McGill in front at finish line

University's prototype car team beats Canadian universities in Society of Automotive Engineers competition

The McGill Racing Team (MRT) was the first student group from Canada to zoom by the checkered flag at an international competition in Pontiac, Michigan, last month. The MRT took part in an annual race organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers, where some 140 university teams from around the world race for supremacy.

Hundreds of engineering students test out their prototype racecars at the annual event. The McGill Racing Team finished first among Canadian universities. The MRT also took 15th place worldwide. "This is an impressive accomplishment given that the level of competition is extremely high and that it is very well known in the automotive engineering field," says Jonathan Laliberte, MRT technical director.

The McGill Racing Team includes about 30 mechanical and 10 electrical engineering students, as well as a select group of software engineering students. The MRT formula car is designed and analyzed on computer at the beginning of each academic year. The prototype is then manufactured by the team members, tested, then raced in Detroit.