Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Sam Penrod reporting Zero to Sixty in just three seconds.
That's the kind of car some BYU students have designed, built and are getting ready to race.
It's the Formula SAE competition, considered by many to be the most prestigious college design contest.
BYU students believe they have a real contender, as they get ready to compete for the first time in the competition against 70 other universities.
The race car was only a dream at the first of the school year. But now it's a reality, created by a team of BYU engineering students.
Miles Jackson, BYU Student: "If you were to ask someone could I have $30,000 to build a race car, that's pretty much what we've done, we've got the proposals put together, asked for the money and they've given it to us, what a better project than to actually build and drive a race car."
Students started out from scratch, designing and then building it.
Jon Burton, BYU Student: "There have been 19 team members have probably put in a good 20-30 hours a week, working on the project doing engineering design and fabrication."
Robert Todd, BYU Engineering Professor: "The weight to horsepower ratio is seven pounds per horsepower, it does from 0-60 mph in a little over three seconds, it's very maneuverable and nimble."
But the competition is more than a race against the clock.
Robert Todd, BYU Engineering Professor: "This is a design competition and they have judges that review a report the students have written, their drawings and they also do tests on the vehicle in addition to its speed capabilities."
And after all of their effort, students say seeing this car ready for competition, gives them a major sense of accomplishment.
Ryan Blanchard, BYU Student: "Looking back, nine months, when we barely had any design at all and then to see that progress to going onto computer designs and see parts, individual parts being modified and see it into an assembly competition, it's just fantastic."
The students are taking their car to California for the competition next week and we'll let you know how they do.
