Yearly Archives: 2010

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Keeping an eye to the future includes everything from new vehicles, new products, and even new enthusiasts.  This past Wednesday, December 15th, Steve Millen and the STILLEN crew delivered a modified Nissan Altima to the Coastline ROP Automotive Technology class at Laguna Hills High School.

This car was one of the main display vehicles for Nissan when they released the new model Altima, and was also an R&D project and show car for STILLEN for many years.  The car has been outfitted with a long list of performance modifications, suspension improvements, brake upgrades, aesthetic enhancements by way of a body kit and custom interior.  The car is even sporting a 3 part paint job featuring Lamborghini Orange.

Students get a chance to check out the car and meet and greet with STILLEN.


Laguna Hills High School offers its students a first-rate facility to learn about everything from proper maintenance to performance improvements.  The students at Laguna Hills are guided by their teacher Tim Chambers.  Mr. Chambers has already had the students build a Class 11 VW Beetle and a current ongoing project consists of a Ford Maverick drag car!

We enjoyed our time spent with the students discussing these projects.  It was especially neat to see how excited they were about their work and their enthusiasm in continuing on with modifying vehicles in the future, and being part of the automotive industry.  By giving the students a vehicle with aftermarket parts the goal is to allow them the opportunity to learn how performance parts work and how they can improve their own vehicles safely and legally.

It’s unfortunate that these awesome types of programs are few and far between, and with budget cuts and educational programs being trimmed all the time, we feel it’s vital for all of us to do what we can, and support automotive programs that can attract new young enthusiasts.

List of modifications performed to the Nissan Altima:

 

Performance
  • STILLEN Race Pipe
  • STILLEN Exhaust
  • STILLEN Intake
Suspension
  • STILLEN Front Strut Brace
  • STILLEN Rear Sway Bar
  • Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs
Body / Aerodynamics
  • STILLEN Front Lip Spoiler
  • STILLEN Side Skirts (Rockers)
  • STILLEN Rear Corners
  • Street Scene Grille Shell and Mesh Grille
Brakes
  • STILLEN AP Racing 4-Piston Calipers / 13″ Cross-Drilled / Slotted Rotors, Brake Pads, Stainless Steel Brake Lines
  • STILLEN Cross-Drilled Rear Brake Rotors
  • STILLEN Metal Matrix Rear Brake Pads
Wheels / Tires
  • Enkei Forged Wheels 18×8
  • Yokohama Advan Tires 225/45ZR18
Interior
  • Classic Soft Trim Custom Leather Front Seats
  • Classic Soft Trim Custom Leather Rear Seats
  • Classic Soft Trim Door Panels
Paint
  • Custom Lamborghini 3 Part Orange

The Orange County Register was also on hand for the delivery of the vehicle, and have also done a writeup, as well as took these photos as well.  OCRegister.com – Laguna Hills High auto shop receives car

Photos courtesy of OCRegister.com

 

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The Nissan Juke is the latest mini-crossover to be released, and with it’s unique look, turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6L engine with solid performance numbers (not to mention available in AWD!), it’s no wonder this car is making waves and creating buzz.

UPDATE 3/2011:  We have made a change to the stainless steel tip – Improving the flow with the Juke body, and going with a dual wall slash cut tip.  See below for images installed on the Juke!

The calls were almost immediate from Nissan dealerships across the country inquiring what our plans were, and when STILLEN would have upgrades available for the Juke. We at STILLEN are happy to announce that day is here, beginning with the STILLEN Nissan Juke Exhaust. [Video Below]

The STILLEN Rear Section Exhaust System bolts up quickly, replacing the OEM section, and utilizing the factory hanger locations, making this an easy upgrade for any enthusiast. No welding, fabrication or cutting is required to install.  Performance is fantastic, with the rear section exhaust generating 13HP and 14Lb/Ft at the wheels on the dyno!

The muffler and tips are of polished 304 Stainless Steel for protection against the elements, and offer a stylish appearance. The double-wall polished stainless tip makes cleaning a breeze, and features the STILLEN logo laser etched into the side.

The STILLEN Exhaust brings an aggressive tone to the otherwise noticibly quiet exhaust note of the Juke, but under normal cruising there is no exhaust drone and no audible presence of the exhaust. When the throttle is pushed, the true growl of the Turbo 1.6L MR16DDT engine comes alive.

More information and pricing can be found on the STILLEN Product Page:

Also available for the 2011 Nissan Juke, the STILLEN License Plate Bracket, allowing the use of a front license plate without having to drill into the front fascia, like the factory Nissan bracket does.  More information here: 2011 Nissan Juke No Drilling Front License Plate Bracket Released!

STILLEN has added another application to the popular Front License Plate Bracket kits available for most Nissan and Infiniti vehicles with the inclusion of the new 2011 Nissan Juke!

