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.

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.

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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The Model S was Tesla’s second car behind the original Roadster from 2008. Since its original release in 2012, Tesla has made several small refinements to the car. One of the most notable is the omittance of the nosecone in favor of a new, more modern design. Tesla implemented this change in 2016, and it has been highly-accepted among the community.

Recently, rumors of a refresh to the Model S design have been circulating within the Tesla community. Because the flagship sedan and subsequent Model X vehicles have not been updated in several years, Tesla may be considering updating the design. While possibilities are endless and everyone has their opinion on what should be done, the folks at Ares Design in Modena, Italy put their own spin on the Model S, ridding it of the rear passenger doors and doing away with the top of the car.

The project started with the removal of the roof and central B-pillars, along with the rear doors. The wheelbase was then shortened to make the two-door design more reasonably aesthetic, and Ares designed their own doors that were fabricated to the specifications of the newly-refined Model S chassis. Structural reinforcements were added as well to ensure the safety of passengers.

Paired with interior upgrades that include new seating and a colorful new steering wheel with matching accents, the Model S from Ares is certainly one of the more interesting revisions to Tesla’s flagship sedan. However, it isn’t an ugly or unruly conversion by any means. However, some enthusiasts may have something to say about the revisions to the Model S’ design, as it was many early Tesla enthusiasts first EV.

Ares has many projects that will fit the taste of nearly every automotive enthusiast on Earth. With projects that span from Tesla to Lamborghini, there are several different routes the design studio has taken over the years to ensure the satisfaction of their customers and fans.

“At Ares, our co-create philosophy allows clients to work side by side with our designers and engineers to create their very own bespoke vehicle, a service that is unique to ARES,” CEO Dany Bahar said in a statement on the company’s website. “This Tesla project is a superb example of this; it was a pure coachbuilding project which we very much enjoy doing and seeing the results of our uncompromising standards.”

What do you think? Leave a comment down below. Got a tip? Email us at tips@teslarati.com or reach out to me at joey@teslarati.com. 

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What’s rather interesting is that the Model 3 Performance was actually in its street settings when it was brought to the track, and its driver was a neophyte with electric cars. While the vehicle had a slew of modifications, the Model 3 was not tuned or modified specially for the Tsukuba Circuit. It was even equipped with OEM tires from a Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997), which are good on the track but also great for regular driving.

The Model 3 that was used for the Tsukuba Circuit run was the same car that Unplugged Performance brought to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The vehicle, which belongs to Tesla owner enthusiast Erik Strait and dubbed as the Model 3 Ascension R, was brought over to Japan this January following its showcase at the SEMA 2019 show. The all-electric car was showcased in Japan as a way to demonstrate how classic tuning methods could be applied for high-performance EVs.

It should be noted that its record-breaking lap was not the first time Unplugged Performance’s Model 3 Ascension R was brought to Tsukuba Circuit. After its appearance at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the vehicle was brought to the track, where it came close to beating the McLaren F1’s lap record with a time of 1:04.7. This was just one-tenth of a second slower than the McLaren F1’s record of 1:04.6.

While the McLaren F1 is no longer the world’s fastest supercar today, the vehicle remains one of the most formidable forces of automotive engineering ever created. The car, which saw production between 1992 to 1998, was considered groundbreaking and insane at the same time. In 1998, the F1 took the title as the world’s fastest production car with a speed of 240.1 mph, and it held on to its crown until it was beaten by the Koenigsegg CCR in 2005. Even decades after its release, the McLaren F1 remains the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated production car in the industry.

For Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Shaffer, The Tesla Model 3 Ascension R is a love song of sorts to his background in JDM vehicles. It’s a fast electric car that is very capable on the track, of course, but it is also a proper road car that can be used for everyday driving.

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The Model 3 was initially supposed to be equipped with Smart Air Suspension within six months after its initial release, as per Elon Musk’s Twitter update back in 2017. According to Musk, buyers of the dual-motor configurations of the Model 3 would have the option for air suspension. However, air suspension has been absent on the Model 3 configurator since the vehicle’s release.

