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2023 Nissan Z Test Drive | STILLEN

Jan 10, 2023

Kyle from STILLEN was able to test drive the new 2023 Nissan Z and he taught the Z was absolutely amazing. His done exactly what anybody with the keys to the new Z would do. He has taken the Nissan Z through a canyon road near his home and it was an absolute blast to drive.

It handles extremely well, just hugging every single turn. No tire squeal, no drama. It just soaks it up and it just goes. Point and shoot steering, you get on the throttle and the rear end starts to come around.

The Nissan Z has excellent power delivery from the VR30 V6 Twin Turbo 400 horsepower platform. It’s absolutely phenomenal to drive. You can definitely see the areas of enhancement that Nissan has made to the new Z.

STILLEN can’t wait to get there own Z and start to make some improvements. But again, these are improvements and modifications that are for the enthusiasts. They’re going to be for the enthusiasts who wants that extra power. The enthusiast that really wants to push it a little bit further and this car is going to respond so well to it. You can already tell that the new Z wants to go faster and wants to push harder.

From a styling perspective, Nissan has really hit a home run for the new Z. This is one of the best looking cars on the road. “I have to be honest, I didn’t love the original photos I saw. I didn’t think that the front end was really what I was looking for. As soon as I saw the Z in person for the first time, I knew I was wrong. The photos just don’t do it justice. This is a good looking car.” – Kyle.

The front end of the Z is designed to look like the older Datsun Z, similar to a 240 and a 260. Then you move around to the back of the Z and you get that 300ZX rear end immediately. The tail lights are a modern 300ZX tail lights, they’re absolutely fantastic. We can all agree that the rear tail lights are the best part of the design of the vehicle.

The katana down the roofline of the car is a very cool easter egg, but overall it’s just an amazing car. From a performance perspective, it handles incredibly well. You can tell that the power is there as soon as you put your foot down. It just scoots and gets going right away. This car wants to run, it wants to run hard, and you can already tell it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Steve Millen History

In 1989 our company founder, Steve Millen, started working with Nissan. Nissan hired Steve to be the lead driver for their new sports car program. They were bringing in the 300ZX at the time. They were going to bring in two race cars; number 75 and number 76. It was a twin turbo V6 VG30 based engine and they took those cars to dozens of race wins, dozens of pole positions, two world championships, wins in Asia, Europe and America.

Steve Millen & team with the No. 75 Nissan 300ZX & No. 76 Nissan 300ZX After Winning the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans

To this day, I believe Steve Millen still holds the record of being the only driver to win the 24 hours of Daytona, the 12 hours of Sebring, and the 24 hours of Le Mans in the same year. They had a crazy amount of success with that 300ZX racing program.

Steve really translated that success on the track into STILLEN’s road car program. He also worked very closely with Nissan, refining the 300ZX and giving them more power and developing all these parts through STILLEN.

Towards the end of the 300ZX in 1995, Nissan celebrated his relationship with them as well as the culmination of the Z. They built a special limited edition SMZ 300ZX. It was a Steve Millen design 300ZX. This was a car that you could also buy through your local dealership. They only made a little over 100 cars in North America and these cars were sold through the dealer network.

2023 Nissan Z Test Drive | STILLEN SMZ 300ZX

The dealers would call up STILLEN, and they would place their order for the cars. All the SMZ packages were the same. It was just the color of the vehicle that was different. The SMZ package came with different wheels, brakes, body work, and a little bit more power through an intake and exhaust. I think there was a computer reprogram and some interior enhancements too.

The SMZ package was a 300ZX that you could buy from the dealership with the factory warranty. That’s the type of relationship STILLEN has with Nissan. Working with Z’s goes through our blood, all the way back to the late 80’s and early 90’s.

When the 350Z came out it was very much the same. We didn’t do a SMZ package, but we did a whole catalog of parts for the 350Z. That catalog of parts included exterior styling, sway bars, intakes, exhaust systems, oil coolers, transmission coolers, supercharger systems, you name it. At one point, STILLEN had about 30 different products for 350Z. That really speaks to the STILLEN’s philosophy when it comes to the Nissan Z’s. The relationship that STILLEN has with the Z is strong.

We don’t want to just do an intake or exhaust. A lot of the times when STILLEN brings other vehicles in for product development, that’s all we’re doing. We’re just doing an intake and an exhaust system, maybe a body kit.

