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Talk me out of ordering a set of 21" Turbine Wheels for my P85D

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I ordered my P85D with 19"s before the 21"'s were mandatory. My concern is the awful roads we have here in the New York metro area which eat big tires with thin sidewalls for breakfast. But I've always liked the way the 21s look and Tesla's deciding to make them mandatory is causing me to rethink my decision since I want to get the maximum performance out of my car. So I'm thinking of making my 19s my "winter wheels" and going with an additional set of 21s.

Am I crazy?
 
nope. I like the 19s on mine, drove a P85 w/21s and the steering felt... sharper/crisper. However the ride also felt harsher. I don't know if the S/P 85 have different suspensions, but I do know with a bigger sidewall you'd get a cushier ride. In PA we also have pot holes that can swallow civics... so I stuck w/the 19s.

Also, for the 21s, your tire options (as far as I can tell from looking at tire rack) are limited to like.. 3-4 tires. on the 19s, you can pick from dozens of tires.
 
I have the 21s and am happy with them. No issues thus far but don't have tens of thousands of miles on them either. That said, if I already had the 19s, which it seems you do, I would not buy the 21s from Tesla unless it was a hell of a package deal. Instead I'd look at the wide range of 20" wheels available and choose one of them. You'll be able to get a lighter wheel for considerably less cost, and given the variety available probably be able to find one you think looks better too. Or you can spend a lot more, go monoblock forged and find one that is way lighter. Either way, better options in my view.
 
My sister in law just spent 2 hrs in the middle of the night on the side of the freeway near Bakersfield with a flat tire. In an escalade with 22s. She's had several flats. You choose, how it looks parked at the cars and coffee, or getting work reliably every day.
 
I had 21" wheel on my first model S for 2 years, and order the new one with 19" wheels.

19" is better on all aspects except for the look. In my case I think the car is nice enough with 19" and drinving it with 19" is much better.
Road in Quebec are even worth than in New York...
 
We decided to take the gray turbine 21's with our gray metallic 85. It was a tough choice though due to the price increase! We are used to sports cars so the ride is perfect for us. But we've got great roads here in AZ. I'm nervous to even pull this into those wheel-rolling carwashes because the wheels aren't just alloy anymore. I'd feel like crap if I got the paint chipped or worn.

If you've got torn up streets I would think twice about the 21's. Less tire height between the road and your rims means you can bend one pretty easy.
 
Reason #1 - The 21" look nice in pictures. In person the difference is there, but not as much.
Reason #2 - A large percentage of owners who get 21", end up selling them for cheap. So no sense paying $5500 to Tesla.
Look at TSportline, they replicate the 21" look in 19" form factor. A good midway compromise.
 
Reason #1 - The 21" look nice in pictures. In person the difference is there, but not as much.
Reason #2 - A large percentage of owners who get 21", end up selling them for cheap. So no sense paying $5500 to Tesla.
Look at TSportline, they replicate the 21" look in 19" form factor. A good midway compromise.
Holy cow! $425 a wheel for the 19" version of my 21's? I think that's a win/win. Save $3000+ on the rims and have the premium look you want with the rim size that works best for your area.
 
Suggest you keep the 19s, and buy a set of 20s with sticky summer tires like the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Better overall cost ($3K for a set of PSS + TSW rims), arguably better all around tire wall profile and you have two sets of wheels/tires.

Had 21's with PS2 tires on my P85+ (several damaged rims and flats) and moved to 19s on the P85D. The 19s were great in the winter, and now I have my 20s with updated (relative to PS2) Michelin tires.
 
Agreed with Blathering1. Some of our clients up North keep their 19" for winter driving and use our 21" Unplugged Performance UP-01 BBS wheels for the summer with stickier tires. I think it's a great idea if you can do that. Our UP-01 were engineered for the Model S, capable of handling up to almost twice the car's weight and with a redesigned mass distribution towards the center, making for an easier momentum to spin.
UPBBSandSideSkirts.jpg
 
You will get all kinds of input on this subject, I ordered the Model S with 19's and after 6 months decided to go to 21's. Are they practicle, no they are not. Do they handle better than the 19's, yes. Do they look better, yes. You probably will not get the longevity with tires on the 21's and curb rash is possible but still love them. I live in California so the roads are not the best but no snow in the winter.
 
OK. Say I'm thinking of just going 20"s. What's a good grey or black wheel to go with? Are there any staggered 20"s out there for the P85D?

Many many options of course. The TSW Nurburgrings in 20s have been used by a number of forum members, myself included, and are available in mirror face, bronze or grey, and are several pounds lighter than the stock rims. Ensure that the wheels you choose can support the weight of the Tesla, while keeping their weight down sub 30. The PSS in 255-40 fit, and give you a bit wider track. Vossen CVTs are a lightweight 20" option.

The PSS are glue on warm pavement, and so far the sidewall feels just as rigid on the 20s as the 21s (with PS2) on cornering.

I believe Tesla moved away from staggered with the AWD versions, but you could get those same TSWs with a wider rear track.

As for my approach, I chose the tire, wanting a Michelin Pilot Super Sport in 255-40 in a 20" size, then backfed into the wheel. The PSS is a very worthy successor to an amazing series of tires (the PS, the PS2 and then the PSS). I did not go staggered as I didn't sense a gain over the 255-40s would be had, and 4 identical all around is a bit less complicated.

The PSS have a modicum of additional noise than stock Primacy 19s, while you feel more connected to the road. In the summer, AC is on or the Windows are down, so any uptick in road noise is not noticed, and you are much more planted!
 
Staggered Vossen CVT's 20x10.5 in the rear with a 5mm spacer and 20x9 in the front. $4,200 all in with the tires and I got to keep my 19 inch stock wheels. I believe they are the perfect compromise after having had staggered 21 inch turbines on my P85+. Unlike Tesla, Vossen invested in 4 molds so all four wheels are directionaly correct.

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