A nice set of wheels can really transform the look of a car. At the same time, expensive wheels can be stressful to live with, as stone chips and curb hits take their toll. To that end, Unplugged Performance has built a new wheel it believes can better take the hits of real-life driving, and it’s marketing it to a certain class of driver.
The wheel in question is called the UP Forged Road Warrior. It’s currently offered for the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, and is intended to equip the Tesla Cybercab in future for use in the Robotaxi fleet. The company is calling this “the world’s first indestructible wheel.” It’s backing that claim up with a life time warranty. “Break it and it’s replaced for free,” notes the ad copy.
It’s a bold claim, and an unusual one at that. While wheel manufacturers compete on things like weight and durability, few specifically market their wheels as “indestructible,” or being able to shrug off potholes and curb hits. To this end, the wheels have a couple of innovative design features that specifically suit them to surviving rough treatment.
As you might expect, the wheels are a forged design—a manner of producing the wheels which allows for greater strength than simpler casting processes. They’re apparently made out of aerospace grade 6061-T6 aluminum, which sounds pretty good, and Unplugged Performance states they also have the highest load rating out of any Tesla aftermarket wheel out there. The wheels are designed to suit the standard tires fitted by Tesla, though the wheels are slightly narrower than the OEM rims. The company notes this provides a little extra protection, since the sidewall bulges out a little more. This means it’s more likely you might just clip a curb with the rubber tire, rather than the rim itself.
The best bit, though? The wheels feature a replaceable curb guard, also manufactured out of aluminum. This is effectively a metal ring that sits over the wheel itself, taking the brunt of the damage when the wheel hits or scrapes along a curb. The company demonstrates this with an amusing video in which the wheels are intentionally slammed into the curb.
It’s painful to watch, but it’s a vote of confidence in a key feature of the product. The curb guard appears to be a metal trim ring that sticks on top of the rim itself, and can be replaced without removing the tires. This is in contrast to rim protection solutions like AlloyGators, which can require deflating the tires or even refitting them to install properly. Replacement curb guards cost $80 for a pack of two, so it doesn’t cost too much to refresh your rims after a hit or seven.
The company also took measures to make the wheels as aerodynamically efficient as possible, choosing Tesla’s 18″ Aero wheels as their benchmark. According to the company’s wind tunnel testing, the 20″ Road Warrior wheel recorded a drag coefficent of 0.273. That’s almost as good as Tesla’s regular 18″ wheel (0.272), while comparable to the Tesla 18″ with Aero cover at 0.263.
The only thing that strikes a little weird is the company’s insistence on marketing these wheels for Cybercab/Robotaxi use. “A first-of-its-kind forged wheel built for the future of autonomous mobility and the Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi fleet,” reads the company press release. It’s hardly a vote of confidence in Tesla’s self-driving technology.
Now, one wouldn’t imagine that these autonomous vehicles would be smashing into curbs on the regular. Nor is it obvious why they would specifically need an especially strong wheel. Apparently, though, that’s exactly the line of thinking over at Unplugged Performance.
The Road Warrior wheels don’t come cheap, but that’s pretty typical for forged aftermarket wheels. A set of 19″ rims will set you back $2,775, or $2,995 for the 20″ version. However, if you’ve got a 2026 Model Y, for a limited time, the company will give you a $1,000 rebate if you trade in your OEM wheels.
Overall, the Road Warrior wheel is a moderately interesting product marketed in a strange way. If they were sold merely as the toughest Tesla aftermarket wheels out there, we’d get it. We’re not particularly sure why they are so perfect for Robotaxi use, though, other than the fact that those vehicles will probably be racking up a lot of miles. Still, if you’ve got a fleet of Model 3s or Model Ys that are really racking up the miles, and your drivers are always slamming them into curbs, you might find these wheels particularly appealing. Particularly with that warranty on offer.
Image credits: Unplugged Performance
Steelie’s are the way to go here. Much tougher than light alloys and steel can be hammered back in shape with a small sledge.
Came here to say this.
Add a simple moon hubcap and you’re good to go.
(I wonder what the aero on that would be?)
Also came here to say this – go for the moon!
(also go for ALL the sidewall!)
Exactly – Smaller diameter steelies with more sidewall would be no heavier than larger alloys and rubber-band tires. More sidewall makes the ride better too.
Wow, that was fast! Just last week I saw a car with a ‘Normalize hitting the curb’ bumper sticker. And here we are.
Although this feels like reinventing something that already exists (more sidewall + hubcaps, especially for fleet applications), I have to admit those wheels look pretty cool, especially with the two tone paintjob.