Update: Elon Musk says Tesla Model 3 and Model Y do not have plans for an air suspension

Smart Air Suspension allows the driver to control the ride height of the car through the vehicle’s touchscreen. This is especially useful for when a car is traveling up a steep driveway and navigating through snowy roads, according to Tesla’s website. The feature will also remember where height adjustments were made by GPS detection and apply them automatically on the next visit to that location.

The Smart Air Suspension initially introduced in 2012 as an upgrade for the company’s flagship Model S sedan. As previously noted, it is available on both the Model S and Model X as of now. The company upgraded the suspension system on both vehicles in April 2019 with the 2019.28.3.1 software update.

“We’ve also upgraded our air suspension system for Model S and Model X with fully-adaptive damping, giving it an ultra-cushioned feel when cruising on the highway or using Autopilot, and a responsive, exhilarating confidence during dynamic driving,” the update’s release notes stated.

In October when Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck, Musk stated the company’s pickup would also receive an adaptive air suspension feature. He stated his inspiration behind placing this feature in the Cybertruck came from watching a Ford F-350 being mangled by 3,000 pounds of payload in the vehicle’s bed. “That’s why Cybertruck has active suspension height & damping control,” he said on Twitter.

The addition of Smart Air Suspension to the Model 3 could assist some drivers from scraping their vehicle’s undercarriage when driving over high-peaking driveways or sharp speed bumps. While it has been a few years since Tesla initially promised the suspension system on the Model 3, the addition of air suspension shows the company’s efforts to continuously improve a vehicle’s features over time, both through hardware updates and over-the-air software upgrades.

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The 2019 BMW 330i is quite literally brimming with tech, being equipped with a series of safety and convenience features such as Active Guard Plus, Lane Departure Warning, Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Braking, and of course, Parking Assistant, which is capable of automatic perpendicular and parallel parking maneuvers. The 2019 BMW 330i even includes Reversing Assistant, a clever capability that the German automaker describes as “automated reversing in confined spaces or situations where the driver does not have a clear view, such as multi-story car parks or entrances to courtyards.”

Here’s BMW’s how-to video for Parking Assistant.

The Tesla Model 3, on the other hand, features Autopark, which utilizes the vehicles’ Autopilot cameras to enable one-touch automatic parking maneuvers. Tesla’s Autopark has been around since 2015 as part of Autopilot, though the feature has since been moved to the Full Self-Driving suite. Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features are constantly being improved and updated through the continued training of its neural network, which gathers real-world data from the company’s fleet.

Here’s Tesla’s video demonstration for Autopark.

The test of the two vehicles’ automatic parking systems was conducted by the hosts of YouTube’s Good Drive channel. First off was the 2019 BMW 330i and its Parking Assist, which promptly ignored the parallel parking slot selected by its driver. The BMW instead attempted to park in a larger space, though its driver eventually canceled the Parking Assist maneuver due to the 330i getting too close to the vehicle in front.

The YouTube hosts gave the 2019 BMW 330i’s Parking Assistant another chance, and this time, the German sedan detected the actual spot selected by its driver. Unfortunately, the 330i didn’t recognize the space as a slot for parallel parking, resulting in the vehicle performing a perpendicular parking maneuver instead. Thus, while the BMW successfully parked itself (technically), the end result was rather awkward, with the vehicle being perpendicularly parked in a parallel parking slot.

The Tesla Model 3’s Autopark test proved a lot smoother. As soon as the automatic parking sequence was activated, the electric sedan eased into the tight parking space, making adjustments as necessary. The channel’s host later noted that while he would have managed to parallel park the car faster if he was in control of the Model 3, the Tesla’s Autopark system moved in a manner very similar to a human driver nonetheless.

Tesla is currently in the process of developing and refining its Full Self-Driving features, which Elon Musk expects will be “feature complete” by the end of the year. FSD, and in extension, Autopark, is a key component of Elon Musk’s plan to launch the Tesla Network, an autonomous ride-sharing service expected to disrupt companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Watch the Tesla Model 3 and the 2019 BMW 330i (G20) go head-to-head in an automatic parking battle in the video below.

