NICOfest at Stillen Customer Appreciation Event
Wow, what a weekend! NICO returned once again for the 3rd time to join Stillen for their Nissan / Infiniti Customer Appreciation Day. As with typical NICO fashion, the weekend started out with a mini-meet at the local Hooters in Costa Mesa, CA. We had a chance to meet up with some of the local NICO members for the first time, as well as some returning faces from previous years. Starting the weekend out right, with beer, fried pickles, and beautiful girls…that’s the way we like to do it.
Saturday morning came bright and early. We headed to Stillen to begin setup by 6:30am. As Kenny (MaximA32) headed back to the hotel to get the rest of the supplies, Greg (AZhitman) and I started setting up the tent and NICO gear that would soon be populating the event. NICO shirts and calendars were being sold every few minutes, and posters were constantly being handed out.
This year’s show was much larger than the past couple years. Usually, Stillen has the block blocked off in anticipation of the large attendance, but this year the show cars seemed to stretch further than previous years. Every time you thought you were approaching the end, you would find another line of show vehicles glimmering in the sun. Not only was the shear number of vehicles greater than ever before, but the variety of vehicles was too. In past years, the show has seemed to be dominated by 350Z’s and G35’s, but this year there was a much wider range of vehicles. From 510’s to Q45’s, to lifted Titans and GTR’s, there was something for everybody.
Some of the notable vehicles were a couple of immaculate 510’s. One each of KA24DET and SR20DET power, the beauty of these cars stood out above the rest. A stock-looking G35 Sedan put down 499 HP @ the rear wheels on Stillen’s dyno, and two brand new R35 GTR’s was a first sight for many. However, the highlight of the show had to be the unveiling of the 2009 Maxima. A beautiful car no doubt, and it was clear by the attention it was getting that this will be one hot seller when it is finally released.
Saturday afternoon came quick as we started to pack up our gear. Plans for later in the evening would be to meet at the Super Autobacs, shop for a bit for some cool car gear, then chill at Pipeline Pizza for the rest of the night. This is perhaps the highlight of any NICOfest event we do. Hanging out with fellow NICO members, relaxing over some good food (and sometimes beer), and just chilling, is what NICO is about.
