For over eleven years the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has held a yearly formula car competition among universities from all over the world. This event provides students with the once in a lifetime opportunity to conceive, design, fabricate, and race a formula style racecar. The specifications on frame and engines are minimal so that the knowledge, creativity, and imagination of the students are challenged. Performance is the key to success. The best competing cars can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds, reach a top speed of over 100 mph, and are able to pull over 1.4 times the force of gravity in a turn. Design and fabrication must be optimized to produce very high performance while adhering to strict rules and safety requirements. Through detailed analysis of the rules, requirements, and constraints we have evaluated the necessary components to build a winning car.