Living in the fast lane: Feel the need for speed with Suffa university students

Team of engineering students will participate in international racing event in September

KARACHI: Students from Defence Housing Authority Suffa University embarked on a journey to fulfill their thirst for speed.

As many as 22 mechanical and engineering students, including two female students, are all set to participate in the motorsport event, Formula Student; a four-day student engineering competition held in the United Kingdom every year.

Burraq, a student built fuel-efficient car, is the brainchild of mechanical engineering final year student, Syed Zabrain Arshad and Mataf Khan, an electrical engineering student.

“The idea was shared by a friend when I was in my first year,” said Arshad, narrating further how he and Khan then materialised the idea and recruited a team keeping in view the interests of the teammates in racing and cars in general.

 

Currently, Burraq is being manufactured at the workshop of Sherani Engineering located in North Karachi industrial area.

“To complete the car and import it for the event, it will cost us around Rs8 million,” said another team member Adam Asif, adding that the expense includes the costs of manufacturing, travel and logistics.

“We have approached over 200 companies in the last year for sponsorship,” said one of the female engineers, Hadeeqa Choudhry. “No one in Pakistan believes in innovation,” she deplored.

The university has provided their full support to the team and given an engine for the car while chassis of the car is also ready. “So far Rs2 million have been spent on the car while the manufacturing has to be completed before July 15,” revealed Asif, adding that the deadline to submit the car is July 15 while the event is in September.

The ride

Mustafa, who is looking after the technical side of the car, revealed the specifications and features of the car to The Express Tribune.

The car has a light engine with CBR-600, he said adding that the team is manufacturing the car with the idea of producing more power using low weight. “We have used polaris with single cylinder which automatically reduces the weight to approximately 30 kilogrammes as compared to a four cylinder car, which weighs 65 kilogrammes,” he explained.

Adding to the specifications, Arshad said in the competition the car is examined on the basis of performance which is why they made a fuel car. “Environmental factor have not been kept in consideration as the competition focuses on performance,” he added.

The car which they have designed and are making is one of a kind, as it will be run on fuel which means it will be more powerful as compared to other cars, explained Choudhry. She also added that their idea is not only to participate in the event once, but to make it a legacy so other students strive to produce a better car every year.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2016.