VME Baja Off-Road Buggy
Baja SAE Division

Baja Off-Road

Designing, building, and validating single-seat all-terrain buggies built to survive grueling mud dynamics. Engineering structural resilience.

// Garage

Buggy Progression

High travel geometry suspension, custom gearboxes, and optimized spaceframes.

VME-Baja23 Off-Road Buggy
2022 - 2023 Season Baja Buggy

VME-Baja23

Chassis 4130 Chromoly Spaceframe
Engine Briggs & Stratton (10 HP)
Suspension Fox Air Shocks (10" Travel)
Drivetrain Custom CVT with Gear Reduction

Our highest performing off-road buggy, integrating an optimized trailing arm rear suspension, custom CNC machined gears, and rugged steel frame packaging to survive extreme mud events.

VME-Baja19 Mud Racing Season
2018 - 2019 Season Legacy Buggy

VME-Baja19

Chassis Triangulated Steel spaceframe
Weight 395 lbs (Dry)
Drivetrain Commercial CVT Custom Ratios

Built with lightweight suspension links and specialized geometric control arms to minimize unsprung mass while preserving high frame stiffness.

// Season History

Baja Seasons

Highlights from previous off-road seasons.

2023 Off-Road Challenge

The team validated a lightweight trailing-arm geometry at competition, surviving grueling four-hour endurance events. We achieved top rankings in structural frame design verification and suspension clearance reviews.

  • Achieved 12th place in suspension trials
  • Reduced buggy weight by 25 lbs
  • Custom CNC gearbox casing withstood shock loads
// Roster Focus

Baja Leads

Student engineers designing robust frames and off-road drivetrains.

View Full Roster

Leadership

Bryan Murphy Baja Captain

Suspension & Chassis

Sunny Nyhus Suspension Lead
Rachel Thirumalai Ergonomics Lead
Ivan Pudwell Carbon Fiber Lead

Drivetrain & Systems

John Link EV Development Lead
David Mead Brakes Lead
Pallavi Kulkarni Fuel Lead
Kevin London Exhaust Lead