On the Z’s we tackle the entire car. It becomes a passion project for STILLEN because of that relationship and that connection that STILLEN has to the Z and to Nissan. We really want to refine it as best we can. So we’ll go front to back, top to bottom.

The Z’s are so special to us that we just want to give them as much attention and as much love as we can. That basically comes out by all the parts and all the enhancements that we make for the Z’s.

2023 NISSAN Z

We continue to work and develop new parts for the 2023 Nissan Z. The new STILLEN products are nearing their completion. Make sure to have your social media notifications on to be the first to hear about the new products. Hopefully your as excited as we are to bring the new products for the 2023 Nissan Z.

John J’s Tale of Two Z’s – Z34 Headturner Modded 370Z & Z32 300ZX Twin Turbo.

Jul 9, 2018

Amuse Vestito Front Bumper / Carbon Signal V1 Fenders / Aeroflow Dynamics Side Splitters / STILLEN Rear Spoiler / Satin Vampire Red/Carbon Fiber 3M Wrap
Rohana RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 on Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires / Tein S-Tech Springs / Hotchkis Sway Bars / 3.7 VLSD

John J is a Z man today- though for years that wasn’t the case – and through a strange twist of fate, John found himself both cursed and enamored by Nissan’s legendary sportscar. John currently has a 370Z, but picked it up after getting over a bit of tragedy. The pic above you see is one of the photos of the car in its original form – a far cry from the crimson machine in the driveway today. After getting through his suite of Nissan 370Z Mods, fate stepped in to put the original car he’d dreamed about as a teenager and young adult in his driveway.

(Bruce Willis, Driving a Z31 300ZX 2+2 in the film Blind Date… read more about that here)

“Naturally, when I was growing up, the Z was one of my favorite cars. A cross between a muscle car and a roadster. I fell in love with the Z31 300ZX and the pointy nose driven by Bruce Willis (this is a reference to the film BLIND DATE). For many reasons, I never purchased a Z in my youth. Money, priorities, responsibilities or whatever it may be… I never even had the opportunity to ride in a Z!“
That changed one night in 1997, at what was supposed to be the culmination of an awesome night out with friends, John got his first chance to ride in a Z in the back of his dearest friend’s boyfriend’s Z32 300ZX 2+2.

Buckle up, it’s storytime, but stay with us here and you’ll see how this all comes full circle.

“At 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 1997, that long awaited opportunity turned into the beginning of the worst day of my life…”

The Z became a curse in an instant when the car they were riding in side swiped a semi tanker, carrying a fuel even more dangerous than gasoline, Aviation fuel. With the 300ZX travelling at one hundred twenty miles an hour as it struck the fuel tanker, the impact was horrific, hurling the car some 800 feet down the road, pinballing off of the guardrails along the way. Even the best engineered vehicles aren’t designed for crashes at that speed – and car versus semi crashes never end well.

John’s close friend Jenny, sitting in the front passenger seat was ejected from the car, killing her instantly. The driver was injured badly, but survived the disaster. John and another friend who had also been stuffed into the back seat were very lucky, as John and the other rear passenger climbed out of the ruined hulk with hardly a scratch… but the damage was done. His close friend Jenny was gone at the age of 22, and what was once John’s dream car had now become a continuous reminder of that awful event.

“I barely had a scratch externally… but for years after, I never looked at another Z. I had no interest whatsoever for obvious reasons that were associated with PTSD from the accident.” Seeing a Z was a trigger that brought back the terrible feeling of ‘survivor’s guilt’- something all too common among those who endure tragedies of this caliber- questioning your decisions wishing you had made one of a thousand decisions differently that night, and begging to change places with someone you loved, whose life was cut way too short.

John spent almost 20 years distancing himself from Nissan’s iconic sports coupe, but a simple trip carshopping for his next daily changed that.

“I didn’t look at another Z, not until March of 2016, when my search to lease a new Nissan Murano SUV with my girlfriend and life partner Sandy brought us to the local Nissan dealer. So we are walking through the lot, talking with our salesperson about trying to get the best lease possible for the next utilitarian vehicle I will be driving, and walking towards the entrance to their dealership when Sandy pointed at these two cars sitting in front of the doors.

