It is no mystery why we were so disappointed when Nissan announced that the new SE-R would not be equipped with the honorary SR20DE engine. The 2.5L iron block QR25DE did prove to make quite a bit of power in a time where every manufacturer seemed to be bumping up the displacement in their motors, but it still needs some work in order to keep up with the competition. That's where Stillen in Costa Mesa, California, comes into play. These guys have been fiddling with Nissans since before Jonny decided to stop cutting his hair. Just give these guys a car and a goal, and they'll be able to accomplish it at their fully equipped facility. Then, give us the car to test. As much as we wanted to slap this baby on the track, we didn't have access to one. Imagine that.
The stock Spec V comes with a factory-rated 175 hp at the flywheel, or 134 hp at the wheels. Although impressive, it leaves the car a tad bit behind in the game. Stillen managed to coax another 21 hp and 17 lb-ft of torque at the wheels with its cold-air intake system, 4-1 header, and rear section exhaust. That leads us to believe that the Spec V has very restricted breathing from the factory, perhaps in order to lower emissions. The Stillen parts gave the Spec V exactly the right amount of juice to make it accelerate quickly on the highway.
Real-world driving involves much more than going in a straight line. If you live in L.A., you're doing a lot of turning and stopping just to get anywhere. Stillen's big brake kit keeps you in line when you decide to get a little too daring around town. The combination of big brakes, stainless steel lines, and high-performance pads give the brake pedal a nice, solid feel to it. It makes you feel confident when you're driving, knowing you will stop when you have to, and it allows you to worry about other things, like driving. Freeway onramps and junctions are no problem with the Eibach Pro kit doing its thing.
For those of you jocking for Four Door Wild honors, the Stillen also supplies one of the its four-piece body kits. Stillen is one of only a handful of companies that goes to the considerable effort to produce its kits from urethane. This is great for dinks like us who use parking blocks as bumper stops. The urethane will bounce back with only paint damage, whereas a fiberglass bumper would crack harder than Conan the Republican in an intellectual debate. We say cheers to Stillen for the urethane construction, but jeers to the designer-the look is about four years too late to the party. With an updated look, the Stillen Spec V can show as well as it goes.
Fast FactsCar: '02 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Owner: Stillen
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
Daily Grind: Building and selling style, performance, suspension, and braking products for your car
Under The Hood: Stillen cold-air intake, rear section exhaust, 4-1 header, and secondary pipe
Stiff Stuff: Eibach Pro kit; Stillen billet strut tower brace
Rollers: Konig Traffik wheels 18x7.5; Yokohama Parada Spec 2 tires 225/40ZR18
Stoppers: Stillen two-piston PBR brakes with two sequential pistons and 13-inch rotors, rear cross-drilled sport rotors; Metal Matrix brake pads; Goodridge stainless steel lines
Outside: Stillen Spec V body kit with full fascia; Modern Image metallic silver graphics; Street Scene Speed Grille
Inside: Red on black leather classic soft trim with embroidered Spec V logo, custom red leather door panel inserts with Stillen embroidery, red color-matched dash and console bezels