STILLEN » GT-R Build

Spectre 341 Challenge – Final Recap

Kyle@STILLEN — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:14:59 +0000

Steve Millen and the STILLEN team have returned home from the Spectre 341 Challenge. We had a great trip and we are already thinking of ways to improve the car for next year and see what kind of car I (Kyle Millen) can bring up there to compete in! The team at Spectre did a great job for their first event and we are really looking forward to heading back next year!

Photo courtesy of Larry Chen / Spectre 341

The GT-R finished 2nd overall, missing the top time by 1 second. Next year we’ll be bringing back some Dunlops and should be able to pick up at least 5 or 6 seconds. Unfortunately the Bridgestone run flats did not offer enough grip for the hill climb. But, we knew that going into the event as the Dunlop tire is the NISSAN recommended performance tire. Unfortunately they were out of stock though so we had to run the Bridgestone’s.

Virginia City is an amazing little town and if anyone is ever in search of a fun destination that will take them back to the old western movies, this place will make you feel like John Wayne…It is truly unbelievable! The town is nearly 300 years old and I’m pretty sure the only modern updates are the paved roads. The sidewalks are still wood, the buildings are hundreds of years old and they are awesome! The locals are also extremely nice and friendly.

Steve ran his fast times of the day early in the morning on Saturday morning and around noon made the decision to pack up and head home. He reported that the road had become too hot and the tires too slick so he felt like he had gone as fast as he could go. As you know, we had two days to turn the car around and get it into a transporter headed for targa New Zealand on Tuesday so we all decided it was best to just save the car and head home a little early.

Here’s some photos of some of the cars at the event:

Around noon we were on the road home. I made the 480 mile road trip in about 8.5 hours in our supercharged 370Z. I was also really impressed that I did it on one tank of gas which means it averaged around 27 MPG! Not bad!

Unfortunately one of the other competitors Alex (VRAlexander) Djordevic had gone off the road in the fastest section and did not survive. All of us at STILLEN would like send our thoughts and well wishes to Alex’s family and friends.

Photos by Boxtergirlie01 via 6speedonline.com

More Coverage:

Team STILLEN Attacks Spectre 341 Challenge Hillclimb!

Kyle@STILLEN — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:50:09 +0000

The busy schedule for the STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R has finally finished with the shows and now it’s time to get back to racing! Team STILLEN will be bringing the orange beast to Virginia City, Nevada for the first annual running of the Spectre 341 Challenge being held June 25-26, 2010.

This event is held on a closed section of Highway 341 that would normally be opened to the public. Originally started in the early 70’s this event was pioneered by the local Ferrari clubs. The event ran until 2002 before being shut down. 2010 marks the re-organization of the event and the new promoter Spectre 341’s involvement. The course is 5.2 miles long with plenty of high speed long turns and narrow switchbacks. In barely over 5 miles the event travels 1,200+ feet in elevation!!! The current record up the hill is three minutes and 10 seconds. Held by the president of Spectre Performance and his highly modified F40 Ferrari. Steve Millen and Team STILLEN hope to break that record and perhaps dip under the three minute mark!

To prepare for the event the Team headed out to Spring Mountain Raceway to do a little track testing. Spring Mountain is a good test area for this event because Highway 341 offers pretty flat, high speed turns, and a few tight twisty areas as well, very similar to a track like Spring Mountain. The main priorities at Spring Mountain were tire testing, suspension development, and increased boost pressure. Further development back at the shop consisted of installing GReddy Intercoolers, GReddy Hard Pipes, and a GReddy Cold Air Intake.

Never one to miss an opportunity to challenge themselves, Steve and the Team will tow the car up to Virginia City on Thursday, race on Friday and Saturday. Then head home Sunday. That seems pretty simple. However the added twist, Steve has to have the car in the container headed for New Zealand on the following Tuesday!

That leaves the team just 2 days to take the GT-R from a hillclimb car to rally car. We’re sending the car down a little early this year as it will be one of the main exhibits in the New Zealand Speed Show event. The New Zealand Speed Show is the largest automotive show in the country and both STILLEN Targa rally cars will be on display! The STILLEN Ford GT will be coming back out into the spot light and will be positioned right next to the Nissan GT-R.

There is a lot going on here at STILLEN and we would like to invite you to follow along with us!!!

More Coverage:

Here’s a quick video introduction to the Spectre 341 Challenge

Click here to view the embedded video.

STILLEN GT-R On DSPORT Cover July 2010 Issue

Josh@STILLEN — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:38 +0000

We recently met up with the guys at DSPORT Magazine at a local studio to shoot the STILLEN R35 GT-R for the cover and feature of their July 2010 issue. We’re happy to announce that this issue is currently on the newsstands, and has been delivered to subscribers!