For all of you who don’t want to have to drill the factory plastic license plate brackets into your bumper, damaging it and leaving you without options if you don’t want to run a front license plate, this kit is for you.  This kit uses the factory tow hook on the front of the vehicle, which is accessible by a small removable panel in the fascia, and makes it easy to add or remove whenever necessary.

No more worries about being pulled over, or ticketed when parking for not having a front plate, you can simply install this into the tow hook when needed, and have the freedom to remove it whenever, keeping the clean look without the plate.  Kit includes everything necessary to install, including a billet aluminum post, and steel backing plate for a solid installation.

These popular kits are available for the following applications:

News Release
For Immediate Release

STILLEN OFFERS RUGGED AP RACING BRAKE UPGRADE
FOR 2000-2010 GM 2500/3500 TRUCKS

Costa Mesa, Calif.– STILLEN announces the availability of a new front and rear big brake system for the 2000-2010 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 and GMC Sierra 2500/3500 (including Dual Rear Wheel models). This rugged, state-of-the-art brake upgrade is based on AP Racing brake technology, the number one choice for a wide range of professional race teams that compete at the highest levels (i.e. NASCAR, FORMULA 1).

Available from the STILLEN brake product division, these GM Truck brake upgrades are compatible with OE ABS, traction control and stability systems as well as the original master cylinder to provide the ultimate in towing and big load capacity.

The front Big Brake System (AP2320) features AP Racing’s new, oversized 6-piston Heavy Duty caliper (CP8510) matched with the largest available aftermarket (16.1” diameter) 2-piece floating cross-drilled and slotted rotors. Slotted-only rotors are a no-cost option. This STILLEN brake system also includes high-performance Ferodo DS2500 brake pads along with Goodridge stainless steel brake lines, brackets and all necessary mounting hardware for immediate bolt-on.

For the matching and balanced rear Big Brake system (AP6950), STILLEN specified a special version of AP Racing’s Heavy Duty 4-piston caliper (CP5328) clamping on 15″ diameter 2-piece cross-drilled and slotted rotors, also available in slotted-only. The rear upgrade also includes Ferodo DS2500 brake pads and all necessary hardware.

This powerful brake system requires 20” or larger wheels with adequate spoke clearance. To ensure proper fitment, customers should visit www.stillen.com to download an easy-to-use brake profile template to check wheel fitment for both the front and rear brake kits before ordering. When ordering custom wheels, consult with STILLEN in advance to ensure compatibility.

To learn more about AP Racing Big Brake upgrade kits for the 2000-2010 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 and GMC Sierra 2500/3500 and other pickup trucks, visit www.stillen.com, e-mail pr@stillen.com , or call (866) 250-5542.

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About STILLEN
Developed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, STILLEN is a manufacturer and distributor of premium high performance products for late model import and domestic vehicles. Founded in 1986 by renowned professional driver and race car builder Steve Millen, STILLEN incorporates cutting-edge race proven technology and advanced aerodynamic designs into the company’s proprietary performance and appearance product lines. Millen is known worldwide for achieving the greatest number of wins in IMSA GT history during the course of an impressive 30-year racing career. Family owned and operated, STILLEN branded products include exhaust systems and components, superchargers, fuel systems and components, brake kits and components and urethane body styling products. In addition, STILLEN is an online reseller of many high performance products for late model cars and trucks, import and domestic, and creator of unique, one-of-a-kind performance project vehicles. For more information, visit www.STILLEN.com.

Every year towards the end of October, teams from around the world gather together in Auckland, New Zealand to start the 5 day Dunlop Targa Rally.  The Targa Rally is a grueling test of man and machine that takes place over closed country roads that would normally be open to the public.  The roads get closed down for just a few hours, just long enough to funnel 100+ “rally” cars through.  Competitors arrive in all types of vehicles, from a Ferrari F430 World Challenge race car, a Maserati and a few Porsche GT3 super cars to WRC-prepared Subaru and Mitsubishi rally cars, and even the older classic cars come out in force, like the old Mark 1 Escort’s and even a Datsun 240Z with a supercharged LS2 engine and sequential gearbox.  2010 however was the year of Godzilla.

In the 2010 running of the New Zealand Dunlop Targa Rally there were four Nissan R35 GT-R’s competing in the actual race, and one GT-R competing in the Targa “Tour”, an event which takes place on the same closed roads and along the exact same route as the actual rally, the only difference being the Tour drivers are limited to a much lower top speed and do not compete for any sort of winner’s prize.  The four GT-R’s this year were piloted by some of the most experienced Targa Rally competitors, including Tony Quinn.  Tony has won 3 Targa’s now and competes in Australia and New Zealand with his GT-R in numerous different Targa’s each year.  Steve Millen took the STILLEN-prepared GT-R to the event for the first time.  Clark Proctor and Harry Dodson are the local New Zealand drivers and both came out with heavily modified GT-R’s of their own.  The stage was set for a great battle all week long.

