The SAE Mini Baja Project is an international, collegiate competition that requires students design, build, and race an off-road vehicle. SAE gives specific guidelines that each team must follow in order to compete. Competition results are based on the design, cost, and performance of each vehicle. Teams are entirely student based with the exception of a faculty advisor.

The Baja project expands every team member's understanding of engineering more than any classroom experience can. It gives engineering students the full circle engineering process: design, manufacture, test, and re-design. This real-life experience prepares us for our futures in the engineering field while allowing us to explore our interests. 

Baja provides the opportunty to learn to function better as a team. The students are divided into sub-teams that include: drivetrain, suspension, steering, and frame.  Each member is placed on a sub-team and each sub-team must cooperate with each other to ensure the design of each section is compatible with the others. This requires a great amount of communication and teamwork.

SAE hosts three North American Baja events each spring semester. These events provide the Baja team  with the opportunity to show off their design and compete against other teams. Competition consists of both static and dynamic events.

The static events include submissions of a design and a cost report, as well as a design evaluation of the car by a group of engineers. The dynamic events vary at each competition but usually include four seperate events. The most common are: maneuverability, hill climb, acceleration, and tractor pull. Alternative events such as rock craw or suspension and traction can also be substituted for any event. 

The main event at competition takes place on the final morning. It is a four hour endurance race in which the teams are placed based on the number of laps completed in the allotted amount of time. 
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Before competing in any dynamic event, each team must pass three inspections which cover the engine,  the braking system, and a full car inspection that ensures the vehice is safe and complies with all SAE rules.