Naturally, like any dealership, they had their best on display -a couple of 370Z’s were front and center. Sandy was the first to look closer and asked me to take a look at the car (noticing the affordability in comparison to leasing a Morano). So I casually glanced at the Z at first, and then I couldn’t help staring at the car. Since that night in 1997 I have always lived my life for two people, Jenny and I. When presented with a decision that puts him out of his comfort zone, whether it is jumping off of a 30 foot high cliff in Jamaica or buying a defining car in his life John has always asked himself “what would Jenny do?”.

Then it hit me. I thought to myself, I am 46, kids out of the house, I have been thinking about getting something for me, I have a wonderful girlfriend that supports me, and Jenny’s memory will be a part of this car and a part of my continuing recovery.

So, rather than the Murano, we purchased the 370Z and started our mod journey to create a car that came from my heart, and bonds me with her. The 370Z’s name is Jenny for that reason.” So out of that tragedy, John and Sandy found a way to heal, and like any good Z car, gave the car its own bit of soul – the car itself a way to memorialize a friend gone too soon. It’s not at all uncommon amongst gearheads like John, we tend to find ways to rebuild our broken hearts by turning wrenches – go to any busy car show, you’re sure to find a vehicle built in the memory of another, a way to remember those who have left our lives too soon, so our hearts never forget.

Long after John and Sandy first started their journey with Jenny, their Fairlady 370Z, a spark of inspiration nudged him to pick up a second Z… We’ll get into that other “new” car in a moment, but let’s talk about what’s been done to Jenny, this incredible Satin Red 370Z first.

As so many of us do, John started with audio -the first mod to the 2016 Nissan 370Z was upgrading the radio and audio system – and right after those, first performance parts on the list was the 370Z intake and 370Z exhaust.

After doing extensive research online, on the forums, and in the local Z/G clubs to pick other enthusiasts’ brains about what the best option was, John opted to go with a STILLEN Gen 3 Intake for 370Z, matched with a STILLEN Cat-Back 370Z Exhaust for maximum effect.

The Stillen Gen 3 intakes feed into a Custom ported upper plenum

“The Stillen Gen 3 intakes are the best in breed and every other intake is referenced to it. It opens up throttle response and lets the engine breathe. The Stillen cat back exhaust isn’t the loudest and as a daily driver I appreciate that. I don’t hear exhaust drone when cruising while hearing the car roar when accelerating. Combined, my bolt on NA 370Z tuned at 330+ RWHP (with a large chunk courtesy of STILLEN). Given their relationship with Nissan, STILLEN are who I trusted to provide the most power from my VQ37, and they came through.”

It’s no surprise the Gen III intakes are still considered one of the best possible options for naturally aspirated VQ37HR and VQ35HR engined cars – after all, we did go through fifty six – yes, 56, different prototypes before we worked out the design you’ve come to know and love that delivers the best gains available. Paired with a custom ported Upper Intake Plenum, throttle response is quite sharp.

Stillen Cat Back Exhaust / Kinetix HFCs Give the 370Z An Aggressive Roar

As far as the exhaling side of the VQ37HR’s breathing was concerned, John opted to enhance flow with the STILLEN Cat-Back Exhaust for Nissan 370Z. The oversized polished tips look great whether ensconced in the factory rear bumper, NISMO or any other option. Offering power, style and sound, the STILLEN Cat-Back is truly the complete package, offering a low-drone way to get a richer, more satisfying exhaust note out of the 370Z – you can still have a conversation with your date, codriver, business partner, dog, or whoever you talk to most often in your Z.

The etched STILLEN logo on each tip gives the system a custom-tailored touch as well. After the performance modifications, next was the exterior – a new bumper, side skirt diffusers, a spoiler and a color change courtesy a custom wrap transformed John’s 370Z from ‘little black dress’ to ‘Jessica Rabbit’ aesthetic virtually overnight.

Rounding out the visual modifications is a Stillen rear wing, custom-wrapped in Carbon Fiber look vinyl, adding a nice bit of detail against the intense satin red.

Lowered on Tein S-Tech Springs, the stock wheels have been swapped out for a set of Rohana RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 with a set of Hotchkis Sway Bars keeping the suspension compliant. Then to ensure the power is getting to both rear wheels, a 3.7 ratio viscous limited slip rear differential was fitted as well.