In addition to getting some fanastic studio shots of the GT-R with the beautiful Ariel Marie, DSPORT also shot Steve Millen’s Championship IMSA 300ZX Twin Turbo inside this issue. Richard Fong also spent some good time with Steve Millen discussing both the exploits of the R35 GT-R as it tackled Targa Newfoundland, it’s plans for the rest of 2010, and some history of the IMSA 300ZX and racing stories of Steve.

This is the largest issue yet of DSPORT, their 91st in fact, with everything from event coverage, some very cool vehicle features, product tech and testing, model photos and interviews, and industry news.

Be sure to hit the newsstand and check this issue out before June 30th!

STILLEN GT-R On Cover of Road & Track Dec 09 Issue

Josh@STILLEN — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:54:04 +0000

The December 2009 issue of Road & Track is out on the newsstands now, and features the full Targa Newfoundland Rally article written by R&T’s Feature Editor Mike Monticello, the Co-Driver on the rally in the GT-R with Steve Millen.

Check your favorite newsstand and see this issue, it’s a neat story from Mike’s perspective on taking part in this 6-day rally, and what it was like being at the mercy of Steve Millen pushing the STILLEN modified R35 GT-R to it’s limits over city streets and tarmac.

Excerpt from the ‘Tackling Targa’ feature:

“The second to last to start the stage, Millen launched the GT-R with fury into the waning light, carbon rotors a-glowing, belching blue flames from the exhaust and sending onlookers scattering for cover, the GT-R was in its element. And so was Millen, 4-wheel-drifiting through corners with near reckless abandon while I tried to keep up with the pace notes…”
– Mike Monticello, Road & Track

Here’s also a link to a video from Road & Track discussing the stories in this packed issue: Road & Track December 2009 Video Preview

There are also tons of video and information on the build of the STILLEN GT-R, comparison tests against a stock 2010 Nissan GT-R, and information on the Targa Newfoundland at Road & Track website: 2009 Targa Newfoundland

STILLEN Launches Digital R35 Nissan GT-R Parts Catalog

Josh@STILLEN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:08:41 +0000

We are proud to launch our R35 Nissan GT-R specific product catalog in a “page-turn” digital format, and invite you to take a look at what we have to offer for Nissan’s flagship.

The catalog features products, videos, images, specifications, as well as some information on Steve Millen and STILLEN.

We will be constantly updating this catalog with all all new products and information on the GT-R and our continued R&D, as well as our partner vendors creating R35 applications.

In addition to the GT-R catalog, we have also republished our Car, Truck and Brake catalogs to this digital format. They are available below:

STILLEN Car Catalog

STILLEN Truck Catalog

STILLEN Brake Catalog

STILLEN NADA Guides GT-R Shipping Off to SEMA

Mike@STILLEN — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:05:34 +0000

After spending only a short time back home, the STILLEN NADA Guides GT-R is once again going away. This time it is being trucked out to the SEMA show (Nov. 3 – 6 in Las Vegas), where it will be taking up residence in the BASF Automotive Refinish Solutions booth in the Racing and Performance area(booth 21442).

More loading pictures after the jump…

The Millens Look On As The STILLEN NADA Guides GT-R is Loaded

Double Decker Accomodations

Tucked In

If you’re going to be at the show, stop by and check out the car and that Orange Sherbert Paint in person at Booth# 21442.

Targa Newfoundland: Friday Day 7 – Racing Day 5 & Wrap-up

Kyle@STILLEN — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:17:13 +0000

Sorry for the delay in getting the final day’s wrap-up onto the site, we took some time after the rally and celebrated with the rest of the Targa folks. It was then up first thing to get the car situated, and everything packed up for shipping back to STILLEN HQ, while Steve and Jodi drive the GT-R all the way back to Maine.

We’re proud to say that we finished up winning our division. The results speak for themselves in regards to the overall scores. This rally is without question designed to be won by classic cars. We knew there would be handicapping, but it would seem there is no way that a modern car can win. We won the majority if not all of the stages by putting down the fastest times but we still lost. In one of the stages on Friday, Steve and Mike actually passed three cars, and still missed their goal time and incurred a penalty.

The main reason for Team STILLEN coming to Targa Newfoundland was to race our Nissan GT-R. We knew that this was the first race for the car and we knew that it would do well but we really had no idea that the car would do so well! If it weren’t for that CV boot we would have only needed to fill the car with fuel and check tire wear all week long. We could not be more excited about the fantastic performance of our Nissan GT R as well as our team.