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Thanks to a Tesla enthusiast, the first pictures of the Model 3 Performance with its rear accents have been uploaded online. In a post on the r/TeslaMotors subreddit, u/TheHalfChubPrince, who shared the MPGe ratings of the Model 3 last weekend, uploaded pictures of the vehicle with its rear accents fully installed. From what could be seen in the recent photos, the Model 3 Performance’s carbon fiber rear spoiler is stunning, but its dual motor badge is quite prominent.

The design of the Tesla Model 3 Performance was teased last month when the electric car company rolled out an adjustment in the vehicle’s price, varying its cost structure from the original $78,000 with all options except Autopilot to $64,000 before any options. In the configuration pages for the vehicle, it was revealed that the Model 3 Performance would have an underlined dual motor badge at the lower left side of the car’s rear. So far, the Tesla community has been quite polarized with the badge’s design, with some reservation holders stating that they would request Tesla not to place the badge on their Model 3 Performance. Based on the recently uploaded images, however, the dual motor badge actually blends quite well with the Model 3’s aesthetic.

Tesla is currently upselling the Model 3 Performance, with CEO Elon Musk encouraging reservation holders on Twitter to test drive the vehicle. According to Musk, the Model 3 Performance is “like having pure fun jacked straight into your brain whenever you want.”

Whether you plan to buy a Dual Motor Performance Model 3 or not, take it for a test drive anyway. It’s like having pure fun jacked straight into your brain whenever you want.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2018

Considering that Tesla is aiming for profitability this Q3 2018, the company’s push to upsell the Model 3 Performance to reservation holders is strategic. Priced at $64,000 before options and as high as $80,000 with all upgrades including Autopilot and Full Self Driving, sales of the Model 3 Performance is set to give Tesla a boost in profit this quarter. After all, according to an analysis from Detroit veteran Sandy Munro, the Model 3 is profitable for Tesla, with the Long Range RWD variant set to give the company profits of 36%, and the $35,000 base variant set to give an 18% profit. The Model 3 Performance’s margins are likely even higher.

The Model 3 Performance is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The electric car, which Elon Musk states would be 15% faster on the track than a BMW M3, has a top speed of 155 mph. The Model 3 Performance can also travel 310 miles on a full charge.

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Tesla owner Dan of YouTube’s What’s Inside channel; yes, the same Dan who recently ripped open his Model X’s tires to see  what’s inside, managed to get some hands-on experience with Armormax’s bulletproof Model S. As could be seen in the Tesla owner-enthusiast’s video; it appears that Armormax’s label for the vehicle, the “Fastest Bulletproof Car in the World,” is spot-on.

The bulletproof Model S P100D is covered with a lightweight but durable laminate armor, which is around 80% lighter than conventional protective materials like ballistic steel reinforcements. Coupled with bulletproof glass, the armor added around 550 pounds to the Model S P100D. Armormax estimates that the added weight will have a negligible effect on the electric car’s performance.

As discussed by the YouTube host, Armormax’s bulletproof Model S P100D does not only have a layer of armor all around the vehicle; it also features some unique tricks to ensure its components are not impacted by the weight and size of the additional reinforcements. While the armored Model S’ windows do not roll down anymore due to its thick bulletproof glass, some of the vehicle’s features like its power liftgate remain functional. Armormax was able to do this by installing an extra arm to support the heavier liftgate; hence, tricking the Model S’ sensors into thinking that there is no extra weight at the rear.

To test if the added 550 pounds on the vehicle affects the Model S P100D’s performance, the YouTube host asked one of his friends to launch the car and see how fast it could go in a brief sprint. Over a short span of road, the bulletproof Model S was able to hit 88 mph. Dan did not indicate the actual figures of the bulletproof Model S P100D’s run, but it appeared that the electric car hit 88 mph in less than 5 seconds.