Amuse Vestito Front Bumper / Carbon Signal V1 Fenders / Aeroflow Dynamics Side Splitters / STILLEN Rear Spoiler / Satin Vampire Red/Carbon Fiber 3M Wrap
Rohanan RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 on Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires / Tein S-Tech Springs / Hotchkis Sway Bars / 3.7 VLSD

“With the continuous love and support of my amazingly supportive girlfriend Sandy, we have started this journey with Jenny. I’ve been given an opportunity to work through another hurdle in overcoming the events of that fateful night and embracing the anxiety of seeing a Z32 as an important step in the healing process… as a result I have fallen back in love with the Z.”

Check out the rather impressive list of mods the car already sports:

Current:

-Rohana RFX5 wheels 19X9.5/11 with Hankook tires

–Tein S-Tech Springs

-Amuse Vestito front bumper

-Carbon Signal V1 fenders

-Aeroflow Dynamics side splitter

–STILLEN Rear Spoiler

-iJDMToy smoked rear 4th brake / fog / reverse light

-3.7 ratio VLSD swap

–STILLEN Gen 3 Intake

-Custom Ported Upper Plenum

–STILLEN Cat-Back Exhaust for 370Z

-KINETIX HFC

WRAPPED IN:
-3M Satin Vampire Red primary wrap color with Black Carbon Fiber and gloss black as accent colors

Future Mods:

-Brake Upgrade (in-the-works… Akebono brakes currently at powder coat, just waiting on new rotors)
-34 row oil cooler (Florida life)
-STILLEN Supercharger (once car is paid off)
-Level 10 built 7AT transmission
-Quaife Rear Differential & Upgraded Housing

As fate would have it, right after Sandy and John had started talking about what their next car purchase would be. They were considering the ‘second car’s intended use – they agreed on the idea of a convertible garage queen to drive on the weekends… and then about a month ago, a neighbor two doors down pulled a gorgeous pearl white ’90 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo [Z32 TT] out of the garage.

“Naturally, I had to talk to him (though we’d only talked twice in the 5 years we’d been neighbors) about the car… and where it came from.”

“I tracked down my neighbor and got the story on the Z: It was his wife’s father’s and had been given to (my neighbors) as a wedding present. To my disappointment, he said someone had come and put down a deposit already, but did mention whoever it was had not picked it up yet – or paid in full.” With the neighbors new car occupying the Z’s former spot in the garage, the immaculate Z32 300ZX Twin Turbo now sat in the sun, waiting for its new owner to fetch it. Surely, someone who left a deposit will be back to get the car, right? Well.. maybe not.

A few weeks go by, during which time John and Sandy rented a Mustang convertible – and ended up not liking the convertible experience in a Mustang. This got them talking again about that ‘second car’, and what they didn’t like about a convertible… so a full convertible was out, but both of them agreed they loved T-Tops. So their plan for ‘a convertible’ had changed to ‘a car with T-Tops’. It should go without saying, but while Targa roofs have stuck around, the list of “Cars that Came with T-Tops” hasn’t had any new additions in a while.
‘Hmm… what car has T-Tops…’, they mused… and like a flash of lightning it the idea struck. The Z car sitting two doors down has T-Tops, and it’s no longer in a garage and exposed to the sun!

John went to see his neighbor the next day – weeks had passed and the car was still here, so he asked his neighbor what the deal was with the Z’s buyer. John’s neighbor said still the guy hadn’t come to get it and hadn’t heard from him in a while. So, John told him he would be more than happy to take her (the 300ZX) off of his hands right now, if he was good with it. While money talks, for some people, it’s also about who the car is going to. John’s neighbor accepted, saying, “Absolutely! I know you’re going to take care of her (the 300ZX), which will make my wife’s father very happy that the Z he loved went to a good home!”

“Naturally, I had to name her (the 300ZX) after the woman that has been there by my side and supported me through this journey. I call her mZSandy.

This ’90 Z32 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is clearly not stock – while that’s not our aero kit (our guess is WingsWest), the STILLEN badging in various places on the car and level of modification suggest there may be a few goodies of ours – either produced by or sourced by us – hidden in there. The modifications are tasteful while also offering a snapshot of 90’s tuning trends. John’s as in the dark as we are, and the car is currently being gone over at a Z specialist to work out what’s been done and what, if anything, it needs.

A front strut tower brace firms up the chassis of this T-Top equipped Z32, and as was the trend, there’s an abundance of red details like the wire looms and radiator supports.

