fastest Tesla around a track.
Adjustability is another critical difference for the Ohlins TTS setup. Unplugged Performance has ensured that the setup is 4-way adjustable; front and rear, high-speed and low-speed rebound and compression, which means that you can tune precisely how you want the suspension to react when you hit a bump or a corner at high or low speeds.
-->Concierge service is another distinguishing feature. When you buy the Ohlins X UP TTS suspension setup, the Unplugged Performance team is on call to ensure your car is as fast as possible on whatever raceway you find yourself on; Pikes Peak to Mt. Washington, Nurburing to Spa; they have you covered.
Finally, what the setup brings when looking outside of the numbers, is prestige and an unrivaled road feel. The level of prestige that Unplugged Performance brings to its Tesla products is unmatched. They supply the products and use them to set records, most recently at the Pikes Peak hill climb. Very few other companies have the same dedication to Tesla products. And the road feel that they have dedicated themselves to will likely prove to be the factor that influences the hyper-enthusiast or Tesla race team to purchase the upgrade.
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- Credit: Unplugged Performance
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- Credit: Unplugged Performance
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- Credit: Unplugged Performance
This shows, perhaps above everything else, that electric vehicles don’t have to mean the end of modification or “wrenchin”; in fact, they can be an incredible new platform that enthusiasts can use just like any other to create unique projects. CEO Ben Schaffer noted that electric vehicles don’t have to be the end of performance tuning but the start of a new chapter.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
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News
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise for its smoother performance and smarter decision-making.
Videos and firsthand accounts from Tesla owners highlight V14.2.1 as an update that improves navigation responsiveness, sign recognition, and overall fluidity, among other things. Some drivers have even described it as “more alive than ever,” hinting at the system eventually feeling “sentient,” as Elon Musk has predicted.
FSD V14.2.1 first impressions
Early adopters are buzzing about how V14.2.1 feels less intrusive while staying vigilant. In a post shared on X, Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic described the update as a “huge leap forward,” adding that the system remains “incredibly assertive but still safe.”
Another Tesla driver, Devin Olsenn, who logged ~600 km on V14.2.1, reported no safety disengagements, with the car feeling “more alive than ever.” The Tesla owner noted that his wife now defaults to using FSD V14, as the system is already very smooth and refined.
Adverse weather and regulatory zones are testing grounds where V14.2.1 shines, at least according to testers in snow areas. Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt shared a video of his first snowy drive on unplowed rural roads in New Hampshire, where FSD did great and erred on the side of caution. As per Merritt, FSD V14.2.1 was “extra cautious” but it performed well overall.
-->Sign recognition and freeway prowess
Sign recognition also seemed to show improvements with FSD V14.2.1. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted a clip from his upcoming first-impressions video, showcasing improved school zone behavior. “I think it read the signs better,” he observed, though in standard mode, it didn’t fully drop to 15 mph within the short timeframe. This nuance points to V14.2.1’s growing awareness of temporal rules, a step toward fewer false positives in dynamic environments.
FSD V14.2.1 also seems to excel in high-stress highway scenarios. Fellow FSD tester @BLKMDL3 posted a video of FSD V14.2.1 managing a multi-lane freeway closure due to a police chase-related accident. “Perfectly handles all lanes of the freeway merging into one,” the Tesla owner noted in his post on X.
FSD V14.2.1 was released on Thanksgiving, much to the pleasant surprise of Tesla owners. The update’s release notes are almost identical to the system’s previous iteration, save for one line item read, “Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
News
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
Tesla has kicked off passenger ride-alongs for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Italy, France and Germany. The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
The program, detailed on Tesla’s event pages, arrives ahead of a potential early 2026 Dutch regulatory approval that could unlock a potential EU-wide rollout for FSD.
Hands-Off Demos
Tesla’s ride-along invites participants to “ride along in the passenger seat to experience how it handles real-world traffic & the most stressful parts of daily driving, making the roads safer for all,” as per the company’s announcement on X through its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account.
Sign-ups via localized pages offer free slots through December, with Tesla teams piloting vehicles through city streets, roundabouts and highways.
“Be one of the first to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised) from the passenger seat. Our team will take you along as a passenger and show you how Full Self-Driving (Supervised) works under real-world road conditions,” Tesla wrote. “Discover how it reacts to live traffic and masters the most stressful parts of driving to make the roads safer for you and others. Come join us to learn how we are moving closer to a fully autonomous future.”
-->Building trust towards an FSD Unsupervised rollout
Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) ride-alongs could be an effective tool to build trust and get regular car buyers and commuters used to the idea of vehicles driving themselves. By seating riders shotgun, Tesla could provide participants with a front row seat to the bleeding edge of consumer-grade driverless systems.
FSD (Supervised) has already been rolled out to several countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and partially in China. So far, FSD (Supervised) has been received positively by drivers, as it really makes driving tasks and long trips significantly easier and more pleasant.
FSD is a key safety feature as well, which became all too evident when a Tesla driving on FSD was hit by what seemed to be a meteorite in Australia. The vehicle moved safely despite the impact, though the same would likely not be true had the car been driven manually.
News
Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started
Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Two years into their postal blockade, Swedish unions are outraged that Tesla is still able to provide its customers’ vehicles with valid plates through various clever workarounds.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia called it “embarrassing” that the world’s largest EV maker, owned by CEO Elon Musk, refuses to simply roll over and accept the unions’ demands.
Unions shocked Tesla won’t just roll over and surrender
The postal unions’ blockade began in November 2023 when Seko and IF Metall-linked unions stopped all mail to Tesla sites to force a collective agreement. License plates for Tesla vehicles instantly became the perfect pressure point, as noted in a Dagens Arbete report.
Tesla responded by implementing initiatives to work around the blockades. A recent investigation from Arbetet revealed that Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences, including one employee’s parents’ house in Trångsund and a customer-relations staffer’s home in Vårby, as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia is not pleased that Tesla Sweden is working around the unions’ efforts yet again. “It is embarrassing that one of the world’s largest car companies, owned by one of the world’s richest people, has sunk this low,” she told the outlet. “Unfortunately, it is completely frivolous that such a large company conducts business in this way.”
-->Two years on and plates are still being received
The Swedish Transport Agency has confirmed Tesla is still using several different workarounds to overcome the unions’ blockades.
As noted by DA, Tesla Sweden previously used different addresses to receive its license plates. At one point, the electric vehicle maker used addresses for car care shops. Tesla Sweden reportedly used this strategy in Östermalm in Stockholm, as well as in Norrköping and Gothenburg.
Another strategy that Tesla Sweden reportedly implemented involved replacement plates being ordered by private individuals when vehicles change hands from Tesla to car buyers. There have also been cases where the police have reportedly issued temporary plates to Tesla vehicles.
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
