The CYBRHEX forged wheel is developed through a groundbreaking partnership with Sasha Selipanov, an accomplished sports car designer (his work can be seen on the Lamborghini Huracan, Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg Gemera, Koenigsegg CC850, and other iconic automobiles) to encapsulate the spirit of the retro-futuristic Tesla Cybertruck

With the advent of the Cybertruck, a bold new design language was introduced into the Tesla brand. We felt it was only appropriate to develop specialized products specifically for this new era of Tesla.  In our approach to the iconoclastic Cybertruck, we needed not only a wheel that looked right with the design visually, but that could put up with the rigors of carrying heavy loads, towing heavier loads, and dealing with the roughest terrain on earth, the Moon or Mars.

“I’m thrilled to team up with Unplugged Performance for this new wheel design. We aimed for something that looks equally at home on Earth and on Mars. The result is a great match for the brutalist aesthetics of the Tesla Cybertruck.” – Sasha Selipanov

The design inspiration dates back over a decade, representing a visual that would be equally appropriate inserted in Sci-Fi films of old, but also, on vehicles a 100 years in the future, on some distant planet colonized by humans

The origins of the CYBRHEX design go back to the 2007 “Pharaoh” concept car by Sasha, long before his storied work with the famous Supercar brands that followed. Sasha and Ben Schaffer (UP Co-Founder/CEO) are friends, and in a late-night conversation, Sasha was sharing some of his old concept car sketches. Ben was immediately taken with the time defying design and presence of the Pharaoh.

“There’s a shared quality of timelessness with both the Pharaoh concept and the Cybertruck. The 70’s inspired wedge design in both cases represents a visual that would be equally appropriate inserted in scenes from the 1970s, the 2000s, or even a hundred years into the future. This design aesthetic also would be equally appropriate on earth or roaming the surface of other planets. A desire to push the limits of design, and a shared passion for the art of making exciting cars inspired our collaboration to turn the concept into reality.” – Ben Schaffer

In the time that followed, we’ve engineered this timeless wheel design concept that Sasha ideated back in 2007 into a high-performance rugged option machined out of forged 6061-T6 billet aluminum. When viewed in person, the wheel plays a visual trick in that it looks like CG in real life. This brings on a similar feeling the first time we saw the Cybertruck in person.

“It is fantastic to see the return of brutalist “wedge” shapes to car design. Pioneered in the 1970s by the great Italian design masters this form language always looked towards the future and towards space exploration in particular. My 2007 Pharaoh sketches (pictured below) were inspired by that era in car design, I am thrilled to have contributed to Unplugged Performance’s new CYBRHEX wheel.” – Sasha Selipanov

Going from design concept to reality has a long list of steps along the way. Over the year that followed Ben & Sasha’s initial ideas, we’ve collectively tackled major engineering and production challenges to bring such a unique shape to market and make it WORK.

Produced in aerospace-grade 6061-T6 forged aluminum for maximum weight savings and durability, the Unplugged Performance CYBRHEX wheels are built from the ground up to perform. The end result is the first wheel designed and engineered specifically for the Cybertruck with toughness and design-DNA appropriate for an adventure filled CYBR future.

Key takeaways for the Unplugged Performance CYBRHEX wheels

• Designed in collaboration with famed supercar designer Sasha Selipanov and featuring his iconic “Sash!” signature engraved on the barrel
• Produced in lightweight forged 6061-T6 aerospace-grade aluminum for superior strength and over-engineered for the rigorous Cybertruck use
• 20″, 21″, and 22″ inch applications are initially available or all Tesla vehicles
• Cybertruck fitment wheels will not ship until final validation and testing is completed on the production-spec vehicle. All Cybertruck images are 3d renderings.
• Unique hexagonal centercap
• Anti-slip knurling, an F1 race car technology, designed to reduce tire slip
• Designed specifically for factory Tesla TPMS, lug nuts, and center bores
• Accepts all Tesla factory components:  TPMS, Tesla lug nuts, and correct Tesla center bore
• Note: for those who choose the Gloss Black/Machined 2-tone finish, the Machined sections are left with the raw machined look and may show lines and other markings from the machining process.