GDT Speedster: From Dream to Reality
Design and Engineering Retrospective Lunch Meeting

SAE Detroit Section Networking Nights

GM Heritage Tour

Student Engineer Day

High School Poster Competition

Student Chapters Invited

Student Exhibit Competition

Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition

Annual Golf Outing

Young Automotive Professionals Conference




GDT Speedster: From Dream to Reality
Design and Engineering Retrospective Lunch Meeting

Friday, February 27, 2009
12:00 −1:00 p.m.
SAE Automotive Headquarters


The GDT Speedster is an exciting, one-of-a-kind, high performance sports car designed and fabricated by a team of automotive professionals. It was designed and built by a team of experienced automotive engineers, stylists and a body-surfacing expert- all who love cars and wanted to do a complete vehicle from scratch without the bureaucratic encumbrances of a large corporation. The project was initiated as an exercise in engineering and styling with “no holds barred”. It was also considered to be an engineering challenge because many projects like this one are started and very few are completed. In addition, the project was intended to be completed at a “reasonable” cost when compared to OEM produced one off show cars.

The team selected the vehicle’s name, GDT Speedster. It stands for Gene Dickirson Team Speedster. A speedster is the type of vehicle that typically has no top, no side windows and a raked back windshield intended for fun driving in good weather.

Gene Dickirson, who formed the team and led the design, fabrication and financing for the GDT Speedster project, along with fellow team member Chuck Carlson, will present the creation process of this exciting vehicle. They will also be available to sign copies of their book, titled “GDT Speedster: From Dream to Reality”, which attendees will have the opportunity to purchase.

The meeting will take place from 12:00- 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2009 at the SAE Automotive Headquarters at 755 W. Big Beaver Road, 16th Floor, Troy. The cost, which will include a boxed lunch, is $15 SAE member; $25 non-member; $10 SAE student member.



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SAE Detroit Section Networking Nights

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Come meet your peers, industry leaders, and young entrepreneurs.

SAE members and guests meet every third Thursday of the month to discuss social and business topics of the day with fellow executive-minded professionals. The event locations vary from month to month throughout Metro Detroit. There is no cost for admission and the bar service is cash or individual tabs. Don’t forget to bring extra business cards.

Locations

MAR 19: Kona Grill, 30 East Big Beaver Road, Troy (248) 619-9060
APR 16: Dirty Martini Lounge (Inside of Andiamo), 42705 Grand River Avenue, Novi (248)348-3838

Questions about these Networking Nights can be directed to Tim Haurin at (586) 492-6346 or tim.haurin@sbcglobal.net


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GM Heritage Center Tour
Thursday, March 19

In 2008, General Motors opened the GM Heritage Center to coincide with their 100 year anniversary. This facility plays a key role in showcasing the company's rich history of success and its strong engineering capability.

SAE Detroit Section has arranged a special tour of the GM Heritage Center, which normally is only open to GM employees, scholars, analysts and the media. Located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, just north of the GM Technical Center, the GM Heritage Center is not just a museum. Rather, it’s a cross between the ultimate automotive enthusiast's garage and a living repository of automotive history. The GM Heritage Center has 81,000 square feet of flexible space, housing more than 180 vehicles spanning 10 decades. The vehicle collection showcases a wide range of GM design, technology and innovation. Among the vehicles are past and current concept vehicles and historically significant vehicles from various eras (including a 1931 V16 Cadillac, a 1949 Buick Roadmaster, and a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette). In addition to vehicles, the Heritage Center will be the custodian of important historical automotive records and items.

Some interesting items currently catalogued include:
• Early financial records, including Cadillac's first stock certificate.
• A 1907 fleet sales contract, signaling a mule transportation company's shift from pack animals to automobiles.
• The Pinky Randall collection of Chevrolet memorabilia - an expression of Americana that captures sixty years of automotive culture.
• Vehicle sketches and personal items from past GM designers and engineers, including Harley Earl and Zora Arkus-Duntov.
• A variety of early GM powertrains, including one of the few remaining copper cooled motors in the world, introduced by Chevrolet in 1923.