Out back, the polished mufflers of a STILLEN Exhaust for 1990-96 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo gives the car a more authoritative growl, sharper response and more power on tap when the twin turbos hit boost.

While the plan for now is to work out what’s on the car, John’s planning a STILLEN Crankshaft Pulley for 300ZX in the future. Once the check-up is complete, this beauty should be a real joy to log miles on this summer.

A big thank you to John for sharing his story & photos with us and for making us a part of his build.

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed the photos.

Interested in modifying your Z? Whether you’ve got a 300ZX or a 370Z, our experts here at STILLEN can help make it even better. Check out the site at STILLEN.com, chat live with the team using the LiveChat window to ask questions and get answers in real time, call us at 1-888-250-5542 7a-5p M-F PST or just stop by the shop during regular business hours. See you next time!

LeMans 2018 Insights from LeMans Veteran Racer Steve Millen

Jun 15, 2018

This weekend is 24 Heures du Mans 2018- our friends at Jalopnik have put together this handy Guide to the 2018 24 Hours of LeMans, and so we figured, what better time to chat with an actual LeMans veteran about what it was actually like to run.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 005

Chatting with STILLEN founder and 1990 and 1994 24-Hours-of-LeMans veteran Steve Millen about the 24, we asked what his thoughts were on this years race, and some of his recollections about his own experiences at the iconic french track. STILLEN Founder Steve Millen has been applying his racing knowhow to the STILLEN range of performance parts and aero for over 25 years now. Steve Millen has had the chance to race the 24 Hueres du Mans twice, in 1990, snagging the title “Rookie of the Year” in the process, and then raced the 24 again in 1994 with the Nissan factory team, taking 5th overall and winning his class, in spite of a rather inconvenient theft, delicious french breakfast, and a mechanical failure.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 001

Editor: What do you think about this weekend’s race, taking your experience into account, what kind of a race are we in for? What’s your take on the field this year?
SM: When you’re dominant, you’re not racing anyone else, you’re racing the track, and that’s what’s happening with Toyota this year. Every so often in racing it happens that one team is really dominant and nobody can touch them, and this year, that’s Toyota. Back in 1994, we were really dominant and in a similar position. We’d won the 24 Hours of Daytona by 20 laps, and then followed that up with winning Sebring by 7 laps. We were ahead of the field, and that’s where Toyota is going into the 24. Toyota isn’t really facing any competition that can match its speed – so they won’t be racing the competition, but rather, Toyota is racing against LeMans, the track itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZHZcdEtHeg

Editor: That’s very true, in an endurance race, just finishing the race is an accomplishment. As the saying goes, ‘To finish First, first, you must finish.”, right?
SM: Right. I’ve always said of endurance races, “The Car Is the Star”, with more than one person driving, it isn’t about the driver anymore, it comes down to how good the car is. In some ways, it’s more challenging- you’re racing yourself. Toyota will be pushing the car to its limits here, and so dominant as they’ve been, it’s their race to lose.

Editor: Had the team been planning to go to LeMans that year from the getgo, or was that a spur of the moment thing?

SM: No, actually, going to LeMans was a bit of a surprise – We’d been so successful that season, we reckoned we had a shot at LeMans, and so we figured, why not go for it! So Nissan got the budget together to send us to LeMans.

Editor: As you said, Nissan’s decision to go to LeMans in 1994 was a bit last minute, do you feel like that presented the Nissan team with any challenges other teams might not have faced? Would you have changed anything on the car if you’d had more time?
SM: Certainly – if we’d had more time, we’d have done a different aero treatment for the bodywork. The car was set up for racing in the USA, on road courses where you need a lot of downforce. That meant we had more drag than some of the other teams, but we still didn’t have a problem hitting 200 at 4 different places on the track… in a car setup for grip.
Editor: The rules were also slightly different than you were expecting, too, weren’t they?
SM: When we arrived in France, were expecting to race under American LeMans rules, and when we arrived, we found we’d be racing under the French LeMans rules, and the GTP class was added and ran at the same time – that added more traffic to maneuver around, and more people to drop oil on the track, go off, all that.

Editor: Of the 4 places you’d exceed 200mph, what part of the track was the fastest?

