Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

You guys are going to shoot me but I have a question on Rial Lugano wheels

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Hello Enthusiasts! So I am coming toward my one year anniversary on my awesome MS and I feel that it is time to get some custom wheels. I flat out refuse to buy the 21" wheels. While I would have done so despite the cost, (because they look amazing), I have too many friends with performance tires that are replacing them every 6 to 9 months just from around-town driving. Plus, I have read a lot of reports from MS owners about the same experience. I simply don't have the bandwidth to deal with that every year or or more often than that. So I am kicking around the notion of buying either the Rial Lugano 19" wheels in silver or the Tesla Cyclones in silver. I have a blue MS and the upgraded tires. I don't like the TSportline wheels as much as the Rials. Honestly, in terms of optical appearance, I like the Luganos A LOT but I am worried after reading about other buyer's having their Lugano wheels bent when hitting potholes with no tire damage. It makes me wonder if they aren't manufactured to very high standards or they can't support the weight of the MS. (I do understand that this is not an issue with the TSportline as they are supposedly made for the Tesla MS but I don't care for them. I think they look too masculine). I only do around-town driving in my MS but I live in a city with potholes.

Essentially my question is which wheels do you guys prefer, the Rial Luganos or the Tesla Cyclones? Does anyone have pictures they'd like to post? Any thoughts on which of these two are made better? Thank you in advance for your help!
 
I prefer the Rial's. Buying them may also be an opportunity to go to 8.5 widths, over the stock 8's (at least in the rear). The Cyclones are part of the "options margin", at about a 150% premium to Rial. All 4 of the last 4 inventory cars I saw had them ($2,500), which to me made the discount somewhat artificial. Charging more for the Cyclones is like an upcharge for horizontal wood grain, which I wouldn't put past them ;) .
 
I prefer the Rial's. Buying them may also be an opportunity to go to 8.5 widths, over the stock 8's (at least in the rear). The Cyclones are part of the "options margin", at about a 150% premium to Rial. All 4 of the last 4 inventory cars I saw had them ($2,500), which to me made the discount somewhat artificial. Charging more for the Cyclones is like an upcharge for horizontal wood grain, which I wouldn't put past them ;) .

Ha Ha! You are so right about that. Anyway, after I posted that I called TireRack and spoke to a super helpful and informed guy named Kyle. He told me flat out that the Rials have been perfectly fine with the MS and only a few instances of problems, which he said is very comparable to any other aftermarket wheel. He also told me that in October they are introducing one with a hole in the middle so that the Tesla logo from the original wheels can be inserted into the wheel and thus the wheel would not appear to be aftermarket at all. The price will remain the same. I am pretty sure I am going to get the Rials. I do like the Cyclones but I don't love them. The one thing that made me think that would be a good way to go is that at least they are manufactured by Tesla.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and thank you by the way! I appreciate your insight.
 
I love my Gunmetal Rials, they did great last Winter here in Pittsburgh, which has its fair share of potholes. No dents or bent rims that I know of. Having said that, I will probably sell the Rials because I have picked up a silver and a grey set of the TSportline TSTs. We posted tons of pictures last year of cars with the Rials, in this thread (which is sixty pages long!):

19 Turbine Wheel Solution

Page 51 has some good pics. What color is your MS?
 
Last edited:
I love my Gunmetal Rials, they did great last Winter here in Pittsburgh, which has its fair share of potholes. No dents or bent rims that I know of. Having said that, I will probably sell the Rials because I have picked up a silver and a grey set of the TSportline TSTs. We posted tons of pictures last year of cars with the Rials, in this thread (which is sixty pages long!):

19 Turbine Wheel Solution

Page 51 has some good pics. What color is your MS?

Thanks for the link! I will check those photos out. My MS is Pacific Blue, (or I guess just called Blue now). I really love it. What color is yours?
 
I love my Gunmetal Rials, they did great last Winter here in Pittsburgh, which has its fair share of potholes. No dents or bent rims that I know of. Having said that, I will probably sell the Rials because I have picked up a silver and a grey set of the TSportline TSTs. We posted tons of pictures last year of cars with the Rials, in this thread (which is sixty pages long!):

19 Turbine Wheel Solution

Page 51 has some good pics. What color is your MS?


Thank you for the link! I tried to reply earlier but it didn't allow my comment to post. I have the Pacific Blue MS (now just called "Blue"). I really love it. What about you?
 
