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Unplugged Gives the Tesla Model X a Look More Suited to Its Performance

Most people will agree that the Tesla Model X isn't a pretty car. Even those who bought it didn't do so because they were charmed beyond measure by the electric SUV's lines.
Tesla Model X with Unplugget body kit 6 photos
Photo: Unplugged
Tesla Model X with Unplugget body kitTesla Model X with Unplugget body kitTesla Model X with Unplugget body kitTesla Model X with Unplugget body kitTesla Model X with Unplugget body kit
It's not an ugly car, but it can't hide the fact it's quite porky, even by SUV standards. Yes, you could actually say it's rather compact for a seven-seater, but its overall shape is very rounded, almost like a minivan's. Some might even use the word "bloated."

Be that as it may, a lot of fast cars have suffered defeat at the hand of this electric piglet in quarter-mile drag races, so if there was ever a car with more deceivingly tame looks than the Model X, we sure can't think of it. This SUV will fit an entire family, and then go to the drag strip and give a Chevrolet Corvette something to cry about.

However, not everybody likes to drive a sleeper. Well, we say "sleeper" even though, by now they all know what to expect from a Model X P100D. Modified Teslas are few and far between which is essentially a testament to their excellent design, but now and then a tuning company decides to try its hand and make one of two models look more... different.

For one thing, the Unplugged Model X has lowered suspension. In theory, this should make any car look sportier. On the X, though, it just makes it resemble a beached whale. Or a midget rhino. Well, a large animal that, for whatever reason, has very short legs. Last time we checked, that wasn't a recipe for moving fast.

That impression is further supported by the wheel arch extenders. Apart from that, the only other bits that got modified were the front and rear bumpers and the side skirts. If the latter are nothing to write home about, the front and rear lower parts of the car are completely changed.

If the rest of the Model X uses rounded lines and bulby shapes, these two are full or angular cuts and a plethora of creases that offer a sharp contrast to the initial design. These things can sometimes work, but we feel they don't here. In fact, we'd say the Model X is one of those rare cars that can't be tuned.

It's not to say its design is perfect, but it manages to strike a balance that can be offset incredibly easy and with disasterous results. The Unplugged effort is just one more proof for this theory.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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