Continued Fallout from Self-Driving Car Accidents Helps to Color Perceptions against the New Technology
Guest Post by Mark Daniels
It has not been long since the latest round of accidents with self-driving cars was announced. A woman was run over in Arizona by a self-driving car, and a Bay Area resident passed away when his car autonomously drove into a highway barricade. The reaction from local residents in cities like San Diego has been one that can be considered unconvinced. One poll by the San Diego Union-Tribune showed that only 28 percent of San Diegans felt comfortable allowing self-driving cars in their neighborhood.
Therefore, while the industry is busy touting a brighter tomorrow that includes commercial trucks and fleet vehicles all arriving at your service without any scheduler or guidance other than a smartphone app, there are plenty of drivers that have trouble thinking of a time when they will actually give up the ability to drive their own vehicle. It is simply an adjustment that for many, seems to go too far.
Meanwhile, some of the investigative work around at least a couple of the accidents in the self-driving industry is said to be pointing to sabotage as the root cause for the incident occurring in the first place. Rather than rush that type of talk out into the public eye, manufacturers are continuing to try and create perfect data that can show precisely what is going on at any given time so that they can avoid future anomalies.
How Much Independence Is Enough?
Aside from convenience that creates time for other things to be worked on during a commute, the primary reason that self-driving autos make sense is that the highway and city streets should actually be safer when more and more cars are self-driving.
Since human drivers aren’t quite interested in releasing complete control of the vehicle, just where is the point that they will feel happy when a car contains automation features?
The early answer seems to be that retaining the ability to override a self-driving experience is the preference for almost 4/5 drivers on the road, an interesting statistic given the number of manufacturers interested in selling cars with self-driving features on car lots across the country.
Who is Looking Forward to the Self-Driving Car?
There does seem to be quite a bit of acceptance in the marketplace for concepts that provide a total assisted driving experience. Jaguar, for example, has a feature that uses neural and physiological sensors in the dash to determine when a driver is going to change the radio station. Based upon their thought patterns, the car supposedly can tell which station the driver actually wants and select it for them without the human having to reach across the console and create a potential safety hazard.
Historically, there was a radar feature called the Cyclops in the 1950s that could switch your car’s headlights into low-beam mode whenever it sensed an oncoming car. The problem was that an oncoming car would often get the brunt of your radar, creating an unsettling experience for them.
It isn’t that different from the old radar guns that the police used. Over time, it became understood that some parties had trouble when radar was near them. This has also been observed in airplanes, where the concept of ‘painting’ an aircraft with radar has been known to create operational and functional problems for the people flying the craft.
Fortunately, automakers in the 00s came up with radar that isn’t supposed to make people dizzy or cause health problems. As the number of patents with safer radar went up, the early adopters from Silicon Valley and other locations started to show their interest.
Additionally, buoyed by the fact that Google’s Waymo testing has been relatively uneventful in terms of tragedy, many of those who are tech-savvy have tried to avail themselves of any opportunity to try out Google’s offerings. Positive results have therefore been achieved in Arizona, where the company allowed families to test their self-driving minivans free for a long period.
In addition to tech people that want tomorrow’s future to arrive today, there are plenty of companies that are banking upon the notion that hybrids or electric vehicles combined with self-driving features can create a revolution in their deliveries regionally. In some cases, the building out of new, regional distribution network is already factoring self-driving heavily into the equation.
STILLEN is excited to announce the launch of our complete line up of products for the 2018 INFINITI Q60 at the 2017 SEMA show.
The INFINITI Q60 redsport is a very exciting car as it brings performance back to the INFINITI marque. Featuring a potent 400 horsepower twin turbo V6 badged the “VR30.” This car offers the driver an exhilarating experience and inspires the driver to push the car aggressively.
STILLEN has been involved in performance parts for off-road trucks, supercars and street performance cars of a variety and makes and models, but STILLEN is perhaps best known for our experience in tuning NISSAN/INFINITI vehicles… we’ve been involved with developing performance parts for Nissan (and later Infiniti) for over 30 years now. When the opportunity came to work with Infiniti on this platform, we jumped at the chance and let our engineers run wild.
