ELECTRIC IDENTITY

A Tesla Named Titanium

- JEROME ANDRÉ

THE Hexis satin chrome blue wrap grabs attention even in a sea of highend builds.

THERE'S a difference between modifying a car and shaping your personal identity through it. For Ryan Sanford, the 2023 Tesla Model 3 Performance he calls Titanium is the end result of obsession, frustration, inspiration, and pride. This is what happens when someone sees potential not just in the car, but in themselves.

Long before Titanium wore its chrome blue sheen or had a crowd-gathering slammed stance, Ryan was driving a car that was far from show-ready. "I drove the same car for 10 years, a 2006 Scion tC," he says. It had served its purpose, but it was time for something quicker, newer, and most importantly, something modifiable. "I wanted something fast, even if some people would call it 'slow.' And I knew I had the intention of modifying it and making it a show car."

Like many modern builds, it began online. "I stumbled across several modified Teslas on Instagram, like @casper_model3, @tesla_r3x, and @tesla_exlince, and I realized it was possible to modify a Tesla and make it into a proper show car.” Even better, he noticed that few people around him in Washington State were doing it. “Only a couple folks were building Teslas here at the time. That made it feel unique.” There was just one catch: he’d never even driven one. “I’d only heard positive things like low maintenance and cheap charging, so I jumped into my beat-up Scion and drove to the dealership in Fife. No call ahead. Within five minutes, I was behind the wheel of a Model 3.”