About the Competition
Student team members are asked to build, test, prepare, refine, document, present, and race a fully functional Formula style racecar. Design restrictions regarding the frame and engine challenge the team’s knowledge, creativity, and imagination. For purposes of the competition, students are asked to assume that a manufacturing firm has engaged them to produce a prototype car for evaluation as a production vehicle. The manufacturer is planning to produce four cars per day for a limited production run and requires a cost per vehicle of less than $25,000. The intended sales market is the nonprofessional weekend autocross racer, so the prototype must have very high performance in terms of its acceleration, braking, and handling qualities, while being low in cost, easy to maintain, and reliable. Entries are also judged on such factors as aesthetics, comfort, and the use of common parts.
Teams are required to document all aspects of the design and fabrication process, including providing a cost analysis. The final product is then taken to the competition, where it is critiqued by experienced judges and compared to other cars entered from around the world. Each entry must undergo a technical inspection and solo performance and high-performance endurance track trials. Judges also consider each team's presentation and engineering design, taking into account their problem-solving skills, innovative thinking, and teamwork.