INTAKE
To kick things off, we took a look at how we could beef up the car’s performance. Our engineering team immediately began dissecting the air intake system to study it and determine how we could optimize airflow. While the engineering team was busy with figuring out how to get every last pony out of the intake, our fabrication team were hard at work under the car, reviewing the exhaust routing, tube diameter, configuration of the system and the construction of its muffler, all in order to see what gains could be made.
After going through more than 20 prototype intakes trying to achieve our goals, our induction specialists produced a Q60 Intake design that yielded a huge gain of over 20 horsepower at the wheels, and that’s without the need for further tuning or any modifications to the vehicle. Not every ‘high flow’ intake on the market works with the OEM ECU map, so making sure our intakes benefit the car with the stock tune is a high priority for our design team. The end result is what you see above – the urethane airboxes offer a significant advantage over an exposed conical filter, as the airboxes ensure that the intakes are drawing in only cool, outside air, rather than sucking in hot air from inside the engine bay (which robs you of power). Designed as a complete solution, the STILLEN Cold Air Intake for 2017 Infiniti Q60 comes complete with silicone couplers, CNC machined and tig welded aluminum MAF tubes as well as poly-urethane air boxes to keep the engine fed with cooler air, helping to deliver maximum power output.
EXHAUST
Turbo V6 engines are notoriously difficult to get the sound “just right.” In the end, our team was not satisfied with any of the common mufflers we could source “off the shelf.” The only option was to build our own. So, we engineered our own mufflers, manufactured them in house, and pack them with a high temperature ceramic wool. These tuned mufflers truly allow the heartbeat of the car to be experienced. The final exhaust design was selected after 15 different prototype systems were rigorously tested on our Dynojet chassis dyno. It took quite a while to determine what the engine wanted in order to produce the most power across the entire powerband. The end result is a tuned Y-Pipe, leading to a single Mid-Pipe which branches back into a dual outlet exit.
BODYSTYLING
With the performance parts development underway, now it was time to address the exterior styling. The Q60 is a fantastic looking car straight out of the factory, but like a nice tailored suit, it can look even better with the addition of the right accessories. To bring out the car’s flowing lines, we opted to wrap the car with a red chrome wrap. The brilliant luster of the red chrome accentuates all of the angles and curves of the body of the car and truly ‘makes it pop’. The Q60 has a very organic, free flowing design, and the hyperreflective red chrome shows off these daring curves and deep creases exceptionally well. Like any car, we felt it could be a bit more aggressive and could do with some aero styling to really accentuate the curves the car comes with. The STILLEN design team then set to work shaping a Front Bumper Splitter featuring STILLEN Front Bumper Splitter for 2017 Infiniti Q60 – (with Winglet Extensions). With the front end spiced up to our satisfaction, we shifted our attention over to to the rear of the car, the STILLEN craftsmen then created a set of side splitters and rear spats to suit the aggressive feel we were going for. Both of these parts were custom fabricated exclusively for the STILLEN Q60.
Finishing off the ground effects package, STILLEN designed a Rear Diffuser for the Red Sport V36 Infiniti Q60 with a set of aggressive air channels and openings for a larger-than-stock dual exhaust. The STILLEN diffuser for Infiniti Q60 is no “one off” for a show car – this part is a production item you can purchase and install on your own Q60, along with the rest of the aero suite, including the STILLEN front splitter and winglets. While these days the majority of aftermarket manufacturing seems to be done overseas, but at STILLEN, we make all of our products right here in the USA. Every single STILLEN aero or appearance upgrade, intake and exhaust system is designed and manufactured in the USA, right here at STILLEN headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. Not everyone realizes that here at STILLEN we fabricate pretty much everything in-house, exterior parts, intakes, exhausts, suspension bits — our CNC machines, benders, welders and a team of experienced and talented craftsman makes it possible to do everything here. Now that we had the ground effects completed, the team still felt like our Q was still missing something. The rear end still lacked something, so next, the STILLEN artists then turned their attention to the rear spoiler. The initial idea was a simple, clean spoiler that would added a bit of height to the deck lid. After a few design studies, the team decided to step it up and came up with something that would compliment the dynamic lines of the Q60’s design, and created a custom hand crafted rear wing that completes the car and ties in beautifully with the overall design concept.
