For 17 students from R V College of Engineering in Bangalore, Wednesday will mark another learning curve on the racing track. On Wednesday, Ashwa Racing, a group of racing enthusiasts in the college, will set Ashwa RZ06 — its latest prototype — on course for the Formula SAE, to be held in the second week of August in Germany.
The group, a mix of students who have completed their second year in mechanical engineering and other branches, has taken part in FSAE Australasia in 2005 and 2006.
The students said, the technology used in RZ06 ensured a 150 per cent performance enhancement on RZ05. The car has already taken part in the 2006 edition of the competition. However, it has been modified for FSAE 2007. The single-seater, formula style race car has been built using Chromoly steel, fibre glass and carbon fibre. Built around a 600 cc HONDA F4i MPFI engine, the 240-kg car can churn up 70+ bhp, according to the students.
Formula SAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) conducts the annual competition for SAE student-members who conceive, design and compete with small formula-style racing cars. The car had bagged the Best Endeavour Award and Best in Cost Award in its previous FSAE outings. At the competition, cars are judged on two levels: static and dynamic. While the design, cost and business viability are dissected in the static level, the dynamic level analyses the car in terms of brakes, endurance, acceleration and other aspects.
The funds towards manufacturing the car — around Rs 40 lakh — have been collected, also with support from corporates. College Principal Dr S C Sharma and Rashtriya Shikshana Samithi Trust, the college trust, have been of immense support for the group, the students said. The car will be flagged off in R V College of Engineering by Dr Sharma at 9.30 am on Wednesday.