With the powertrain problems fixed, the team went at Oakleigh Go-Kart track to run the car through it's final shakedown before competition; while members of the team who were not involved with car visited the Ford Performance Racing workshop for a guided tour.

Later in the afternoon, the two groups met up at the Victoria University Werribee campus - the venue for the FSAE-A competition. With team registration and briefing completed, the drivers went to get their licences while our pit area was set up and the M11 was rolled in.

Friday began with scrutineering at 8.30am, a check to ensure the car is safe and meets the rules. A few minor things initially stopped us from passing but this was quickly resolved. The drivers were given a treat at their morning briefing with a speech from Nick Percat, the 2011 Bathurst Champion.

The Formula SAE-Australasian competition has ended for 2011 and we managed to walk away with 3 trophies and placed 5^th overall. Final results can be found here.

The team arrived at the workshop this morning, finished getting the car ready to start but had problems during cranking. Again, we had to pull out the engine package and check the internals to see what the problem was. We found that the lay shaft in the transaxle out of round. We are busily getting the engine back together so we can assemble the spare package and the boys can get some design work done for competition. We will work to get the car started tonight and run through the technical inspection checklist so we don’t have any issues with scrutineering on Friday.

After a few hours sleep some of the team drove straight to Monash and others sourced parts from all around Melbourne so we could continue to rebuild the transaxle. It has been a busy day at the workshop but more of the team has arrived from New Zealand and we all got stuck into it. We have finished reassembling the transaxle and put it back into the car. We are going to get it running tonight and make plans for testing tomorrow.  While at Monash we have also done a lot of other work to get the car ready for competition on Thursday.

Just before noon today we got to the Shilouette Kart track for some more testing. Setup didn’t take long and we had Brendon on the track within an hour. He did a few laps and found a comfortable set-up with the roll bars, so we then started to tune the front and rear bump/ rebound to try and get rid of the mid corner understeer that the drivers have been facing. Malcom Finch was next in the car to do some more laps and give us feedback on the handling, he complained that the car wouldn’t change up to third. He was still battling mid-corner understeer so we carried on adjusting the suspension. After we found a set-up Malcom was comfortable with, we sent him out again for a final run but unfortunately there were issues with the downshift on the shifter. We didn’t have time to fix it so we called it a day.

Today we did some testing at a car park in Essondon, it was a good day of testing and we had no major issues with the car. Big thanks to Monash Motorsport for the testing venue, will definitely be doing more there in the future. At first Lachlan and Kayla did test runs around an autocross track. After successfully completing several test runs we set up a skid pad for Kurt and Kayla so that they could get the individual set up right for when they compete in the skidpad event.

Tonight we’re going to work on some design for competition and start to assemble the spare engine. Tomorrow we are hoping for another full day of testing.

Been busy working on the car at Monash University all day.  Pulled the engine out to check the internals,  worked on getting the car up to competition spec and have also been doing some chassis tuning to change the balance of the car for the drivers. Getting the car back together tonight and packing up so we can do some more testing tomorrow.

Headed out to the Oakleigh go kart track for the day with the Monash team. Got a lot more running time to test the new anti roll bar that we installed last night and the drivers got time to get comfortable with the setup. Working at the Monash workshop to pull out the engine,  rebuild the transaxle and work on other things that couldn’t be done at the track.

Spend most of the day at the silhouette go-kart track in Melbourne testing and fixing things on the car. We were joined by the Melbourne university fsae team and later in the day Monash motorsport came along to get some testing in also. We had a couple of runs out on the track, the car is very agile through the tight track Monash had set up. The plan for tomorrow is to head to the Oakleigh go kart track after we fix a few things and make some adjustments from today’s testing. More seat time for the other drivers is on the agenda, so far things are looking good.

Our 2011 car was recently unveiled to a host of sponsors, supporters, family and friends. The team would like to thank everyone that who came to show their support and made our 2011 Launch a memorable one. Photos are up in our gallery.

Recently Suspension team have been preparing to replace most of the suspension on the car with the 2011 competition spec parts. We are currently post machining bellcranks, brake discs, carriers, and uprights which will be on the car in the next week. Our carriers this year have a new coating from HPC (Hi-PerCoat) which withstands 260 degrees constant temperature, and 300 degrees intermittent.

The last few months have been hectic for the team as Launch night rapidly approaches. Chassis team has predominantly been working on the sidepod, nosecone, exhaust guard and other composite ducts and covers. A large milestone was conquered with the painting of these parts, as well as the chassis itself, over the weekend.

With the year well underway, the main aim of the electronics team is to improve reliability of existing electrical parts, and to incorporate the Link ECU into the car. This year’s fuse box has been made, and is currently undergoing tests to determine its reliability, and its ability to handle challenging conditions in the car such as repeating vibration.