Video: Road & Track Racing Day 5 Recap – Steve Millen & Mike Monticello

We are happy that we came and competed in the event. We met some great people and saw a beautiful part of Canada that we otherwise would have never visited. It was a pleasure watching some great drivers artfully handle their cars, especially Sprongl in the Audi. He was a blast to watch! I wish I could say that we’re excited to come back next year but I really don’t think we’ll be coming back unless there is a serious overhaul of the timing and scoring.

Also, we had a great time with Seth and Glenn, our sweepstakes winners. They were a lot of fun and true race/rally enthusiasts. Seth, let’s get that Z going and ready for the rally bud!

Road & Track also has additional information, interviews with Steve and Mike, and all kinds of content back to the build of the GT-R, and is located here: http://www.roadandtrack.com/stillen

NOTE: We have tons of video, including in-car camera coverage of virtually every stage of the rally. Check back next week as we begin to edit and upload this video!

See All of the 2009 Targa Newfoundland Coverage:

Targa Newfoundland: Thursday Day 6 – Racing Day 4

Kyle@STILLEN — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:02:42 +0000

Well, it’s Thursday night and we have some great news! We’re in the hotel room at 9pm! The new CV boot swap the guys made last night worked perfectly today and the car ran flawlessly.

We were back on the road a few hours after getting back to the hotel but it was worth the effort. The crew have been absolutely amazing this week and they are doing an incredible job!

There have been a few mix-ups today and the scoring situation is a bit odd. We’re currently being shown in 5th overall and the first modern but it says that we have more than a 20 second time penalty. So, we’re going to look into that and see what that’s all about.

Look how tiny the road is!

Today went very well. The car ran great and Steve and Mike were able to meet nearly all of their goal times. We’re still a bit confused about the goal times as we are consistently the fastest car on the road yet we’re ‘losing’ to cars who have goal times 30+ seconds slower than ours. But, I guess that’s the unique rules of this event and we’re just trying to live with it. It is very frustrating though.

So last night I mentioned that there are some very interesting stories here. Story one: The red Porsche 911 that was here on day one broke on day one. The owner of the car is also the owner of the Halifax Porsche dealer. He called his wife and told her to bring out the Boxster. Well, she was able to make the last ferry over and arrived in time for the guy’s to carry on in the GT touring class.

Story two: The Audi (not the rally spec. Audi) from day one wrecked hard on day 2 in the early stage. The co-driver broke his arm and we all thought their week was over. Well, morning the following day came and they arrived in a rental (red Dodge) car that they picked up and have re-entered the rally in the GT Touring class as well! Can’t stop these guys from racing!

The white Subaru that rolled a couple of days ago had a “yard sale” sign out front of it the other day. The driver and co-driver are already talking about coming back next year.

I am going to try to download a video tonight and email it off but I’m not sure how it’s going to work. Hope it turns out well, worst case scenario, I will be back in the office on Monday and we will have the videos up shortly thereafter!

[EDIT: Videos didn't work, the source files were very large, but below is some video that Road & Track have put together for both Leg 3 and Leg 4!]

Road & Track Video: Wednesday Leg 3

Road & Track Video: Thursday Leg 4

See All of the 2009 Targa Newfoundland Coverage:

Targa Newfoundland: Wednesday Day 5 – Racing Day 3

Kyle@STILLEN — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:59:53 +0000

Well, we have officially made it through the first half of the week. As expected the GT-R is running very well and if it weren’t for the worries about the CV boots, the only service we would be performing to the car would be filling it up with fuel. This car is truly incredible. Steve is having an absolute blast and after each stage has a huge grin on his face.

Mark and Joe are really doing a great job and working hard. They had a bit of a problem today when the service van started filling with the fumes from the fuel and was messing with their heads a little. We have taped off the back half of the van with clear drop cloths and a lot of duct tape so it should be well sealed from here on out.

Mike, Julie, Jodi, Steve, Kyle, Joe and Mark – Team STILLEN / Road & Track
Photo courtesy Marc Urbano / Road & Track

Now for the updates. The original CV boot which has been patched and massaged a couple of times has held up well. Fortunately we received the correct replacement this evening and the boys worked late to put it on. It’s past 1am as I write this and I’m still down at the center with them as they finish up. We have all decided that when we get home we will be getting that CV boot bronzed and building a mahogany display case for it. We can’t believe it held up to four days (three rally days and the proglogue.) We’re all going to sleep a little easier tonight knowing the new boot is on there.

Today went very well, as you might already know we took a six second penalty today. Steve and Mike were doing so well in the first two stages that they had to slow way down towards the end of the stage so they did not exceed their 135 KPH stage average. Because of this they took Stage 3 a little easier and unfortunately a little too easy. They ended up doing really well the rest of the day and cleaned every other stage. No worries, Mike and Steve have agreed that from here on out they just go flat out and see what their time is like at the end of the stage and slow down if they need to. I’m actually curious to know how they estimate the times for these stages based on the class.

