The students of VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VJIET) here in Hyderabad have created an engineering marvel in the form of a ‘formula’ sports car that is capable of zooming at a whopping 150 kmph. Called the VF-05, it is the fifth mean machine from the institute’s garage and was the centre of attraction at the recently concluded automobile expo at HITEX here.
‘Fierce Formula VNR VJIET’, a group of 20 Automobile and Mechanical Engineering students, has developed the super car with a 600cc engine which churns a good 110 horse power. While the engine for the car is from a Honda CBR 600F4i cc bike and another crucial element, the ‘differential’, were imported from the US, most of the parts, including the chassis, are custom made here.
“It cost us `10 lakh to build the car, and took us about six months to complete it. Work had started in June 2014. After that, our team had participated in the FDC-2015, a competition where the VF-05 was the second most popular car,” explains N Gautham, a third-year mechanical engineering student from VJIET, who is part of the group.
J Sushant, a fourth-year Automobile Engineering student from the team, says some of the parts like the frame were built in VJIET itself while others like the knuckles (assembly of wheels) and air-intake were made at workshops in Bala Nagar, Hyderabad.
Another group member, Rony Mathew, a fourth-year Automobile Engineering student, points out that everything about the car was designed, analysed, validated and fabricated at the institute itself and a part of the total cost was provided by the college management. The team also has the distinction of having a marketing team that brings in the sponsors. Given the horse power of VF-05, the formula car gives a measly six to seven kilometres per litre, and due to its imported engine, it runs on high-octane petrol Speed 97, available only at one petrol pump in Hyderabad.
The team, founded in 2007, have participated twice in Formula SAE Japan in 2011 and 2012, FSAE Australia, Supra SAE 2012 and Formula Student India 2015 using earlier versions of the car. Though they did not win in Japan or Australia, participation in such competitions is of high regard. In the 2015 Formula Student India, they won the second most popular car and 10th best business presentation. The team is currently working on R&D of the car to improvise on it so as to participate in Formula Student India scheduled in January next year. “We improvise on our models and bring better versions with an aim to tap the creativity in the young aspiring engineers that we are and to translate our dormant abilities into innovative realities,” says Rony.
rahul.v@newindianexpress.com