The Tesla Model 3 is one of our favorite new cars on the market today, offering dynamic pure-electric performance in a sleek wrapper. Unfortunately, the EV is so popular and it's available in so few color and wheel combinations that if you live in a major city like San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York, you're liable to see yourself coming and going all the time. At the moment, Tesla offers just five paint colors and two wheel patterns -- far fewer than most automakers offer. The folks at Novitec are here to help.
Novitec, a well-established German aftermarket firm with a history of modifying Ferrari and Lamborghini models, has more recently been tuning the Tesla Model S and Model X. Now, it's finally turning its gaze to the Elon Musk and Company's most-popular offering, the Model 3. On the visual front, the company's new range of products includes everything from functional aerodynamic enhancements to 21-inch wheels, along with suspension tweaks and cabin refinements.
Chief among the exterior modifications is new front lip spoiler ($1,390) that builds on the Tesla Model 3's factory fascia. Not only does this provide visual differentiation when there are five other Midnight Silver Metallic Tesla Model 3 sedans in your local farmers' market parking lot, it also provides reduced front-end lift at high speeds for more planted handling. Along with the other body pieces detailed below, the pieces are offered in a bare carbon finish, but paint is optional.
Along the bodysides, Novitec has built out a set of wider rocker panels ($1,990) that add some visual aggression. These pieces tie in nicely to the 21-inch Novitec NV2 five double-spoke alloy wheels, forged by Vossen of Miami. The latter are available in no fewer than 72 colors as well as brushed or polished finishing. Pricing ranges from $1,850 per front wheel (9.0-inches wide) to $1,950 for the rear wheels (10.0-inches wide), plus $300 extra if you choose between special color range, brushed or polished finish.
If you're a stickler for design like we are, you'll appreciate that Vossen has taken the trouble to create two different wheel patterns so that the spokes are directionally correct on either side of the car. Not only does this provide for the best visuals, it also promotes proper brake cooling.
Out back, a subtle Novitec rear lip spoiler ($1,190) and diffuser ($1,390) round out the visual differences.
Custom Novitec rocker panels add subtle aggression to the Model 3's profile.
NovitecOn the suspension front, Novitec offers lowering springs that drop the Model 3 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) closer to the pavement for sportier handling and more aggressive visuals ($480-$490 depending on rear or all-wheel drive). If you don't want to keep the stock shocks, an even lower adjustable sport suspension setup is available that can snug the car closer to the ground by some 40 mm (1.6 inches). Pricing ranges from $3,360 for rear-drive Model 3s to $3,930 for all-wheel-drive examples.
Interestingly, Novitec claims lowering the ride height, which reduces drag, "can cut power consumption on long-distance routes by up to 7%." That sounds a shade optimistic to us, so we'll need to see the data or experience it in the real world before endorsing that claim. That said, improved aerodynamics should definitely go some way towards improving range.
Finally, Novitec says it'll happily retrim your Tesla 3's cabin in just about any color of leather or Alcantara faux suede you care to choose.
We like the subtleness of Novitec's changes, but they certainly aren't cheap. If you're looking for more aggressive changes, you might want to seek out a rival tuner like Revosport, which offers far more assertive visual changes. If this Novitec look is up your alley, however, company officials tell roadshow that parts are expected to arrive in North America beginning in four to five weeks.
Update, Aug. 6 at 2:58 p.m. PT: Parts pricing added.