Mine is dark green, and the Gunmetal Rials look fantastic with the dark color. I think the thread I liked has pics with Blue also.

Rial Luganos Installed 1.JPG
 
Mine is dark green, and the Gunmetal Rials look fantastic with the dark color. I think the thread I liked has pics with Blue also.

View attachment 57750

Oh the green is amazing. I have only seen one in Houston and it is the bomb. It is such a different color of green than any other green car I've seen. It's like greenish-black. It's really pretty. You definitely went with the right rim color. What color interior do you have? I checked the links for blue MS with silver rims in the Rial Lugano but I didn't see any. I guessed I missed it. Do you have an idea of what page you saw it on? i scrolled through about ten pages before and after page 51. I think I did see a blue with dark rims but that's too boyish. ha ha

- - - Updated - - -

I have been using the Rials for my winter wheel set. This last winter we had some really rough roads. I have hit a few pot holes too. No issues thus far.


That's what the Tire Rack person told me as well. He said they've had very few complaints. They are really beautiful wheels and then you don't have to go replacing the tires just from driving down street. ;)
 
Another happy Rial buyer. Used them for 19" wheels this past winter. Horrendous potholes and pothole hits this winter. The wheels and tires survived perfectly!

You guys have definitely convinced me to go with the Rials. Thanks!! It's interesting, (and should be a little worrying to Tesla), that for the most part, few people seem to love the cyclone wheels. I think they are very nice but I have to admit I prefer the Rials. Maybe someone will weigh in preferring the cyclones.

- - - Updated - - -

Check post #508, I think KevinCWelch has blue with gunmetal Rials, though the pics make it look black. It is here:

19 Turbine Wheel Solution

Thanks. Yes, I saw that one. It's a great guy's car. But I think I prefer something more silver. The blue is so dark as-is. :)

- - - Updated - - -

C'mon xhawk101, chime in anytime.

He has the Luganos. They do look incredible.

Plus one. I would love to see pics.
 
I usually prefer OEM Factory parts when available. The Cyclones utilize the OEM center caps, OEM lug nuts, have a factory 8" width, and proper 64mm C-B with a 40mm ET. A few owners have reported very minor front tire rubbing while in reverse at a sharp turning angle due to the 8mm offset difference. Some SC's will not touch aftermarket wheels nor non-OEM tires. I am starting to see some good prices on low to no mileage cyclones with tires in the For Sale Thread. You should basically be fine with the Rials as others have reported.
 
Last edited:
Totally agree. The Luganos look GREAT, but I really think silver/metallic colored rims are a necessity on a very dark colored car. You need some contrast.

I'm perplexed as I have a Steel Grey coming in a couple weeks and agree with the contrasting remark also but love the mix of the Machined w/ Titan Gunmetal Acct just because it offers a little aftermarket flair. Wish I could find real pix of this wheel on a dark Tesla.
 
Last edited:
I'm perplexed as I have a Steel Grey coming in a couple weeks and agree with the contrasting remark also but love the mix of the Machined w/ Titan Gunmetal Acct just because it offers a little aftermarket flair. Wish I could find real pix of this wheel on a dark Tesla.

The "aftermarket" look is cool in its own right, and if that's what you want, you should go for it. On Steel Grey, it's at least a bit more contrast than on the black or (super dark) blue. I just think as a matter of physiology that the eye wants to see some contrast to help accentuate the lines and features of the car. That's why the black/gunmetal rims looks so damn cool on a white (or MC red) car.

You really can't go wrong either way.
 
I am kicking around the notion of buying either the Rial Lugano 19" wheels in silver or the Tesla Cyclones in silver. I have a blue MS and the upgraded tires. I don't like the TSportline wheels as much as the Rials. Honestly, in terms of optical appearance, I like the Luganos A LOT

Devils advocate: You seriously don't like the TSTs as much as the Rials? The TSTs have the benefit of using the factory lugs and the factory center caps (though I think the new Rials can take a factory center cap). And they look gorgeous also:

photo 2.JPG
26-IMG_1736.JPG
TSportline Tess Pic.jpg
 
Devils advocate: You seriously don't like the TSTs as much as the Rials? The TSTs have the benefit of using the factory lugs and the factory center caps (though I think the new Rials can take a factory center cap).

The TSTs weren't even announced when I ordered and received my Rials. I likely would have gone for the TSTs for the closer to factory 21 look, caps, lug nuts etc. but having said that, I am very pleased with the Rials and don't regret my decision.