The vehicle’s Autopilot driver-assist system was also tested on the freeway, and while the car was not fully calibrated yet (the electric car only had 134 miles on it), the feature did engage, though the armored Model S P100D leaned a little bit to the left side of the road. Nevertheless, the fact that the feature could be activated suggests that the synthetic fiber laminate armor does not, in any way, interfere with the vehicle’s Autopilot sensors.

Armormax states that its bulletproof Model S P100D is a custom order from a businessman in the Middle East. Reinforcing the electric car took roughly 650 man-hours, and cost a total of $72,500.

Watch the bulletproof Tesla Model S P100D in action on the video below.

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comma.ai’s technology could be installed in supported cars through the use of the company’s EON Dashcam DevKit, which provides real-time road monitoring, and the panda OBD-II Dongle that allows users to interface with vehicle diagnostics and messages over WiFi and USB. As highlighted in a YouTube video by Tesla owner Robert Cotran, comma.ai’s hardware could be installed on a non-Autopilot Model S as a DIY project.

Cotran’s walkthrough of the comma.ai system installation on his Model S starts with the removal of various components from the vehicle’s front trunk, connecting to the vehicle’s electric power steering unit, and plugging into the panda OBD-II dongle. Finally, comma.ai’s EON dashcam is installed inside the vehicle. A test of OpenPilot’s capabilities was conducted by Cotran after the installation was complete, and from what could be seen in the video, the open-source driver-assist system does seemingly convert a non-Autopilot-equipped Tesla Model S into a vehicle with Autopilot-like features.

The speed of the vehicle still relies on conventional cruise control, but in terms of steering, comma.ai’s OpenPilot appears quite capable on its own, especially on stretches of roads such as freeways. If any, the DIY installation and following test of OpenPilot in Cotran’s Model S highlights comma.ai’s vision for a self-driving future, where OpenPilot is to Android as Tesla’s Autopilot is to iOS. comma.ai mentions this comparison on its official website.

“What happened to phones will happen to cars. The iOS and the Android. The Autopilot and the OpenPilot. comma.ai is building the Android for cars. In 5 years, the world will call it obvious. Of course, cars will play out like phones. Tesla will run Autopilot. One idiot will still be trying to run Windows Phone. And everyone else will be running the open source operating system from comma.ai.”

OpenPilot is the brainchild of George Hotz, an American hacker who’s arguably best known for unlocking the iPhone and reverse engineering Sony’s PlayStation 3. Hotz was no stranger to Silicon Valley’s largest companies, having worked for both Google and Facebook in the past, and later, reportedly, offered a “multi-million dollar bonus” by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to work on a new Autopilot system that would allow the Silicon Valley electric carmaker to move away from using Mobileye.

RELATED: Mobileye criticizes design of Tesla Autopilot, says company “pushed the envelope on safety”

Hotz eventually started comma.ai, a startup designed to master the development of self-driving software. Since its founding, comma.ai was able to raise millions of dollars’ worth of investment, which ultimately helped the company develop and release the open-source version of OpenPilot, as well as hardware like the EON Dashcam and the panda OBD-II Dongle. Today, comma.ai boasts more than 4 million miles driven without driver input.

Watch the installation of comma.ai’s hardware on a classic Tesla Model S (and OpenPilot in action) in the videos below.

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In the recently-uploaded video, Brooks, the owner of the YouTube channel, stated that he became aware of the Model X 100D being eligible for an “uncorking” update from the electric car maker through the Tesla forum community. The YouTube host noted that selected Model X 100D vehicles are eligible for the update, depending on the vehicle’s VIN. Upon checking with his contact in Tesla, the drag racing enthusiast was informed that his Model X was indeed eligible for the speed and power update.

Unlike Tesla’s usual over-the-air updates, however, the performance upgrade would require someone from Tesla to work directly on the vehicle. Tesla promptly sent a technician to the YouTube host’s home the day after his request.

After the “uncorking” was completed, the DragTimes host opted to test the vehicle’s performance, in order to compare it to its previous figures. As noted by the Brooks, his Model X 100D was doing 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and running the quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds before the update. The all-electric SUV also had a power output of 380 kW. After the update, however, Brooks immediately noted that the vehicle’s power output had jumped to 409 kW, even with the Model X 100D’s battery at around 50%. With the vehicle’s battery fully charged, the Model X 100D featured a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds.

