The Formula SAE® competition is for SAE student members to design, fabricate, and compete using formula-style racing cars. Rules and restrictions are placed on the car frame and engine so that the knowledge, creativity, skills, and imagination of the students are challenged. The cars are built with a team effort and are taken to the annual competition, where they compete with colleges and universities from around the world. The end result is great experience for students in a meaningful engineering challenge, as well as the opportunity of working in a team setting.
For the purpose of this competition, students are to assume that a manufacturing firm has engaged them to produce a prototype car for evaluation as a production item. The intended sales market is the non-professional weekend autocross racer. The car must have very high performance in terms of its acceleration, braking, and handling qualities, while maintaining low in cost, low maintenance, and reliability. In addition, the car's marketability needs to be enhanced by other factors such as aesthetics, comfort, and the use of easy to find parts. The manufacturing firm is planning to produce four cars per day for a limited production run and the prototype vehicle should actually cost below $30,000. Students design and fabricate a prototype car that best meets these goals. Each design will be compared and judged with other competing designs to determine the best overall car.
The cars are judged in a series of static and dynamic events including: static inspection and engineering design, solo performance trials, high performance track endurance, cost analysis, and a marketing presentation. These events are scored to determine how well the car performs. In each event, the manufacturing firm has specified minimum acceptable performance levels that are reflected in the scoring equations. More competition details can be found at the Formula SAE® website.
Rules and Competitions
Rules and Formula SAE Documents
© 2007-2008 Cal Poly Formula SAE
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