Steelies are pretty indestructible, that’s why they are used on cop cars, taxis, fleet vehicles, etc.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-lucid-air-cop-car-rides-on-steelies-and-thats-the-best-part-of-it
I’ve owned several vehicles with alloy wheels and have managed to rash them all. It’s a horrible feeling when you do so. Especially the first time.
Honestly, I’d be fine with steelies and stylish, but cheap, easily replaceable hub caps. I don’t know whether there’s a significant difference in unsprung weight between the two. I don’t think I would be able to tell one from the other, even if there is.
The weight difference is pretty significant. My comparisons were for 15″-16″ alloy vs steelie so I have to assume that scales up pretty hard in the 18″-20″ range. Idk how an 18″ steelie would do against a 20″ alloy though.
Yeah… but I don’t drive 10/10 where that unsprung weight might make a difference. I can only think of a handful of times I have even come close to using what my car was capable of, always avoidance maneuvers.
And bollards, and signs, and gates, and bicycles, and fire hydrants, and children.
These things don’t work so well in any city with bike lanes, center pedestrian boulevards, or dedicated BRTs from the footage I’ve seen. Apparently the combination of markings and open space confuses them and they stop and try to turn away, like a particularly skittish horse.
Pro-tip; buy tires at least 10mm wider than stock and dip your mirrors when parallel parking against a curb. Also, stay away from delicate looking wheel designs. I guess I’m not the only one getting right up against the curb to avoid door dings. I prefer practice to avoid wheel damage instead of insanely expensive wheels.
Or, don’t drive into curbs.
if(curb)
Do Not.HIT
Lets upload that into a tesla and see how it goes
Hit a curb hard enough and something will break. If the wheels truly won’t then stuff that it’s bolted to will. Pick your poison.
Yeah, though I see this as more of a curb-rash solution than an answer to a full-on tie rod-bending bang. (But yeah, the “indestructible” stuff is silly).
I’d rather have taller tire sidewalls and shorter wheels.
Also: wheels are made to break, especially with the modern offset crash tests. That way they don’t stay intact and protrude into the cabin/passenger cell.
Maybe it’s simply time to bring back curb feelers?
In the 21st century? We can do better. Lasers, LIDAR, cameras, ultrasonic proximity sensors take your pick.
(Or if you don’t mind looking like an oversized Luddite kitty cat I suppose you could go with the whiskers.)
I was, of course, being a bit flippant (because aren’t autonomous vehicles supposed to have this tech anyway, negating the purpose of ‘indestructible wheels’ in the first place?).
Flippancy aside, those 21st century sensors can all fail but curb feelers will be reliable for life.
Plus, with eyelashes over the headlights and pointy ears over the side mirrors, the whiskers will complete the kitty look! Meow!
These are awesome, especially because the factory 3 and y rims are trash. I had one bent when I bought my 3 and when I replaced it, the discount tire guy said he was more surprised when he saw teslas that didn’t have bent rims. They’re soft and extend past the sidewall and curb so easily
Three grand a set for aluminum wheels has to be stunningly profitable.
But probably not as profitable percentage-wise as the Tesla diner hot dog at 13 bucks.
That’s a pretty average cost for a set of forged wheels. Even on the low end compared to some of the big players. Forged wheels have never been cheap
The curb guards should – all – come from the factory in dull silver aluminum finish, not black, in order to hide the first few hits.
I’m not seeing anything particularly innovative here. They’re forged wheels, which, yeah, I would hope so at that price point, but beyond a stick-on curb guard, which you can buy on eBay and put on literally any wheel, what’s the big deal? Just seems like a lot of marketing nonsense to me.
Are those eBay offerings metal? Most are plastic, which while offering some form of protection, aren’t as strong. Also, the wheels being originally designed to accept some form of protection strip, means it’ll likely look a lot nicer than wheels not originally designed to accept a protection strip.
Is it worth the price? I’m not sure. But I sure wish more wheels offered something similar. Heck, loads of wheel companies don’t even offer touch-up paint.
I’m sure they’re nice wheels, but the robotaxi reference is purely marketing fluff to tie-in to “the next big thing.” I’m surprised they didn’t say they’re “AI-enabled”.
Maybe I should start a hat company that sells “first of its kind snap-back ball cap built for the future of humanoid robot integration and the Tesla humanoid robot”.
Whistlin’ Diesel is gonna buy a set of these, fit them to a Cybertruck, then launch it off 100′ cliff to test their “indestructible” claim.
Finally! A practical use for a Cybertruck.