SM: The fastest part of the track is coming through the forest out of Mulsanne, well over 200.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (8)

Editor: If you’d had time, you guys would’ve done something akin to a longtail treatment, then?
SM: Exactly, we’d have probably done something similar to the McLaren Longtails. Considering that we were running a high-grip car on one of the fastest tracks in racing, we did really well under the circumstances. The car performed well the majority of the race, until Sunday morning, when we broke a camshaft. Swapping it out took only 20 minutes before we went back out, but that still cost us time. If the camshaft hadn’t broken, we might’ve taken 3rd, or at least 4th overall.

Editor: It’s not winning, but either way making the podium would’ve been a great result.
SM: We finished 5th overall, and just finishing the 24 is an accomplishment, but we did win our class.

Editor: LeMans is certainly one of those “lifetime experience” type events, what do you most clearly remember of racing there?

SM: The most memorable thing for me, was around 5-6 am, I was out racing. The thing wasn’t the sunrise… at that time of day the air is the coolest, so the car picks up more power and is the fastest then, and as you’re pushing your fastest, you smell it. The smell of bacon and sausage as kitchens all over the french countryside begin cooking breakfast, and your stomach’s growling in the car. I almost wished I could stop, it smelled so good. I’m thinking, “Man, that smells delicious, how long til breakfast??”.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 003

Editor: As a 24-hour race, this also means the car ran at night. Is it harder running in the dark?
SM: Actually, you’d be surprised that it’s only dark a few hours during the race. At that time of year, the sun doesn’t set til 10-11pm, and rises around 5-6am, so you really aren’t in darkness for long.

Editor: Having run an endurance race myself, ironically in the parodious 24 hours of LeMons, it was hard to stay ‘on my a-game’ after an hour in the car, how often did you switch out? Was getting tired an issue?

SM: Actually, no, I always stayed in the car as long as I could, which was 4 hours, and you had to take a 1 hour break in between before you’d be allowed to go out again. Running 4 hour stints at a time lets you stay ‘in the zone’ longer, because you’re adjusting to the track as conditions change, so you don’t have to get used to them all over again so many times if you’re not getting out of the car as often, and so you don’t waste laps adjusting to conditions at the start of each stint. If someone had dropped oil somewhere, or if there was gravel on the track or something, you knew about it.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (4)

Editor: How would you say LeMans compares to other ‘iconic’ races, like Monaco?
SM: It’s more fun than Monaco – there’s so much more opportunity for overtaking, it’s one of the longest tracks in all of racing at over 8 miles, and one of the few courses that’s gorgeous scenery for the entirety. LeMans officials provided me with a caravan (or camper, as we say in the US), but the trick was that both times I ran LeMans, 1990 and 1994, someone broke into my caravan and swiped my racing suits and helmet.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 6

Editor: As frustrating as that must’ve been at the time, you did find another suit in time… it’s one of those things you laugh at looking back, isn’t it?

SM: Exactly right. It was hectic having to hunt all over the paddock for another helmet and suit, but it’s kind of funny now. *laughing* I always pictured some frenchman on a beat up Moped speeding off through town, wearing my suit and helmet.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (7)

Editor: Wrapping up here, what are you most excited to see in the 2018 edition of The 24?

SM: The cars running now are much more powerful than what I was running in 1994, but I’m curious if Toyota will beat the lap record, rumor is they may do it. We’ll see!

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 5

Placing 5th overall in spite of unexpectedly having to share the track with GTP class, a broken camshaft, high-drag bodywork for road courses (not LeMans straights) and having his race suit and helmet stolen out of his Caravan, Steve Millen, John Morton and Johnny O’Connell took first in the class, and had the camshaft not broken and if the car had sported a high-speed aero treatment, placing 2nd or 3rd would’ve been very likely.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 7

While his professional racing career is over, Steve never really stopped driving fast, continuing to do stunt driving appearances, test performance cars for magazines like Road & Track and still occasionally takes the 75 out to select race events. This August, Steve Millen will be behind the wheel of the #75 300ZX Twin Turbo (Chassis #7) at Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway the 2018 Monterey Historics, highlighting Nissan as this year’s featured marque.

We’ll be posting updates as we revive our LeMans veteran racecar from its slumber and get our 600-1100hp monster ready to race once again.

Wanna drive the #75?

