Staggered tires or not?

[Rodolfo Paiz]

I could use some advice from the brain trust here, please. I'm about to upgrade to one of the new Model S P100D's with Ludicrous. I'm also considering a change to these 20" T Sportline wheels and Michelin PS4S tires.

For street and highway driving, in order to get the best possible performance (defined as overall road-holding in turns and stops, with acceleration a secondary concern), would the best choice be a staggered setup with 9" wheels and 245/40 tires in front plus 10" wheels and 275/40 tires in back? Or would it be best to stick with a square setup where all wheels are 9" and all tires are 245/20?

More broadly, for which purposes or under which circumstances is each setup recommended?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Zishan]

Rodolfo, in my humble opinion:

Staggered - looks better, more aggressive.
Non-staggered - more practical, can easily rotate tires, tire choices might be easier, as looking for one size, verse two, wheels might be cheaper, tires might be cheaper etc.

From a performance standpoint, I imagine in theory, wider wheels in the back is supposed to net you more traction, thus better acceleration times. But with the Tesla's awd, I think this point is negligible.


Again, the above are my opinions. Personally, I like the staggered look, but wouldn't change my wheels if they were squared, or vice versa. For you, I think it's really personal opinion.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

What little I know, or think I know, squares up perfectly with what you've suggested, Zishan. Thanks for your input. I hope others with more experience and knowledge will also chime in to help us understand the pros/cons better.

 

[Russell]

With staggered, will you feel a difference in handling? Probably not. Will you see the difference in the way your car looks? Absolutely.

I have staggered with the same tires you listed, but with 8.5" rims up front and 275/35 on the back.
Most people get 9" up front but I went with 8.5" for the added rim protection. While I have not compared 2 rims side by side, I highly doubt the face(dish) of the rim looks any different.
The 275 on the back still looks a little stretched for my liking so when it wears out, I will get either 285 or 295.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Russell, what wheels were you using?

 

[Russell]

Brixton PF1 3-piece Brixton Forged PF1 | Brixton Forged Wheel Collection 2018