USD Mini Baja

Student innovation beyond the classroom.

Deepening the Mastery of Coursework

University of San Diego's Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) program is composed of innovative engineering students (mechanical, electrical, integrated and industrial and systems) and computer science students. The USD Mini Baja team spends two semesters designing, engineering, fabricating, testing and ultimately competing with an off-road vehicle in the annual SAE Collegiate Design Series for their Capstone Design project. As a true interdisciplinary effort, the team also collaborates with students from USD's School of Business to manage finances and facilitate funding for the project.

SAE Collegiate Design Series Competition

Baja SAE consists of three regional competitions that take students beyond the classroom and test each team's vehicle design to the breaking point. Throughout the competition, the Mini Baja team will be judged on the creation of design specifications and the ability to meet those specifications, computer aided drafting, analysis, testing and development, manufacturability, serviceability, system integration and how well the vehicle performs dynamically. The competition consists of both static and dynamic events over a three-day period. For more information, check out SAE's official Collegiate Design Series Competition site.

Day 1 — Static Evaluation
Teams must present their vehicle design to a panel of judges, giving justification for design choices. Vehicles are judged on a variety of aspects including suspension, powertrain, steering, driver and seat ergonomics, manufacturability and craftsmanship. A rigorous technical inspection is performed to ensure safety and compliance with all rules and regulations.
Day 2 — Dynamic Evaluation
Vehicles are put through a series of events to evaluate the quality of each subsystem. These events are different for each competition but usually include the following: acceleration, hill climb, maneuverability, suspension and traction, sled pull and mud bog. Points are awarded for distance, speed or time, depending on the event.
Day 3 — Endurance Race
The endurance race is considered the main event of competition. For four hours, all vehicles race wheel-to-wheel on a track riddled with obstacles including trees, jumps, logs, railroad ties, boulders and ditches. The track is designed to push vehicles past their limit and it is extremely rare for any vehicle to make it through the race without stopping for repairs. This event contributes forty percent of all points awarded throughout the competition.

USD Mini Baja Sponsorship

The project team must successfully build and integrate the chassis/frame/ergonomics, front/rear suspension system, steering, brakes, drivetrain/powertrain and electrical systems. To take their dream from conception to reality, they need your help. Donations of any size can help the team immensely and are greatly appreciated! Please donate directly to USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering (Enter your gift amount, select the box marked "Other" and write "Baja competition" in the next box).