Automotive Engineers to showcase student-made cars


By Lauren Lund
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Friday, April 22, 2005

A race car designed by students as well as other souped-up cars will be on display for all to see tomorrow here at the UA.

The Society of Automotive Engineers will showcase multiple cars in the parking lot of the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering building, 1130 N. Mountain Ave., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Gary Tang, president of SAE.

"As of now we have the Southern Arizona Corvette Club and the Porsche Club signed up," Tang said.

There may be other clubs that come to showcase their cars, but there are already multiple students signed up to have their cars on display too, Tang said.

This is the first car show the club is putting on, and there will be a live DJ and food, Tang said.

There is no fee to get into the car show, and there is no fee to enter a car into the show either, Tang said.

"We are not trying to profit from the show," said Kyla Tirey, vice president of SAE. "We want to bring together the members and the community and have a fun event that everyone can be involved in."

Also showcased at the car show will be the Formula SAE car, Tirey said.

Formula SAE is a group of students who build a car from scratch and bring it to competitions where they compete against other teams, said Eric Dunemn, co-captain of Formula SAE.

"It takes about 20,000 man hours to build the car," Dunemn said.

The car resembles a Formula One car and will be unveiled at the car show, Dunemn said.

There will be an awards presentation at 4 p.m. where trophies will be given for the best cars, Tang said.

"There will be three awards given," Tang said. "There will be an editor's choice which is chosen by the officers (of SAE), a fan's choice and an entrants' choice."

The car show happens to fall on the 100-year anniversary of the international SAE organization, Tang said.

"We thought it would be a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary," Tirey said.

Those interested in showcasing their car can send an e-mail to SAE_carshow@yahoo.com.