TESLA

Unplugged Performance: the brand's new sports division

Most manufacturers have a division designed to promote the most sophisticated versions, whether in luxury or sportsmanship. Among them, the AMG is probably the best known, having started as an independent coach to design versions of Mercedes models that, over time, have become the favorites of the most wealthy customers. The success was such that Mercedes would acquire the AMG, first partially, in 1999, and then in full in 2005, integrating it into Daimler.Unplugged Performance is looking for a place in the sun, having presented this week at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), which runs until next day 2 in Las Vegas, a more muscular and luxurious version of the Model S. Named S-APEX, this Tesla is the way this small American engineering company proves that it's up to being to Tesla what AMG is for Mercedes.


If Elon Musk agrees, or even if he's looking for a partner with these characteristics, that's another conversation.The Model S-APEX begins by displaying a substantially more aggressive, extended body with 19 carbon elements to spice up the top-of-the-range sedan bodywork. The suspensions have also been revised, but not from the point of view of design, since being of overlapping triangles ahead and multilink behind, there is much more that can be done to optimize them.Even so, the ground clearance is reduced and the stiffness of the shock.absorbers increased, aiming to improve the behavior.

The Unplugged Performance Model S are even custom-made to fit the customer's needs, and can adopt larger, carboceramic brakes with six-piston jaws, larger and lighter rims and various interior trim parts in better quality materials. Note that the model can now be fitted with tires with a width of 335 rear and that the wheels use the carbon fiber to reduce their weight, making the suspension work easier.

Despite being a Model S P100D the vehicle exposed at SEMA, Unplugged Performance claims to have similar solutions for all versions of the model, even those used. It remains to be seen how much time will pass to the small company, which is far from the only one to move in this type of business in the USA, where the tunning is king, to devote its attention to Model 3, Tesla's new toy.


Autonews