SUSPENSION
With the power and exterior styling completed it was time to focus on supporting all of that extra power and downforce. To do so, the STILLEN team partnered with RSR suspension, who used the STILLEN Q60 to develop and prototype a set of coil overs that are truly incredible. One difference that sets STILLEN builds apart from other SEMA showcars is that our cars are built to be driven. Our Q60 Redsport is no trailer queen – this car was driven to the show and then driven home. Since this car would be seeing hundreds of miles of actual road use between STILLEN HQ in Costa Mesa and Las Vegas, it was vital that the car not only look good, but could also retain its handling performance. The team at RSR hit another home run with the RSR Coilovers for 2017+ Infiniti Q60 we had fitted to the car – we really enjoyed these dynamic coil overs. The ride quality is fantastic when cruising on the freeways and the car carves through the canyons with ease.
To make sure that the alignment was correct after the coil over installation and subsequent ride height lowering, SPC suspension provided a complete set of adjustable suspension including front upper control arms and SPC Suspension Rear Camber, Toe and Setback links for 2017 Infiniti Q60. By installing the adjustable SPC suspension the STILLEN technicians were able to precisely dial in the alignment ensuring excellent handling characteristics
No car would be complete without the right wheel and tire package. Wheels are one of those items that can make or break a car. For years STILLEN has chosen VOSSEN Wheels for 2015+ Infiniti Q50 / Q60 and NITTO tires for their vehicles. On this car though they wanted something a little different. To accomplish this the STILLEN team selected the Vossen X Work line of wheels. Particularly, the VWS-1. Work wheels is a leading Japanese manufacturer of high end wheels and the collaboration between Vossen and Work has resulted in a melding of Japanese technology with American style. These two piece wheels feature a high luster polished lip with a matte gunmetal center and polished anodized barrel.
NITTO tires have been the preferred tire for STILLEN for many years. Offering a wide range of tire selections for everything from race cars to passenger cars and even offroad vehicles. For the STILLEN Q60 project STILLEN selected the INVO series of tires. INVO tires are designed specifically for the luxury sports car enthusiast. They offer excellent performance and grip without sacrificing comfort.
We’re thrilled with the end result of how our 2017 SEMA project came out – the team here at STILLEN feels that the Q60 we put together strikes the perfect balance between high end street luxury, with design inspired by our race-winning heritage tempered with elegant style.
STILLEN Vice President Kyle Millen had this to say of the project: “The STILLEN Infiniti Q60 project car is one of my favorite cars out of the many projects we have created. The team at STILLEN did an amazing job and made a car that is truly one of a kind. From the work of the body craftsmen, the engineers and fabricators working tirelessly on the performance parts, I am extremely proud of the effort put into this car and the end result.”
If you have any questions about the Infiniti Q60 3.0t or any STILLEN products for the Infiniti Q60 on our website, give us a call at (866) 250-5542, email sales@stillen.com, or message us on our Live Chat!
AP Racing by STILLEN introduced the World Radi-CAL II Braking System. These revolutionary Forged Calipers are the most advanced brakes on the market. Forging makes them Lighter and Stiffer than Casting. The Asymmetric Design allows for optimal strength while still using Sequential Sized Pistons for even pad wear. Quick Change Pads are as simple as removing the retaining pins. The calipers still feature High Temperature Double Sealed Pistons so they are safe for road use but will stand up to the high temperatures of track use. The AP Radi-CAL II are available in Red, Black or Silver Calipers (custom colors available – contact us for pricing). Top Ten SEMA 2016: STILLEN
Comparison: Radi-CAL I vs Radi-CAL II
4% Lighter than Radi-CAL I
Stiffer than Radi-CAL I (6-piston: 33% stiffer | 4-piston: 28% stiffer)
Incorporating iconic Radi-CAL Stiffening Band
6-Piston Radi-CAL II Caliper can effortlessly fit behind an 18-inch wheel with a 370mm rotor.
