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22 inch wheels
- Thread starter drnileshvora
- Start date
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- Tags
- Driving Dynamics Model S
The brakes are the limiting element. IIRC elsewhere on the boards it was decided that anything smaller than 18" wouldn't have enough brake clearance, and it's not clear that even 18" is big enough.
To my eye, neither the 19" or 21" look "ridiculously large". It's a matter of scale, and the Tesla designers have done a good job making the wheels proportionate to the whole design.
Raffy.Roma
Rome (Italy)
In a city like Rome, where the roads are full of holes, it would be dangerous to use 21 or 22 inches wheels.
In a state like New Jersey, where the roads are full of holes and the pavement at intersections are on completely different planes causing a loud thud and frequent bottoming outs, it would also be dangerous to use 21 or 22 inch wheels. lol.
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
Thanks for the info about the brakes.
And I didn't mean they look ridiculously large on the Model S (on the contrary, the overall look is great). On the Model S, I think the 21 inch look best.
What I mean is that such larges wheels in themselves look enourmous, and are very unpractical (tire changes, wear, price!, possibly ride quality and range also) when compared to "normal" sizes like 15 to 17 inch (what is considered "normal" over here). I know, in Europe many things are/seem smaller than in America. I just thought Tesla would be able to adapt to different markets.
ZestyChicken
Member
How did they get the Tesla logo in the middle of the tire? Was that something done custom?
The reason I ask is someone posted this intending to put these on, wanting the fan blade look in a 19" rim:
4 x 19 Wolfrace Rial Lugano Alloy Wheels Only 1360415526 1122 | eBay
Look good save the center logo. One would obviously prefer the Tesla one. Now maybe those things are easily interchangeable and I'm showing my rim naiveté. Never bought them before.
By the way, I looked at the manufacturer page for the tires Tesla uses on their 21". Owners are generally getting no more than 12,500-15,000 miles per set. That's why I got the 19".
I will say the 19" look pretty darn sharp in person though. Not quite as cool as the 21" but still pretty darn good.
jvonbokel
John VonBokel
Ooh, those do look really good (again, save for the center logo). I'd also like to have the fan blade look without going up to 21" rims.
tdelta1000
Active Member
Hey drnileshvora,
Have you been able to lower the S to its lowest air ride setting as of yet? And can you provide us with a pic? Thanks. BWT, the S looks sick( Nice)...LOL. Happy motoring.
DrTaras
R254->R725->S->X->M3->M3P-->R2020?
The guy has a reputation to uphold and not a fly-by-nighter like so many other customizers that give the industry a bad rap! When your Tesla is in his bay, it is the cheapest car he's working on at Al & Ed's Al s Autosound West Hollywood ! Some people are do-it-yourself-ers. Hat's off. Some are find the cheapest price and have little recourse when things go wrong but hope for the best! Elie has customized more Teslas than all other after-marketers combined and is why he can offer this kind of GUARANTEE (Say that with a Louisiana accent & it sounds cool)
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On Wednesday I was at his shop to review the final designs and there were 3 Teslas in his bays! :scared:
Check out this facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/Al.Eds.WH/posts/350199991756972
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S-I-C-K! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I behold beauty fo-sho!
I too am going with 22s, though they also make the wheel in a 21 as well.
Go big or go home! :tongue:
A-E
Former Vendor
antochat
Pearl White P85
charliestyr
EVangelist
I imagine the Gen III will (hopefully) be built around smaller wheel arches and thus have smaller wheels, perhaps 17" standard and 19" as the larger wheels. When you say 15 to 17" is normal in Europe, that's normal on cars like, Fiat 500 to VW golf etc... Model S competes with massive cars where you will not see under 18", e.g. A8, 7-series etc. Mostly these cars have 19", 20".
15-20 years ago those cars would have had 15-17" wheels as well, but the design of cars has just had massive wheel arch "inflation" whereby you cannot get away with small wheels now as the space for the wheel is just too big. It is the style and that is that, but obviously it makes everything more expensive, tyres, wheels, repairs...
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
Sorry to destroy your illusions, but here in Europe, the standard wheel size on the Audi A8, BMW 7-series as well as Mercedes S-Class is indeed 17 inch! You can get 18 to 20 inch optional wheels, but up to now I have never seen cars outside the SUV market with 20 inch wheels or higher. Remember, most people who buy luxury vehicles like the abovementioned three over here seem to prefer luxurious ride quality over looks.
By the way, cars like the Golf are not considered "small" here, cars like the VW up! or Smart are. Their wheels start at 14 inch, the average Golf has standard 15 or 16 inch, depending on the type. The top of the line GTI has standard 17 inch wheels.
The "large" category here starts with cars like the VW Passat, Audi A6 etc.
I think there will be many people here who like to buy cars the size of a Model S but who will be put off by the thought of the costs associated with 19 or even 21 inch wheels.
Most tire dealers here don't even offer 21 inch tires or only by (extra expensive) special order. Even 19 inch tires are quite hard to come by here, there just isn't much demand.
charliestyr
EVangelist
Ok, sorry this is going slightly off topic but anyway. I am from Europe, I know what is considered a 'small' car here. I never referred to the Golf as small. In the UK the smallest wheels you can get on the A8 are 18", my apologies as I checked the German site and yes you can get 17". I am willing to bet that almost zero A8s are ordered with those wheels, even for use as winter wheels I suspect the demand is low. I realise that the larger wheels are optional, as are the 21" on the Model S. You can get up to 21" wheels on an A8 as well.
And as an aside I am yet to have seen a current model A8 with less than the 19" wheels.
I do not disagree that 21" tyres are expensive and off putting to many people, especially in Europe, although I think it's slightly dramatic to say 19" tyres are hard to come by. My father for example drives a car comparable to size of the Model S (I am trying to sell him on a Model S next time around :wink
with 20" wheels and has no problems getting them replaced at our local garage (not a big place). Ultimately I don't think people will be put off by the Model S because they are forced into 19" wheels minimum. At all. It's perfectly normal in a car that size, and as I said before, the Gen III is likely to be more popular in Europe, and that won't be be 19/21, 17/19 would make more sense, and comparing with a 3-series/A4 (and Passat..) those cars will have those kind of wheels, A4 starting at 17" for example (up to 20" (!) on a "performance" model).
Charlie -