While we haven’t been able to talk Steve into letting us take it for a spin around the block, you can experience what it’s like to drive the LeMans Race Cars like the #75 yourself in incredible detail in Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Motorsport 7. After being painstakingly scanned into the game by the boffins at Turn10, you can experience what it’s like to drive these iconic vehicles on your favorite tracks.

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, people sitting and indoor

Fancy some competition?
Get behind the wheel Saturday, 6/16/2018 at The Petersen Automotive Museum, for the Michelin 24 Hours Forza Challenge. Set a laptime in the #75 or any other LeMans racecar for a shot at winning an Xbox One X and some other sweet prizes, and thank you to our friends at The Petersen Automotive Museum for playing host.

Check out the #75 in action in this hour-long race recap.

Whether you want to make your classic 300ZX faster, add more power to your modern 370Z, get more torque from your VR30DDTT Infiniti Q60 or add a 3in lift to your truck, the performance experts at STILLEN can help you do it. Call us today at (866) 250-5542, chat Live at STILLEN.com or stop by the showroom during regular business hours.

Thanks for reading, See you next time!

Check out these Jalopnik features with STILLEN:
What I learned at Celebrity Driving School

Ridiculously Awesome STILLEN GT-R Wallpaper

Make Your GT-R Glow with STILLEN Brakes

Super Clean Z32TT Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo Spotted @ STILLEN

Jun 7, 2018

It’s getting rarer and rarer to see a Z32 in good shape anymore, so that’s why when this particular example from Huntington Beach stopped by last week, we had to stop and snap a few photos. Rocking a classic red/chrome aesthetic, the chrome plated Z32 5 spoke 16’s key in beautifully with the polished tips of a STILLEN Exhaust.

Despite its age, this Z32 looks like it came out of a showroom yesterday – even the black behind the clear lens of the tail lamps was fade-free and the lenses flawless.

The contours of the car still look sharp – it’s hard to believe this design debuted 30 years ago.

From this angle, it almost looks as if STILLEN Z32 300ZX TT Intercooler Ducts are present, but it’s hard to tell.

The STILLEN Generation I Nose Panel for 300ZX looks fantastic and keys in with the car’s front end aesthetic, but it’s functional as well. STILLEN’s nose panels for the 300ZX give the Z some much needed additional airflow to the radiator, making the stock cooling system much more effective and making even better use of an oversize radiator.

A fun fact about the Z32 is that the Lamborghini Diablo used 300ZX headlamps.

Red is a particularly difficult color to keep nice, as red oxidizes faster than other colors, for some reason. The gloss and clearcoat here is flawless.

One of our favorite 90’s features was T-Tops. The fun of a convertible but without dropping the top! Unfortunately, they’re not great for structural rigidity, so they’ve mostly disappeared.

Thanks for joining us, we hope you enjoyed the photos!

If you’re looking to get more power out of your Z, G or Q naturally aspirated, this car proves that not only can it be done, but there’s a good bit of power to be had before forced induction. Call us today to see how we can get more out of your car! Shop our selection of Z32 300ZX Parts here.

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you next time.

STILLEN Event Tracking: Z Attack 2017 Car Show

May 1, 2017

STILLEN Event Tracking: Z Attack 2017 Car Show

April 21-22, 2017

Images by Michael Whitten, Middle Tennessee Z Club

Nissan North America moved from Southern California to Franklin, Tennessee back in the mid-2000s. This move to the east centralized Nissan Headquarters and made the facility more accessible to fans and followers of the marque. The location of the new headquarters happened to be within two hours’ drive from the members of the Middle Tennessee Z Club. Co-founders Robert “Bob” McGehee and Randy Shemin approached Nissan North America’s public relations division and worked out the details to hold its Z ATTACK Car Show at the corporate headquarters.

The Z ATTACK event drew 83 Z cars and a dozen Nissan/Infiniti vehicles in the new Open class at the Saturday car show. McGehee commented, “Unlike the favorable weather we enjoyed at our 2014 event, foul weather forced us to relocate to Nissan’s parking structure where enthusiasts could enjoy the opportunity to catch up with other Z owners and admire a wide range of entries. We had entrants from Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky, and from as far north as Illinois and even Canada. They all said the trip was well worth the effort.”

The weekend kicked off Friday with group tours of the Nissan manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. That evening, the Middle Tennessee Z Club hosted a barbecue dinner and a private tour of the Lane Motor Museum. The Lane houses many significant vehicles in the Nissan Heritage Collection which are not available for viewing by the general public.