One of the best parts about Radi-CAL II is you can easily swap out Radi-CAL I Calipers for a Radi-CAL II upgrade! So if you already have our Radi-CAL I kit, you can simply swap out calipers to upgrade!
AP Radi-CAL II behind a HRE Flow Form FF15 18×9.5 in Satin Black Finish
#2 – Widebody Civic Sedan from Seibon (teamed with AP Racing and Mackin Industries)
The Honda Civic is still one of the most commonly modified cars of all time. The thing is, this isn’t a true statement for a lot of Honda’s post millenia change. Countless enthusiasts started out in the Honda scene and many have moved on to different platforms because of the void of performance potential left vacant by Honda with the early-to-mid-2000’s Civic. Perhaps not on purpose, but certainly to our delight, the Civic now comes with a turbo motor available. While the 10th generation Civic is still developing in the market, it is exciting to see what is already available.
This wide body Civic Sedan kit produced by Seibon Carbon was inspired by the Type-R concept to give the sedan an aggressive look and stance. This kit also allows for you to run wider wheels and tires for the performance minded. We assume we will see these kits on the turbo model sedans mainly as we have already seen impressive results from bolt-ons and tuning. This kit will be available exclusively through STILLEN. If you would like more information on the Seibon wide body kit please give us a call or email sales@stillen.com.
This build featured some of the best names in the industry with AP Racing by STILLEN creating a prototype Radi-CAL Brake Kit, Rays Performance Wheels, Cusco Suspension, Pioneer Audio, Razo Lighting, and Continental Tires. After seeing this kind of effort put into the new Civic we can only imagine what kind of resurgence we will see in the Honda scene.
The Civic Type R Prototype is all kinds of crazy and we love it. The visual differences are instantly obvious, but the most impressive part of this car is it is all functional. The wider fenders accommodate a larger tire for additional grip while the splitters and diffuser aid in down force and overall aerodynamic efficiency. The 3 tail pipes are all completely functional as is the hood scoop to feed the 2.0L Turbo motor. Numbers haven’t been officially released but the European Type-R makes 306 horsepower and there are rumors that there may be a 340 horsepower version.
#4 – Vossen Wheels
Vossen Wheels has been an industry leader for years in the aftermarket wheel industry. STILLEN has been privileged enough to work with them on several projects and are always blown away with how they are always innovating. This SEMA Show they debuted their new 3-piece forged series which blew us away. The detail and options available are amazing!
We also love the Vossen X Work wheels. The collaboration of the two companies produced some beautiful 2-piece wheels that appeal to a wide variety of owners. We have seen them on a lot of Nissan & Infiniti builds that we have greatly admired.
Vossen also debuted their “Wheel Configurator” which allows users to preview every Vossen wheel available on their car. It includes options such as Lowering, Camber, Vehicle Color, Wheel Color, Tire Size, etc. You can try it out from yourself – http://www.vossen3d.com/
#5 – Garrett Turbo Systems
Honeywell Garrett has been a leader in the Turbo industry for decades. While STILLEN has shied away from Turbos in recent history, the introduction of factory turbo cars from so many manufactures has allowed us to get back in the turbo game without violating EPA or CARB policies. Now Garrett is the manufacturer of the turbos in the new VR30 DDTT motor found in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60.
Knowing what some of their systems are capable of, maybe we will get the opportunity to work on some CARB EXEMPT Turbo Upgrades in the future.
#6 – NITTO Tire’s Drifting Huracan
Nitto recently worked with stunt driver Stina Hübinette to bring us the drifting Huracan. It’s not everyday you get to see an exotic driven like this. Check out the video on youtube: The Hübinettes Star in #HuracánDrift
#7 – Mazda Miata RF Kuro
The Mazda Miata has been the best selling two-seater convertible in the world since it’s release in 1989. Mazda debuted their Miata RF Kuro concept as their foray into the sport compact coupe segment. While nothing is certain about production plans, the RF Kuro gives drivers a glimpse of what a coupe could be like and gives the Miata a new look that we are sure everyone is going to love.