Manufacturing of the M011 aerodynamic features is well underway. Thanks to the fantastic support from X-Form in machining our plugs, we are able to produce more effective designs and moulds with more precision for the manufacture of the sidepod and exhaust guard. The result is a more efficient product compared with previous years where the team had to produce these plugs in house.

There has been significant progress with the manufacture of the V-Twin –namely two crankcase halves ready for machining.

Whilst designing the crankcase, casting was identified as a viable production method. Previously, and still today, the team have their custom crankcases machined from aluminium billet. However, with cost and manufacturability in mind, we decided to make our first cast part. Before beginning the manufacture, considerable time was spent adjusting the CAD model to ensure there was sufficient draft and no unworkable areas.

Suspension team has been very busy with the manufacturing section of the year well underway. A large portion of the suspension design was retained from the M010 for reliability reasons. However this year we have designed new Anti Roll Bars and a new steering system.

The design change for the front ARB is due to the changes in geometry in the front of the monocoque. We have made a new torsion bar and one piece moment arms. At the rear we have decided to adapt the U bar making it lighter whilst still adjustable with carbon fibre blades. To test out the drive system, we have made an aluminium prototype of the blades and once tested, we will make the carbon version.

Since our last update, the team has been exhaustively pushing the M010 through its final stages of testing. Working to an intensive testing schedule, we have been able to fine tune the suspension setup, resulting in a significant improvement in handling characteristics and driver feel. Due to this years car, the M11, having a similar kinematic package, most of this knowledge is transferable, resulting in an ability to tune the M11’s handling characteristics a lot more effectively.

At the end of June the team once again opened its doors for all to come through. Over one hundred sponsors, family and alumni braved the extreme cold to come and see progress for 2011. Guests were welcomed to the workshop with a warm drink and a sausage courtesy of Pokeno Bacon, or the usual ice cool beverage. This year, to accommodate the large numbers and avoid standing outside in the imminent rain, the team were also allowed to open the doors of the Tamaki Campus gymnasium next door. The night began with a casual chat with team members around one of the three cars on display, the M04, M08 and M010, or in the development areas for the M11. The M04 and M08 were on display in the gymnasium while the M010 chassis was available for scrutiny in the workshop assembly area.

The Raffle finally came to a close on courses and careers day on the 27th of August at the Faculty of Engineering, where it was drawn by the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gordon Mallinson. Exceeding last years sales, this year, the team managed to sell over 2,300 tickets! The team would like to thank all who supported us by purchasing a ticket, and the sponsors who helped us make this year’s raffle the biggest yet.

Designing and building a race car is a large undertaking, and funding the project is one of the major challenges the team faces each year.  We already have a innovative design, but taking out the top spot requires the best materials and parts available.

We are selling 3000 tickets for $5 each. There are over $4000 worth of prizes up for grabs. Check out the flyer for details of these prizes. Every last cent of the proceeds will go towards the 2011 campaign. Please support the team by purchasing a raffle ticket from any Formula SAE team member.

Prizes will be drawn on August 27 at The University of Auckland Courses and Careers Day. Winners will be notified by phone and results will be posted on our website.

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The last few months have been extremely busy for the team in terms of preparation and testing of last year’s car, the M010.

Just before Easter, the M010 and M04 were taken down to Kawerau to put on a dynamic display for our 2010 major sponsor, Allied Industrial Engineering (AIE). Following a technical design presentation, both cars were driven around a small track set up on a nearby industrial road. It was great to be able to show off the M010 to the AIE staff, many of which played a major role in machining of our 2010 crank-case and monocoque plug. The team was then lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the AIE workshop which was nothing short of amazing.

Having reached the end of the first semester, Chassis team is well into the manufacturing phase of the year and has made solid progress towards the M11 monocoque. Other composites related projects are proceeding and the team has been hectic over the past few weeks pushing to meet important deadlines.

Think you have what it takes to be a part of NZ's leading Formula SAE Team? New to University and need an extra-curricular activity or simply want to enhance your learning experience? We are looking for you!

Whether you are an Arts, Business or Science student, it does not matter. The project, though run by the Faculty of Engineering, is open to all students at the University of Auckland. As well as engineers, we are on the look out for people who want to develop their business, communication, photography, web management, and organisational skills too.

During both Auckland and Wellington Anniversary weekends, the team was again fortunate enough to be a part of the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing. Kindly invited by the Bruce McLaren Trust, the team displayed the award winning M010 alongside some of the world's greatest open wheel cars from past eras.

After coming back home with first place in both the Design event and Business Presentation, alongside a third in autocross with an ailing M010, the 2010 team had a well deserved rest period over the New Year. With twenty students carrying on for the 2011 campaign, the team has set their eyes firmly on the podium. Below is a list of our team's officers for 2011: