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Engineering Formula

Today's engineering students ensure Detroit's future of performance
By Ed Hohenberg

Individual event winners were:

Cost:
Michigan State University
Presentation:
University of Washington
Design:
University of Wollongong
Acceleration:
Ohio State University
Skid Pad:
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Autocross:
University of Missouri - Columbia
Endurance/Fuel Economy:
University of Wollongong

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For their first time ever... 
   
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For their first time ever at the SAE competition, the team from Helsinki Polytechnic (that's right Finland!) built a stunning car with a turbocharged, intercooled, electronic fuel-injected engine. Their car and team appearance was extremely professional for a rookie effort.
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Lunch time for team Texas... 
   
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Lunch time for team Texas A&M. Don't let the laid back, cowboy look fool you. This school has done well at the SAE competition, winning in 2000, and with top 10 finishes in several other years. The 2003 competition was an off-year for this team, as they finished in 24th place overall.
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You read it right, that says... 
   
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You read it right, that says Korea. At the 2003 SAE, there were several teams from Asia that competed.
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Tuned intakes and EFI systems... 
   
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Tuned intakes and EFI systems were common at this year's competition, but Penn State went the extra mile with their short and long runner, dual-stage tuned intake, with electronic runner control.
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The sign in the Memorial University... 
   
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The sign in the Memorial University of Newfoundland team pit summed up the efforts of most teams.
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Yes it's a race, but the Formula... 
   
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Yes it's a race, but the Formula SAE is very much an engineering competition first. The University of Victoria exhibited an impressive design display board in their pit area.
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Living (and surviving) in... 
   
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Living (and surviving) in Grand Forks, ND immediately makes you a hardy individual. When a small group of students from the University of North Dakota decided to get involved with the SAE competition, their school tried to talk them out of it. Their "can't do" attitude didn't stop these seven determined students, so with no initial school backing, and only two sponsors, these guys designed and built an impressive car in only five months. Once the school saw the car coming together, they realized just how much they underestimated this group. Of the two sponsors that helped the team, one provided transportation to the competition with this impressive (and intimidating) hauler.
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For four days, the pit area... 
   
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For four days, the pit area was buzzing around the clock. For many teams, the thrashing and scavenging (for parts) never ended. Sportsmanship and cooperation between competing teams was incredible.
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Before the cars are allowed... 
   
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Before the cars are allowed onto the course, a rigorous technical inspection is required, supported by the SCCA. Every year many teams fail to make it through tech, so getting the full set of tech stickers is an accomplishment by itself.
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Part of the tech inspection... 
   
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Part of the tech inspection is a tilt table test, which checks for fluid leaks under lateral accelerations. Here we see the University of Manitoba entry passing the tilt table test.
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Everything always works on... 
   
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Everything always works on paper, right? Well, in the real world, breakage happens. GM graciously provided their Powertrain Group Prototype shop and personnel to support the competition to help fix anything that could be fixed, like this broken front control arm.

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