Tesla Model 3 & Model Y On UP-RW Road Warrior Wheels

Tesla’s two best-selling models keep getting harder to argue with. The Model 3 Performance still runs a combined 510 horsepower to a 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 2.9 seconds, a 163 mph (262 km/h) top speed, and an EPA-estimated 309 miles (497 km) of range, all for a car that starts in the mid $50,000s before incentives. The Model Y lineup got a full Juniper redesign that carried the same design language down through every trim, from the $39,990 Standard RWD good for 321 miles (517 km), up through the Performance model’s 460 horsepower, 3.3 second 0-60 mph (97 km/h) sprint, 155 mph (249 km/h) top speed, and 306 mile (492 km) range at roughly $57,990. Between the two, there is no version of Tesla’s volume lineup right now that feels like a compromise buy. You are getting real performance, real range, and Tesla’s charging network no matter which one ends up in the driveway.

Which makes a matched pair like this one worth a closer look. This build pairs an Ultra Red 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance with a Quicksilver 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper Launch Series, both riding on the same wheel: Unplugged Performance UP-RW Road Warrior. The Launch Series was the trim that opened the Juniper refresh, built on the Long Range AWD drivetrain and priced from $59,990, good for 456 horsepower, a 4.6 second run to 60 mph (97 km/h), a 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed, and an EPA-estimated 327 miles (526 km) of range. Same wheel design on two very different Teslas. And for both, offering a range-optimized design. As a result, the kind of cohesive garage that only happens when the wheel choice does the heavy lifting.

The Wheel: UP Forged UP-RW Road Warrior

The UP-RW Road Warrior is built from forged 6061-T6 aluminum and rated to handle more than 950 kg per wheel, which Unplugged Performance backs with a free lifetime replacement guarantee if a wheel ever bends or cracks under normal use. The design leans into that durability with a narrower 8.5-inch width that lets the factory tire bulge slightly past the wheel lip, cushioning the barrel against curb strikes, and a replaceable Curb Guard Ring that lets you restore the look after a scrape without pulling the tire or replacing the whole wheel. It is a genuinely different pitch than most forged wheels on the market, less about outright lightness and more about being the last wheel you have to buy.

That said, it is not heavy for what it is. A 20-inch Road Warrior weighs 25.98 lbs, with the 19-inch at 23.54 lbs and the 18-inch at 22.40 lbs, all lighter than the OEM cast wheels it replaces. The aerodynamic disc face was CFD-tested against Tesla’s own lowest-drag wheels, so the efficiency case holds up alongside the durability one. A set of four runs $2,595 to $2,995 depending on size and finish, available in 18×8.5, 19×8.5, and 20×8.5, all at a shared +32 offset. The catalog finish is a two-tone Satin Black with a Satin Gunmetal ring, though both cars in this build wear the alternate two-tone pairing, Satin Black with a Satin Titanium ring, which reads slightly warmer against Ultra Red and Quicksilver than the gunmetal option would.

Sizing and Fitment on Both Cars

Both Teslas in this build run the same setup, 20×8.5 +32 front and rear, which keeps the Road Warrior’s square design intact and means either owner can rotate tires corner to corner without worrying about a staggered fitment. The tire choice is where the builds diverge. The Model 3 Performance wears Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires sized 245/35ZR20, a sensible all-season pick for a car that already sacrifices some range and ride comfort for handling. The Model Y runs Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 tires at 255/40R20, an ultra-high-performance summer option that leans further into grip. Same wheel, two different personalities, which is really the point of a modular platform like the Road Warrior.

The Rest of the Red Rocket Build

The Model 3 Performance goes well beyond wheels here. It runs UP Race Pro Coilovers with the Adaptive Damping Canceller, UP’s Street and Track adjustable sway bar set, and UP billet camber and toe arms out back, all aimed at sharpening a car that was already one of the more capable sport sedans at its price point. A carbon fiber full aero kit and 15mm rear wheel spacers round out the exterior, pushing the wheels out slightly for a fuller stance without upsetting the Road Warrior’s fitment. The Model Y takes a lighter touch, with UP’s Dual-Rate Linear Lowering Springs set to the moderate drop to tighten up the ride height, plus a set of UP’s superlight titanium lug nuts in black to finish the look, which is the right call on a family SUV that still needs to do SUV things.

Want the Look for Less? Meet the UP-RW FF

Not every Model 3 or Model Y owner needs the forged wheel’s 950 kg load rating or lifetime guarantee, and Unplugged Performance built the UP-RW FF for exactly that buyer. The FF stands for flow-formed, a more accessible construction process that still starts from the same aero-driven face as the forged Road Warrior. In CFD testing, the flow-formed wheel measured within 0.010 Cd of Tesla’s own 18-inch Photon Aero Covered wheel, one of the most efficient wheels ever built for the platform, so the efficiency case carries over even without the forged construction.

For the Model 3, the UP-RW FF ships as a complete 19×8.5 +30 wheel and tire package, bundling four wheels, tires, TPMS sensors, and mount and balance labor into one order. Buyers pick between the EV-focused Hankook iON evo AS, the performance-leaning Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4, the value-minded BFGoodrich Advantage Control, or the winter-ready Michelin X-Ice Snow, all in 235/40ZR19, with pricing from $2,808 to $3,248 for the full package. It is a genuinely different value proposition than the forged wheel: less about surviving decades of curb strikes, more about getting the Road Warrior look and aero benefit onto the car without the forged price tag.

Get This Build on Your Tesla

We carry both the forged UP-RW Road Warrior and the flow-formed UP-RW FF for Model 3 and Model Y, in the same fitments shown on this build. If you are trying to decide between the two, it really comes down to how you use the car and how much you care about never buying another wheel again. Our team can walk you through offset, tire sizing, and which finish will actually survive your daily commute before you order anything. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more info.

Want to see how this exact pairing looks from every angle, on both cars, before you decide? Scroll down to the media gallery for this build, where you’ll find the full set of shots showing the Road Warrior wheel on both the Model 3 Performance and the Model Y in person.