One thing that we are extremely proud of is the fact that we are one of the few if not the only top ten team who is driving everywhere. A lot of the teams are packing up every night on trailers and towing to the final parking area. You might remember that our car drove from Bangor, Maine to St. John’s Newfoundland and when the rally is over Steve and Jodi Millen will drive the car back to Bangor, Maine. This thing is a driver!!!

There are a few interesting stories about some teams who are really persevering and show true Targa spirit, continuing on in rental cars or helping out other teams after their cars crash out or break down. Unfortunately it’s a bit late tonight and I’m really tired so I’ll have to share those stories tomorrow. Plus, Mark is telling me they need a hand.

Hope you enjoy today’s pictures I was able to get:

See All of the 2009 Targa Newfoundland Coverage:

Targa Newfoundland: Tuesday Day 4 – Racing Day 2

Kyle@STILLEN — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:40:31 +0000

Well today was eventful. There were eight stages in total, one of which was canceled due to a problem with crowd control (good call by the organizers!). We were able to get some great video footage of the car coming through two stages as well as photography through Stage 8.

Photo courtesy Warwick Patterson / Formulaphoto.com

Stage 8 is insane! This stage takes place in the middle of a housing district. Imagine the largest neighborhood in your area. Now block of the roads and run a train of rally cars through it. It was incredible. Mike and Steve did a great job through here and really hustled hard. Unfortunately they caught the Subaru early in the stage and weren’t able to get by because the roads were so tight.

Catching the Subaru and the subsequent delay by not being able to get by meant that the guys missed the goal time by 6 seconds. Which means we incurred a 6 second penalty. Kind of bogus really considering they were by far the fastest car through the stage and even beat the unlimited cars. But, that’s the way their scoring/timing works here so Mike and Steve will just have to push hard the rest of the week and hope some other competitors make some mistakes. I’m hoping to have further explanation of the timing tomorrow night when I can borrow one of Mike Monticello’s route books which clearly list the goal time of each stage for each type of vehicle.

Photo courtesy Marc Urbano / Road & Track

There were a couple of notables on the day. First off, one of the Subaru’s from the UK had a pretty eventful day. They had a pretty big off and rolled the car a couple of times before going end over end. The Driver and Co-Driver are fine and the only injury was a broken wrist. Steve told us at dinner that the Co-Driver was a great guy and he’d like to send his best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Photo courtesy Warwick Patterson / Formulaphoto.com

The car is doing very well. Mark and Joe did a great job last night and their patch/seal/fix has held up. We were hoping to get the new CV boot tonight but it won’t be arriving until tomorrow. Their repair work last night worked extremely well and there was not a drop of axle grease lost all day. They were able to catch the last part of Stage 8 and got a great video of the STILLEN GT-R chasing the Subaru across the finish line with glowing red rotors and flames shooting out of the exhaust. These guy’s worked extremely hard last night and did an amazing job. They were awake again early this morning with only a few hours of sleep and worked hard all day servicing and preparing the car.

I focused on video today so I wasn’t able to get a lot of photographs but I hope you like the ones that I was able to get. As soon as we return home we will get the video process rolling and start putting some of the films up there. The guys from Road & Track have been able to get some videos up and they look great. I wish I had their knowledge when it came to this stuff. EDIT: Road & Track just sent the link to today’s video: Targa Racing Day 2

I would like to really quickly say that I have never had the desire to come to Canada. No good reason really, just never had the urge. Maybe it’s because it’s just another part of North America, maybe because it’s not some exotic foreign country, I really don’t know. But, my opinion has now changed. This country (well, the island I’m seeing) is amazing. Beautiful country side and amazing views. It is a pleasure being here and we are all having a great time. The people of this country are fantastic. Extremely friendly and hospitable. They always seem to be smiling and offering a helping hand.

Last night we were told that the overnight parking garage would be closing at midnight. We weren’t bothered at all the entire time and around 1:15 a.m. a very kind gentleman came by and introduced himself as the guard for the night. He said that he saw a few teams struggling to make the midnight cut off so he had just gone for a walk and let us all work. He just wanted to come by and have a chat about the car. We saw him here again this evening and he was just as friendly and happy to see that the car had made it through the day’s events.

Here are some more photos from today:

Please Note: The reason I am including the pictures of the wrecked Subaru is not for jokes or for the horror factor. I am doing it to prove a point. Motorsports are dangerous. There are risks involved. But this car was properly prepared. The roll cage, without question saved their lives. I inspected the damage afterward and the body was crumpled in around the cage but the cage did not move at all. Also, the only injury in this huge wreck was simply a broken wrist. That’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.

See All of the 2009 Targa Newfoundland Coverage: