Car-ismatic Youngsters

Thirteen teams from engineering colleges in the city are gearing up to showcase their creativity in terms of designing,engineering,planning,manufacturing,marketing and racing an all terrain vehicle.

Thirteen teams from engineering colleges in the city are gearing up to showcase their creativity in terms of designing,engineering,planning,manufacturing,marketing and racing an all terrain vehicle. The fifth edition of BAJA SAE India 2012,a car designing competition,will have participants from all over the country. The three-day competition will be held in Indore in February 2012. A total of 100 colleges have been shortlisted and each team is giving the project their very best. K C Vora,advisor of BAJA SAE India 2012,says,”The participants are members of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and their ‘car-ismatic’ talents will come forth at Pitampura,Indore.”

The students view the competition as a platform for team work,leadership and planning skills. The 13 shortlisted teams are College of Engineering,Pune,Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering,MIT College of Engineering,Maeers Maharashtra Academy of Engineering,Sinhagad Academy of Engineering,Smt Kashibai Navale College of Engineering,G H Raisoni College of Engineering and Management,Indira College of Engineering and Management,D Y Patil College of Engineering,Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering,AISSMS College of Engineering,Padmabhooshan Vasantdada Patil Institute of Technology,PES Modern College of Engineering. Participants will plan,design and run the vehicles themselves. The cost involved is over Rs 2 lakh. Students look for sponsorships themselves. This improves their marketing skills, Vora explains.

Soul Reapers Racing,the team from Smt Kashibai Navale College of Engineering,Wadgaon,has participated in BAJA since its inception four years ago. It is a step-wise process this year. We have worked on our flaws and perfected the car’s design and size, says Prithviraj Phalke,the team leader. In August itself,the group was ready with its design. The car is compact. It’s a one-seater and very strong in terms of dynamics and statics, informs Phalke,whose team stood third at this national competition last year.

Every year,the teams have to modify their designs or come up with something completely new. We have reduced the weight and paid more attention to bringing in unique features in the design,” says Pranav Bormane,the team leader of Rajashri Shahu College of Engineering,Tathwade. “Our aim is to build a rugged,single-seater,off-road recreational vehicle which can be used by road enthusiasts on weekends, he adds. The team is called ‘The Storm Riders’ and its new design has increased ground clearance – a must for off-road purposes. Also,keeping the Go-Green theme of BAJA SAE India 2012 in mind,the team has equipped the car with features which will emit minimum smoke.

The AISSMS College of Engineering,Shivajinagar,has improvised on its design that was submitted in 2007. Comprising students from the first to the final year,the team ‘Resonance Racing’,has reduced the height from 60 inches to 40 inches and made an independent front wheel suspension. We have been inspired by the rare wheels of Maruti 800, says Bharat Gaikwad,the team leader of AISSMS which stood second in 2009.

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