2011-Present

We are currently in the process of transitioning into the new season. More updates soon. Stay posted!

2010-2011

With the success of the MY2010 car, the team saw new vitality in the 2010-2011 season. The year started out with increased new member interest and at one point in the year the team reached a record 25 members. With all this enthusiasm we endeavored to start from scratch and have a new car ready for the 2011 California competition. The remainder of the summer following the 2010 competition was spent designing the suspension and chassis. After some minor hiccups we had a finished frame in late December. By late January we had a rolling chassis. All the while we had regular team meetings, hard deadlines and progress reports to make sure we remained on track. In the spring we again had several 2.007 students. They worked to design and build many of the test equipment and ancillary devices on the car. By late spring the academic pressures of finals and the end of the semester were rearing their ugly heads. To keep everyone's eyes on the prize we increased the frequency of our team meetings and gave specific weekly goals to each team member. Everyone gave it their all and by mid May we were test driving MY2011. The test driving went without major incident and the MY2011 proved to be the most reliable car the MIT team has ever produced.

The 2011 FSAE West Competition:

We arrived in California the Saturday before competition, leaving us with three solid days of testing and driver training at Cable Airport. Cable airport is a beautiful privately owned airport at the base of the Sierra Nevadas only a couple miles from the Fontana Speedway. With all that preparation we went to the Formula SAE West competition very confident of our car.

In the end we finished 4th in cost, 11th in fuel economy, 6th in endurance, 13th autocross for a 9th place overall finish! Good job team! We are looking forward to see what we can accomplish next year!

2009-2010

In 2009 the team saw many changes: the move to a nice, new shop in N51, rules to greatly increase the size of the frame, the switch to E85, the integration of a 2.007 section, and the move to a two year design cycle. This change allowed 18 sophomores taking the new FSAE section of 2.007 to help develop and build most of the car. The team's move to this two year cycle also allows for more much needed testing time before leaving for competition. Many of the components from 2008 were analyzed and improved, by reducing weight and compliance, decreasing complexity, and improving reliability. New high-performance engine parts were obtained, and are expected to improve dynamic event performance. The hand-clutch has been improved to remove slop and reduce friction. A new sand-cast aluminum pan reduces cost, and is just awesome, and just a preview of what's to come in later years!

In the 2010 FSAE West Competition we placed 8th overall, the highlights include 2nd in fuel economy and 13th in endurance.

2008

2008 promises to be a breakthrough year for the MIT Motorsports team. With the presence of many experienced seniors, and a group of enthusiastic new members, it was decided to take on the most ambitious goal in the history of the team: racing in two separate competitions in April and May. By promoting early design reviews and demanding concrete deliverables, an entire month has been shaved off of the manufacturing schedule. Additional improvements in drivability, reliability, and weight savings make this car the most competitive vehicle MIT has ever produced. The team has high hopes for placing extremely well in both Formula SAE VIR and Formula SAE, and finally realizing the potential of the 2008 vehicle.

2007

The 2007 year saw the evolution of many designs to decrease weight, increase drivability, and improve packaging. The results of which were one of the fastest, lightest cars ever produced by the team. At the Formula SAE competition, the rigorous nature of the technical inspections and tight scheduling took their toll, and the vehicle was not able to participate in several of the dynamic events, including acceleration and autocross. During the endurance event, a pinhole leak in the oil pan caused the judges to disqualify the team. However, despite these issues the 2007 vehicle is one of the most reliable and drivable cars the team has ever produced, functioning amazingly during autocrosses and as a test mule for 2008 concepts. The team will take valuable lessons learned from manufacturing and competition and apply them as they design and build the next generation vehicle.

2006

The 2006 racing season started with an extremely ambitious redesign of the entire car. The team made use of its accumulated experience to make a fresh, innovative design and followed it up with vigorous manufacturing, again building on years of experience. The elimination of the rear box, new wheel designs and all around attention to detail led to acheiving the team's weight goal of 450 pounds. Other special items like a custom ECU and tuned intake and exhaust really made the design stand out. Thanks to the use of the waterjet and other economical manufacturing options the design also broke new ground for the team in the area of cost. Inital testing was promising but a string of serious engine problems throughout competition prohibited the participation in many events. While the inability to compete was disappointing the design of the car has the team excited with an excellent starting point for the year ahead.

2005

After the 2004 competition, MIT Motorsports began the 2005 season with a complete re-design of their frame. This car proved to be a much refined design, with a large step in the direction of a true race car. MIT Motorsports further improved upon it's 2004 season with a 34th place finish out of 140 teams.

2004

Building upon their previous year of experience, MIT Motorsports came to the 2004 competition with a dramatically improved vehicle. The adoption of 13” wheels and an integrated chassis design helped improve packaging and ergonomics. A carbon fiber intake and all-aluminum differential housing demonstrated the team’s improvements in manufacturing and design skills. The team scored points in every event, a feat accomplished by only 39 teams! MIT finished 41st overall out of 134 teams, a 56 place improvement from 2003. Car Number 11 has proven its ability in competition, and provides a glimpse of the quality and innovation that will characterize future MIT Motorsports vehicles.

2003

A pair of freshmen, Rich J. and Nick G., founded the MIT Formula SAE in 2001; to which the late Carroll Smith commented “It’s about damn time MIT got a team going.” Working independently with little MIT support, Rich and Nick researched vehicle design, developed relationships with faculty and sponsors, and observed other successful FSAE programs. A small but dedicated team developed, fueled by a passion for racing, automobiles, and learning. Although the team had little experience with such a massive project, they were determined to make it to Detroit. The MIT Formula SAE Team began building their first vehicle in the summer of 2002, when construction began on its chassis.

In May of 2003, MIT completed their first vehicle. The car boasted a prototype dual plenum intake, a custom-tuned exhaust manifold, and a FEA optimized tube frame. Technical difficulties prevented the vehicle from scoring dynamic event points; however, the team’s hard work secured them a respectable static events score. Due to a common first year mistake, a faulty rod end eliminated the team during the endurance event. With the level of competition increasing each year, MIT was proud of their first year finish of 97th place overall.