In conjunction with Nissan’s ongoing corporate support of non-profit community organizations, the Middle Tennessee Z Club collected donations which were shared with Lifehouse Animal Refuge and Rehabilitation in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Lifehouse is a small agency that works to find forever homes for abandoned and abused animals and rescues dogs whose time has expired at kill shelters.

Nissan videographers filmed the event for a future video and interviewed several attendees as part of its ongoing efforts to honor the heritage and recognize the enthusiasts who are ambassadors for the brand. This will be shared with Nissan staff at headquarters and manufacturing employees in Smyrna and Decherd, Tennessee.

STILLEN at NissFest 2015

Nov 30, 2015

STILLEN Attends the First Annual NissFest!!!

STILLEN is deep rooted in the Nissan/Infiniti Community. So obviously when we heard there was going to be a new annual event for Nissan & Infiniti, we had to get involved.

The 1st Annual NissFest event was held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. With this being the first show and also taking place a little later in the year we were still very happy with the turn out. It was great seeing a lot of the local Nissan/Infiniti Enthusiasts happy to come out, show off their cars, visit vendors, and also just admire what others had done to their cars as well. We are very much looking forward to next year and hope to see even more people attend!

It was also great to see so many cars featuring STILLEN Parts. Here are some of our favorites from the show!

Steve Millen & No. 75 Nissan 300ZX Ready to Race Again

Jul 17, 2014

Steve Millen & team with the No. 75 Nissan 300ZX & No. 76 Nissan 300ZX After Winning the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans

Coming out of retirement and ready to win another race, Steve Millen, No. 75 Nissan 300ZX and the original crew are racing at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in Monterey, CA to celebrate his winning 1994 season. As you can imagine, the STILLEN team is looking forward to be celebrating the anniversary and to see our founder back on the track racing the iconic No. 75 car. There is no one more excited than Steve Millen, who had this to say about the upcoming race, “The past 20 years have flown by like they were 24 hours, so getting back behind the wheel of the No. 75 with the support of many of the original team members will be like stepping into a time machine. People might forget that this car was so dominant in 1994 that IMSA banned its twin-turbo V6 engine. I think we’ve got a great chance to bring it into Victory Lane one more time against some other amazing race cars at Laguna Seca. I can’t wait.”

The sentiment is also shared by Nissan, who will be setting up a display in the Laguna Seca garage area that will support the No. 75 Nissan 300ZX’s return to competition. Additionally, the display will showcase Nissan’s newest sports cars – the Nissan 370Z NISMO and Nissan GT-R NISMO. As Pierre Loing, Vice President of Product Planning at Nissan North America, Inc. said, “From the original 1994 Le Mans inspection sticker to the twin-turbo V6 and Nissan 5-speed Hewland gearbox, the No. 75 is the real deal and we can’t wait to see it back on the track at speed with Steve Millen at the controls.”

This particular chassis is especially close to Millen’s heart as it is the most successful chassis from the NISSAN IMSA 300ZX campaign. Steve won more races, set more lap records, and pole positions in this particular car than any other car.

No. 75 Nissan 300ZX Chassis 007 Specs & Accolades:

Prepared by Clayton Cunningham Racing (CCR)
Chromoly steal tub structure with a carbon fiber and aluminum body
2960cc twin-turbo VG30DETT V6 engine, which is rated at more than 800 hp
5-speed Nissan transmission with Hewland gears
Still has the original 1994 Le Mans inspection sticker on backwall
Won the IMSA GTS class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (placed 5th overall)
Won the 12 Hours of Sebring
First place finish at Road Atlanta
Pole position and victory at Portland International Raceway
1994 IMSA GTS Drivers’ and Manufactures’ Championship

*For more information about the racing history of the Nissan No. 75 300ZX and Steve Millen’s racing career, please visit: http://www.stillen.com/racing-i-33.html

Road to Running

As you can imagine, getting the twin-turbo V6 75 car track ready is quite a feat. Steve Millen and technicians from the STILLEN performance shop have been hard at work preparing the car for the race, where it will compete against 550 vehicles at the Monterey Historics this August. Keep up with the action, including vehicle shakedown and practice sessions, by subscribing to the STILLEN blog, following the STILLEN Facebook page and following STILLEN on Instagram. See you on the track!

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