A comparison of the Model X 100D’s output before and after Tesla’s ‘uncorking.’ [Credit: DragTimes/YouTube]

Tesla introduced improved performance for some of its vehicles last year, with the company upgrading the 0-60 mph time of the Model S and 75, 75D, and 100D last July. The Model X 75D and 100D saw some performance updates as well, with the former’s 0-60 time dropping from 6.0 seconds to 4.9 seconds and the latter dropping from 5.2 seconds to 4.7 seconds. Some vehicles that were sold before the upgraded performance was rolled out also became eligible for a free performance boost, which eventually became known in the Tesla community as “uncorking.” According to Model X 100D owners from the Tesla Motors Club, the performance upgrade was mostly applicable for vehicles that were manufactured before Tesla introduced its improved specs. Vehicles manufactured after Tesla’s announcement of its improved performance are already “uncorked” upon delivery. 

If DragTimes‘ recent video is any indication, however, it appears that the Tesla is also “uncorking” the Model X 100D, and while the improvements in the vehicle’s 0-60 mph and quarter-mile times were quite tame, it is still pretty great that eligible owners of the all-electric SUV can have a faster car for free through an on-site software update. The speed at which Tesla deployed a technician to the YouTube host’s home was also quite notable, considering that the upgrade was done just a day after the request was filed — a turnaround time that is sure to get CEO Elon Musk’s approval.

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According to a press release issued by the Italian firm, the idea for the electric car’s modification came after ARES Design CEO Danny Bahar noticed some areas of improvement for his Tesla Model S. While Bahar loved the technology and performance of his car, he was limited by the vehicle’s hatchback design. The CEO also noted that the excellent car is massively let down by its interior, which is nowhere near on-par with the best in the auto industry.

With ARES Design’s announcement, there are now three separate aftermarket firms creating their own versions of the Tesla Model S shooting brake. So far, only one company, Qwest Norfolk, has managed to show off a working version of the car, and as we noted in a previous report, the vehicle has already been seen multiple times in the wild. Another company working on the concept is Dutch coachbuilder RemetzCar, which has shown off sketches of its own Model S shooting brake design.

Tesla Model S Shooting Brake by ARES Design

Among the three aftermarket firms that are creating Model S shooting brakes, however, ARES Design might very well be the company that could pull off the most remarkable vehicle. The Italian tuning house, after all, boasts years of experience in refining cars from across the world. In its official website alone, ARES’ projects with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Porsche 911 GT3 Targa and the Bentley Mulsanne all show the tuning house’s mastery in modifying and enhancing the level of luxury in the vehicles they work on. It would be this experience and attention to detail that the firm will be applying to the Tesla Model S shooting brake.

With this idea in mind, ARES Design went on to design a shooting brake modification for the Tesla Model S. Similar to the carbon-fiber construction of Qwest Norfolk’s one-off vehicle; the Italian tuning house will utilize both carbon fiber and aluminum to create the redesigned rear of the electric car. Based on the press image that the aftermarket firm has released of the vehicle, the changes it plans to implement on the car are quite extensive, and they look really good.

Quest Norfolk’s Tesla Model S ‘Shooting Brake’ spotted Supercharging in the wild

Perhaps the most notable aspect of ARES’ Tesla Model S shooting brake, however, is its completely redesigned interior. Being a tuning house that works on some of the world’s most luxurious vehicles, the Italian aftermarket firm plans to completely redesign the interior of the Model S with handcrafted artisan interior panels in carbon fiber and leather. Custom-made Nappa leather and Alcantara will also be utilized for the car’s upholstery and inserts.

Unlike its previous projects, the Italian tuning house will not be performing any upgrades on the Tesla Model S’ electric drivetrain. ARES’ Tesla Model S shooting brake will be sold for $247,000 to $309,000, which, while pricey, is considerably more affordable compared to the company’s other offerings. The ultra-luxury electric car is expected to be on sale early summer of 2018. 

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