#8 – Ford Booth
Ford is always known to have quite the display at SEMA. 2016 was an exciting year for them and their booth definitely showed it. Showcasing cars like the new Ford GT Racecar, the Focus RS (which is proving to be quite the little beast), and even a wide body Fiesta ST. Ford is definitely making their presence felt in the performance world and we look forward to seeing more amazing cars from them.
#9 – Lexus LC500 F-Sport Concept
We have all seen the Lexus LC500 in the media and at auto shows. However, we had the opportunity to see the F-Sport concept version in the Lexus booth. Aside from the bright yellow paint, this car really makes a bold statement. Lexus is definitely doing a lot to shape their image in a more “sporty” light. We didn’t get many details, but we liked what we saw.
#10 – Ferrari-powered Scion FRS/Toyota 86
When someone puts a Ferrari motor in anything it’s bound to grab some attention. This Ferrari-powered FR-S is absolutely nuts!
That wraps up our Top Ten SEMA 2016: STILLEN. Stay tuned for our upcoming SEMA 2016 gallery…
The mecca of automotive enthusiasts (aka SEMA) took place on November 1st-4th in Las Vegas, NV. STILLEN & AP Racing by STILLEN had a solid presence this year. We debuted our new AP Racing Radi-CAL II brakes in Central Hall and even took home a Global Media Award for new product. What you will see below is our SEMA quick look- a summarized view of what went on.
The world debut of the AP Racing Radi-CAL II.
It was a great honor to receive the SEMA Global Media Award!
Tein Suspension’s Q50 featuring the STILLEN Aero Kit.
The Seibon widebody Civic Type R FK8 was a huge show stopper. AP Radi-CAL Brakes gave this car some serious presence.
SUBISPEED’s WRX running AP Racing Brakes.
The Vossen GTI hiding AP Radi-CAL Brakes behind forged wheels.
Nissan Maxima outside bagged with the STILLEN Body Kit.
DINAN M3 sporting AP Radi-CAL BBK behind Vossen x Work Wheels.
STILLEN is proud to announce that the Infiniti Q50 Supercharger is now available for shipping! Q50 owners across the US and around the world who demand the very best have patiently waited for the STILLEN supercharger to enter production, and the wait was worth it!
500 Horsepower Supercharger
How does around 500 horsepower at the flywheel sound as a reward for your patience?
Add a dose of torque, better-than-stock heat management and airflow, 50 state emissions compliance and near stock fuel economy at low RPM. Now you’ve got the formula for superchargers done the STILLEN way.
We’re talking driveable horsepower too, suitable for daily drivers, canyon carvers and track days.
What does ‘driveable’ mean? Take an unsuspecting passenger for a low RPM cruise around town in your STILLEN supercharged Infiniti Q50. Keep a light touch on the gas pedal and they might be fooled into thinking there’s a bone stock motor under the hood.
They won’t suspect a thing….until you hit the town limit sign and crack the throttle wide open.
Scenery gets blurry-in-a-hurry as the centrifugal Vortech blower spins up to hyperspeed with a telltale hiss. The STILLEN designed and built intake manifold sucks in cubic yards of cool air. The remapped ECU fuel management module jacks the boosted fuel pump to inject the precise amount of high octane cocktail into the maelstrom.
Your right foot is orchestrating a symphony of controlled violence that delivers a linear, bottomless powerband. If you can peel your head off the headrest to sneak a glance at your passenger you’ll see instant enlightenment and heavy G’s at work.
Some of the exclusive STILLEN Q50 supercharger features include:
Boosts output to +/- 500 HP at the flywheel
Compact design means no hood replacement required
Front-mounted compact heat exchanger maximizes cool air flow to vital engine cooling components
In-manifold air-water intercooler chills air charge at engine entry point for maximum efficiency
Redesigned intake manifold for increased airflow and torque
Before donning the STILLEN logo, this supercharger was thoroughly tested to ensure maximum quality and performance by our in-house Research and Development team. However, to truly test this supercharger’s limits, it was put through its paces and driven from STILLEN headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA to the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada and back by STILLEN Vice President of Business Development, Kyle Millen.
