2026 University Student Self-Built Car Competition Baja Division Concludes Successfully
The Korean Society of Automotive Engineers (KSAE, Chairman: Jeong Seon-gyeong, Head of Division at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute), a non-profit academic institution, announced on the 28th that it successfully concluded the ‘2026 University Student Self-Made Car Competition Baja Division,’ held over three days from July 24 to 26 at the Gunsan Saemangeum Automobile Racing Park.
Co-hosted by the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the competition saw participation from a total of 33 teams from 25 universities, including 31 teams from 23 universities across the country and 2 teams from China and India, with approximately 1,000 participants. Participants competed fiercely by entering self-made vehicles they had designed and built themselves.
In the Baja Division, which was held as an off-road competition, the ‘Dynamic D’ team from Daelim University College achieved excellent results in all events, including vehicle inspection and dynamic performance evaluation, and claimed the KSAE Grand Prix Baja. The ‘Dynamic D’ team, which had won a bronze medal last year, took the final victory at this year’s competition, earning the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award along with a cash prize.
In addition, ▲ Gold Award: Tuning-X from Seoyeong University ▲ Silver Award: A.R.T from Jeonbuk National University ▲ Bronze Award: MIP-B from Seoul National University of Science and Technology were honored with awards. Furthermore, the G-BungE team from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology showcased a self-made vehicle applying outstanding technical ideas and received the Best Technology Award, corresponding to the Gunsan Mayor’s Award, while the J-GEAR team from Joongbu University won the Excellence in Design Award for the second consecutive year with its creatively designed self-made vehicle.
At the awards ceremony held that day, KSAE Chairman Jeong Seon-gyeong encouraged the participants, stating, “The University Student Self-Made Car Competition, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, showcased the passion and spirit of university students, with fiercer and higher-level competition than ever before.” He added, “The Korean Society of Automotive Engineers will continue to support the passion of university students and spare no effort in providing a stage where they can fully unleash that passion.”
The ‘2026 University Student Self-Made Car Competition Formula Division’ will be held over four days starting August 27 at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute’s Jeonnam Branch located in Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do. In particular, starting this year, the ‘2026 University Student Autonomous Driving Formula Competition’ will be held concurrently during the same period, further expanding the stage for university students to showcase their creative ideas and technical capabilities.
