2026 University Student Self-Built Car Competition Baja Category Concludes in Great Success

The Korean Society of Automotive Engineers (KSAE, President: Jeong Seon-kyeong, Head of Division at the Korea Automotive Research Institute), a non-profit academic institution, announced on the 28th that it successfully concluded the '2026 University Student Self-Made Vehicle Competition – Baja Category', held over three days from 24 to 26 July at the Gunsan Saemangeum Automobile Racing Park.

This competition, co-hosted by the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers and the Korea Automotive Research Institute, saw the participation of a total of 33 teams from 25 universities, including 31 teams from 23 domestic universities and 2 teams from China and India, with approximately 1,000 participants in attendance. Participants entered self-built vehicles that they had designed and manufactured themselves, engaging in fierce competition.

In this Baja category, which was conducted as an off-road event, the 'Dynamic D' team from Daelim University achieved outstanding results across all events, including vehicle inspection and dynamic performance evaluation, claiming the KSAE Grand Prix Baja. The 'Dynamic D' team, which had won a bronze award last year, secured the overall victory at this year's competition, taking home the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award along with a cash prize.

In addition, the following awards were presented: ▲ 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. Furthermore, the G-BungE team from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology showcased a self-built vehicle incorporating outstanding technical ideas and received the Best Technology Award, corresponding to the Gunsan Mayor's Award. The J-GEAR team from Joongbu University, following last year, entered a self-built vehicle with an original design and received the Excellence in Design Award.

At the awards ceremony held that day, KSAE President Jeong Seon-kyeong encouraged the participants, stating: "This year marks the 20th anniversary of the University Student Self-Made Vehicle Competition, and it was a showcase of university students' passion and drive, with fiercer and higher-calibre competition than ever before. The Korean Society of Automotive Engineers will continue to support university students' passion and spare no effort in providing a platform where that passion can be fully expressed."

The '2026 University Student Self-Made Vehicle Competition – Formula Category' will be held over four days starting 27 August at the Korea Automotive Research Institute's South Jeolla Branch in Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province. In particular, from this year onwards, 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.