After the drive, Millen said: “The Q50 drove exceptionally well the whole way. There were a few stretches of road where I was able to open up the car and I was very happy with the power delivery as well as drivability.”
With results like this during testing, we have no question about this supercharger system’s quality and reliability. As such, we are offering a 3 year/36,000 mile manufacturer’s limited engine warranty on this kit.
STILLEN Infiniti Q50 Supercharger Kit Part Numbers
We’re sure you have questions about the STILLEN Infiniti Q50 Supercharger, so please give our experts a call. You can reach them at 866-250-5542 and they will be happy to give you more information, answer any questions you have and help you order your new supercharger!
Here at STILLEN, our Q50 isn’t the only vehicle getting ready for SEMA in the STILLEN performance shop… We’ve also seen a beautiful blue 2009 Nissan 370Z stop by for a new set of STILLEN sway bars.
As you can see from the photo above, this SEMA bound 2009 370Z includes a long list of sleek, aftermarket upgrades. None have a bigger impact on the look of the vehicle than the air bag suspension that is installed on this vehicle. While these look great, they can change the handling of the car a bit. To stabilize the car and improve the feel, the owner decided to stop by the STILLEN performance shop to get a set of STILLEN sway bars installed.
Made from aircraft grade steel and finished in a brilliant red powder coat, the durable and incredibly stiff STILLEN sway bars are perfect for reducing body roll and stabilizing your ride. Whether you’re cruising through winding country roads, blazing down the track or just daily driving your vehicle, you will enjoy a noticeable improvement in how your car handles, corners and in overall vehicle stability.
If you’re going to be at SEMA, be sure to stop by to see it this 370Z person after you visit the STILLEN/AP Radi-CAL booth (booth #34273) and checking out the STILLEN Q50 in the lot. This vehicle will be on display in the Direct Lift booth (booth #10239).
If you have any questions about the STILLEN sway bars featured on this vehicle or any of the other 370Z performance parts we offer, please give us a call. You can reach our experts at (866) 250-5542. They will be happy to answer any questions you have and make recommendations to help you get the most from your vehicle!
One of the most common questions and fears we get from customers or potential customers is a valid one: “Will adding aftermarket parts void my warranty?”
It’s a scary premise, and unfortunately one some uneducated dealerships seem to drill into their customers, that using non-OEM parts or upgrades will void the factory warranty, and leave you the new car owner to fend for yourself, without support from the vehicle maker.
Thankfully this isn’t the case, and there is legislation in place to protect you, the consumer, from these types of situations. The Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act was passed way back in 1975 to combat this exact subject, and ensure that you have the freedom to choose aftermarket parts and upgrades without having your warranty stripped or voided.
Dealerships and car companies are required to prove that any modification of the vehicle with aftermarket parts is the cause of the failure.
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).
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.
STILLEN built this 350Z as a showcase for all of the parts we manufacture. It has been featured in numerous media outlets, including several magazine covers, TV shows, online features, etc.
NOPI Street Performance Compact – December 2005
Click Here to Read
Here is the spec sheet and modifications list:
385HP in the Stage 2 CARB Legal configuration, and can easily be upgraded to Stage 3 non-CARB legal configuration bringing horsepower to 410.
This 350Z has just under 6,900 miles, and has always been warehoused indoors. Vehicle is only used for shows and special engagements.
$30,380 is the value of the parts, labor, paint and graphics installed onto this 350Z, in addition to the original cost of just over $40,000 with tax and license. Total investment of over $70,000!
This car is ready for the track, without compromising the ride quality for use as a daily driver. It has an excellent balance of performance, handling and styling, and features virtually everything STILLEN has available for the 350Z.
We had a blast working with GM this year with their 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab pickup. We wanted to do something striking for their booth, as we had heard outside of some Hummers, this would be the only pickup present for 2008. The final result is below:
Look for a complete outline of the build to come soon, for now here are some photos from the GM Booth at SEMA, and the final build sheet.
