Eric Santillan - 2019 Infiniti Q50
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IG - @3.0t_eric
Legacy isn’t bought — it’s built.
“Every bolt tells a story, every curve reflects a vision — built not just a car, but a legacy on wheels.” – Eric Santillan
Some builds are about horsepower.
Some are about trophies.
And then there are builds like Eric Santillan’s Q50 — the kind that mean something deeper.
The kind you don’t just modify…
You grow with.
Because for Eric, this car was never just transportation.
It was time with his kids.
It was late nights in the garage.
It was teaching, learning, failing, fixing, and figuring things out together.
It wasn’t just a build.
It was a bond.
From Farm Roads to Car Shows
Williams, California, isn’t exactly known as a tuning hotspot.
It’s a small Northern California farm town — quiet roads, open fields, long days of work.
By day, Eric runs his landscaping company.
By night and weekends, he’s at car meets, Cars & Coffee, or wrenching in the garage.
That blue-collar work ethic shows up in everything he does.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing fake.
Just put your head down and build.
Where It All Started
Before the Q50… before air suspension… before carbon fiber everything…
Eric was a lowrider kid.
Lowrider bikes. Lowrider cars. That culture of style, pride, and detail.
Not just speed — presence.
He always knew one thing:
He wanted to build something with his kids.
So when his oldest son, Eric Jr., was little, they built a lowrider bike together.
Seventeen years later, the cycle came back around — this time with his younger son Phillip.
Car meets turned into late-night garage sessions.
Garage sessions turned into ideas.
Ideas turned into a project.
And suddenly…
The Q50 wasn’t just a daily anymore.
It became the family's build.
Even the wrap?
Phillip did it himself.
That right there says everything.
It Was Supposed to Stay Stock… (Yeah, Right)
Like every build story ever:
“It was just supposed to be a clean daily.”
We’ve all said it.
Nobody ever means it.
The more meets Eric attended…
The more shows he walked through…
The itch got worse.
Lower it.
Wheels.
Then airbags.
Then lighting.
Then carbon.
Then interior.
And before he knew it?
He wasn’t building a daily.
He was crafting a showpiece.
The Moment It Changed Everything
Eric’s first modified car was simple.
A 2000 Civic EX.
Coilovers. Wheels. Clear lights. Done.
Nothing wild.
But when he installed air suspension on the Q50, everything changed.
“That’s when it caught my attention,” he says.
That was the moment it stopped being transportation…
And started being art.
More Than Just a Pretty Car
Here’s what separates Eric’s build from the average “bagged sedan”:
He doesn’t just mod what people see.
He customizes what people don’t even think to look at.
That’s that lowrider DNA showing up again.
Details.
Craftsmanship.
Presentation.
The stuff that makes builders lean in closer.
The Details That Make It Different
The Trunk – A Whole Different Level
Most trunks hide equipment.
Eric’s trunk is the equipment.
- Sunken air tank
- Symmetrical VIAIR compressors
- Custom hardlines
- LED-lit acrylic panels
- Genuine honeycomb carbon fiber inlays
It’s less a “trunk setup” and more of a rolling art installation.
Everything mirrored. Everything intentional. Everything clean.
VIP Interior Energy
Then you open the doors…
And you realize this isn’t just a show car.
It’s VIP luxury.
Custom one-off:
- Carbon fiber tables
- Bespoke rear center console
- Bottle holder
- Hookah stand
- USB ports
- Integrated ambient lighting
- Junction Produce pillows & neck pads
It feels more like a Tokyo VIP lounge than a sedan.
Nothing off the shelf.
Everything built specifically for this car.
Lighting That Stops Traffic
Eric didn’t just upgrade headlights.
He went full mad scientist.
RGBW lighting everywhere:
- DRL eyebrows
- Half-moons
- Bumper lights
- Mirror signals
- Front emblem
- Sharigan halo setup
- Frosted lenses for diffused glow
- Start-up/shutdown animations
- Switchable sequential signals
- All controlled via BlueGhozt app
It’s wild without being cheesy.
Clean. Technical. Modern.
Exactly how lighting should be done.
Build Specs
Engine
3.0L Twin-Turbo V6
300 hp / 295 lb-ft
7-speed auto
(Stock power — because this one’s about style and execution)
Suspension
Airlift
Wheels
Work Emitz
19x10 / 19x11
Zero offset
Audio
Skar Audio 10” subs
RP 2000.1 amp
Exterior
Full honeycomb carbon:
- Bumper
- Fenders
- Hood
- Mirrors
- Roof
- Trunk
Ghost Green wrap
Widebody + new color coming soon
The Team Behind It
Big respect to:
@strategicwraps
@diosamotorsports
@arcticworx
@teamRedemptionz
Because no great build is ever solo.
More Than Cars
What really stands out?
Eric isn’t just building for himself.
He mentors.
Helps younger builders.
Hosted a senior project car show.
Supports high school students starting their own journeys.
Turned the car scene into community and family.
That’s rare.
And honestly? That matters more than any mod.
The Feeling
“I always look back at it when I park,” Eric laughs.
That double-take?
That’s how you know you built it right.
Not for likes.
Not for trophies.
But because it makes you proud.
What’s Next?
Widebody
New color
More carbon
Bagging the wife’s MDX
Because once you start building…
You never really stop.
Dream Car?
Simple.
Nissan GT-R.
But until then?
This Q50 is already doing exactly what it’s supposed to do:
Bringing family together.
Creating memories.
Building something that lasts longer than parts ever could.
Because at the end of the day…
It’s not about the brand.
Not about the price.
Not about the hype.
It’s about the moments in the garage with your kids.
And that’s a legacy no spec sheet can measure.