Strategy is a big part of these Targa rallies.  When preparing for a Targa rally the key thing to plan on is rain.  Pretty much every Targa NZ Rally sees at least one or two days of rain.  In the 2009 Targa Rally they actually experienced hail and snow on the last day of competition!  In 2008, the organizers had to close the final stage as hurricane force winds were blowing the ocean waves across the road.  The reason rain is so important to the rally is because the competitors are limited to six tires for the entire week, including the four you start with.  This means if you get a blow out or wear out your tires too early, you can only count on two spares.  If you take a seventh tire you get a 3 minute penalty, and for your 8th tire and on, you get a one minute penalty each.  The final stages are run in Wellington, New Zealand, one of the most modern cities in all of New Zealand and is actually the country’s capital.  It is also known as “windy Wellington” as the weather is often adverse.

When preparing for the Targa Rally Steve and the crew analyzed the weather forecasts and it appeared the weather would remain dry for the first couple of days, but would turn towards the end of the week when we got to Wellington.. Perfect!  Just what we wanted to see!  Keeping this in mind Steve took the first day relatively easy, letting Clark Proctor and Tony Quinn battle it out for the lead.  Knowing that the harder they pushed the more tire they were going to be scrubbing, the entire team felt confident in the strategy and were looking forward to the wet days when the other teams had scrubbed off their tread!  Glenn Inkster, a local tarmac rally champion, stuck his nose in the fight with his heavily modified Mitsubishi Evo, but it appeared he wouldn’t have any tires left after watching him drift through turns and slide his car all around the roads.

On day 2 Proctor retired from the rally after sliding off the road and damaging the rear of the car in the second stage.  In the same stage, he also blew the engine and his week was done.  Steve meanwhile decided to pick up the pace and start giving chase.  Applying more pressure to Quinn and Inkster and even setting some fast times for some stages.

As day 3 approached, so did the weather!  The STILLEN team was excited and we knew the times were going to tighten up.  Steve felt even more comfortable with the car as he also noticed the Dunlop tires did not seem to be wearing heavily so he pushed on harder and again, laid down some fast times and won a couple of stages on the day!  A real battle for second place was starting to shape up between Millen and Inkster for second place as they both slowly but steadily began chopping time out of Quinn’s lead.

By the end of day 4 the team was ecstatic!  The car had been working great and the tires were holding up well!  The best news though came at the end of day 4.  Driving down to Wellington you couldn’t help but think about tire strategy as the heavy fog came rolling in and the air got cold.  Quick inspections of Inksters and Quinn’s cars showed nearly no tread left on both cars with plenty to spare on Millen’s!  The team went to bed that night thinking the leaders would either need to take time penalties for new tires or try to drive their cars on essentially slick tires through Wellington’s notoriously harsh weather which would allow Millen the opportunity to make up the time in the rain!  All weather reports were pointing to rain and the team was very excited to wake up in the morning.

The next morning we all jumped out of bed and ran to our windows to open the blinds and hope to see grey skies and rain pouring down.  Shock!  Nothing but clear skies and white clouds!  Could this be the first year that the Targa Rally competed all week on dry roads?  On day 2 there was a 30 minute shower in the morning that lightly dampened the roads but not enough to be considered an impact on performance.  It turned out that yes, this was going to be the first year that the Targa Rally ran dry!  So, Steve knew it was up to him to strap in and do his best to push as hard as he could, even though now Inkster’s and Quinn’s tires were actually better suited to the conditions since they were essentially slicks.  Steve pushed as hard as he could and again managed to set some fast times but was unable to overcome the time deficit.  After a week of hard racing, 2,000+ miles, and over 5 and a half hours of accumulated stage times, Steve finished 3 minutes and 30 seconds behind Tony Quinn and only a minute behind Glenn Inkster.

Overall, it was a fantastic week and the car performed flawlessly!  Steve took advantage of the awesome power and handling of the GT-R and pushed it to the limits.  Unfortunately, the weather did not play into the tire strategy and the result was a 3rd place finish.  Had the weather worked as it normally does on the Targa Rallies, we probably would have won the rally.  With the time penalties the other teams would have taken for tires the strategy may have worked perfectly and the team would be celebrating a win.  However, at the end of the day, the prize is the same.  Targa Rallies were started in Italy and the Italian word “Targa” translates to “plate.”  So, the top three finisher’s receive plates indicating their final position.  There is no prize money, just a great week spent with great people enjoying some amazing cars as you tour through a beautiful country.  Just like most endurance racing, simply finishing every stage is the real prize!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcg-wGjyZGY&hd=1

Follow all of the coverage of the 2010 Dunlop Targa New Zealand Rally