“Finally! A SECOND practical use for a Cybertruck”
FIFY. Here’s the first:
https://supercarblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/Tesla-Cybertruck-Dumpster-Wrap-rear.jpg
We’re going to need a lot of robots to change all of those $80 protector rings that the robots will be scraping into curbs.
I think that my Fowler has indestructible wheels!
Nah, it’s just seen my MIL try to parallel park
Prove they can withstand potholes and half of the US will want them.
I speak from ignorance as I say this, but are potholes (outside of what I hear about urban Detroit) really eating wheels that often?
I’m kinda old and I have NEVER damaged a wheel in a pothole. I grew up in the rust belt, lived in Cleveland proper when it was NOT nice at all, commuted back and forth across it, drove between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, then all over Pitts for years. I’ve hit some pretty gnarly holes, but have yet to crack or break an alloy.
Just the other day, I was taking my wife to the airport in her S90 that has the rubber band tires and hit a real fucker of a hole on the damn freeway at 80mph. That bastard made me clack my teeth it was so nasty. Wheel is fine and that one really had me worried.
I had spent my entire life (42 years of driving) without ever damaging a wheel in a pothole (although I did blow out a one week old shock once – in Detroit) until last year. I bought a Volvo V70, and the first day I was driving it to work I hit a pothole and bent both front and rear right side rims.
As a serial volvo owner, I’m really surprised that you were able to trash a wheel on a v70. I have a dead one in my driveway (I promise to fix it, really) and the wheels are like 16″ I think? It’s like trying to break a ball bearing. I do love how itty bitty they are when I have to take one off, they’re so light and tiny!
Sorry about your bad luck. If things don’t work out for me, I may well have a P2 to part out…
Mine are 17″ aluminum factory wheels. Bent both bad enough that they won’t hold air.
On some wheels, yeah, they’re more susceptible to damage. The Germans and Tesla are notorious for having delicate wheels. Tiny sidewalls and aluminum alloys aren’t a good recipe for minimizing damage, especially when wheels are designed to fail in the event of a crash so that they don’t turn into ballistic debris.
I think the vulnerability depends a lot on how much sidewall you have. 17″ and above look out!
I’ve trashed tires on potholes, but not rims.
Now we just need this company to make tires, tie rods, control arms, half shafts, struts, and springs!
Honestly, they probably just needed ACTUAL CURB FEELERS that could tell the driver — played by Conan O’Brian’s old character Pimpbot, obviously — when they were too close to the curb.
Or, here’s a thought…
Lidar?
Seems cool, but I prefer my steelies, and there isn’t a Tesla that I actually want to own.
This needs to be on an Autopian shirt or something.
The replaceable rub rings should be a standard feature of ALL alloy wheels. Maybe make them out of Delrin or something, though, instead of metal, just so it doesn’t make as horrible of a noise when it does get curbed.
So, they reinvented the hubcap?
I really wish that nice hubcaps were still a thing. I think it would be neat to have a set of something like Moon discs over the wheels on something like an Ioniq 6, which might even put some extra range on it. And I think they’d look neat on my 500e, too. EVs and hybrids that use a lot more regen than traditional braking seem like they’d be a great use-case.
Especially seen as a lot of them are fairly retro in styling, like the 500E and E-Cooper. I’m picturing some vintage hubcap styles in a satin media-blasted aluminum finish. It’d be nice if the hubcaps are easy to interchange so they can be solid for low drag on the non-powered axle and vented for brake cooling on the axle without regen without making tire rotations a huge hassle.
I also just think that different, coordinated wheels front and back look phenomenal when done right. Think of 90s race cars with turbofans on just the front, it’s such a vibe.
https://www.mooneyesusa.com/MOON-Disc-s/211.htm
But then you also need steelies that those will snap onto. Which aren’t easily available for cars that have never had a steel wheel option. Factory aero wheels on EVs should be an option or the default on ALL trim levels. I’m still annoyed that the only trim level you can get the smaller-diameter (lighter, comfier) wheels on the Ioniq 6 is the very base trim. I want the loaded version with the good seats and stereo AND the longer range and better ride that the 18″ wheels get you, without having to buy another set of wheels from god only knows where.
Yeah, I just checked, and there is ONE set of the 18″ wheels available from a recycler. For $350 EACH. Without tires. Before shipping.
He knows what he’s got.
Yeah. A monopoly, apparently.
These are supposed to fit but they only ship within Canada: https://thewheelshop.ca/products/rnb-steel-wheel-18×7-0-5×114-3-40-67-1-black-e-coating
Steel wheels are generally available and stocked in the snow belt areas as many people use them for winter tires.