Every artifact at the GM Heritage Center inspires curiosity and respect for the people who built GM over the past century. By highlighting the exciting designs, groundbreaking technology, and powerful brands that have comprised GM’s first century, the GM Heritage Center will help inspire new generations of enthusiasts and make the company even stronger in years to come as GM moves toward a second century of operations. This is evident by great designs, both legendary and recent, like the sixth generation Corvette, Cadillac 16 Concept Vehicle, and the Pontiac Solstice.

The tour will take place Thursday, March 19, 2009 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. and is limited to 50 people (SAE members and their guests). The GM Heritage Center is located at 6400 Center Dr., Sterling Heights, Michigan, 48312. Pre-registration is required. The SAE tour fee is $15 for SAE members and $10 for student members. To register, please fill out the registration form here or call the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445.



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Student Engineer Day
March 24, 2009

The SAE Detroit Section Annual Student Engineer Day will be Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The event gives collegiate students the opportunity to spend a day on the job shadowing the routines of a practicing engineer in the student’s field of choice. This event provides the student with insight into the engineering field, and provides companies with insight into potential engineering talent. This event is “broad in scope” yet allows for individualization by placing students with engineers who have similar interests.

During the day, students accompany an engineer on his or her daily assignments, which may include tours, on-site technical activities, hands-on experience and a chance to meet other technical colleagues. The format is flexible to meet the engineer’s schedule and is personalized to add a greater depth of experience for both the student and engineer. Companies generally assume the cost of the student’s lunch. Participating students and engineers are invited to attend that evening’s Section Meeting, featuring the Toyota Venza at the Burton Manor in Livonia. Dinner reservations must be made with the Detroit Section by Tuesday, March 10, 2009.

Students are responsible for their own transportation and for making follow-up contact with their assigned engineer. Participants will be notified by e-mail approximately one week prior to the event with respect to company/student placement. To allow enough time to match students and engineers, registration forms are due by Monday, March 2, 2009.

Click here for details and registration forms or contact Renee´ Bovair at the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445 or rbovair@sae-detroit.org for more information.




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High School Poster Competition
Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sponsored by BorgWarner

The SAE Detroit Section’s 32nd Annual High School Poster Competition will be held April 7, 2009, at Lawrence Technological University. Posters are to be submitted to the SAE Detroit Section office by Friday, March 20, 2009. A total of 79 students from sixteen local high schools participated last year and we look forward to even more participation this year. The top ten posters will be on display during the SAE 2009 World Congress, April 20-23, at the Cobo Center in Detroit.

Judging is based on originality, artistic excellence, aesthetic effect and relevance to the Congress theme “Racing to Green Mobility”. The top three winners will receive scholarships of $1,000, $600 and $300. Fourth through tenth place winners will receive a $50 cash award.

For more information, please contact Renee´ Bovair at the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445 or rbovair@sae-detroit.org or click here for details and rules.

Submission deadline: Friday, March 20, 2009


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Student Chapters Invited to Honda Section Meeting

All eight SAE Detroit Section Student Chapters will be recognized at the Honda Insight Section Meeting on Monday, April 20, 2009, held in conjunction with the SAE 2009 World Congress at Cobo Center in Detroit. Respective chapter members are invited compliments of the SAE Detroit Section Fleuelling Memorial Student Fund. Each chapter president and faculty advisor will receive a formal invitation a month prior with all the details. SAE student members can attend other Section Meetings for $15.


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Student Exhibit Competition
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

First Place - $1,000
Second Place - $750
Third Place - $500
Honorable Mention - $100

Sponsored by Eaton Corporation

The Annual Student Exhibit Competition will take place Tuesday, April 21, 2009 in conjunction with SAE 2009 World Congress, April 20-23 at Cobo Center in Detroit. A limited number of exhibit spaces have been allocated to SAE collegiate chapters to display their SAE projects and to provide visibility for chapter activities. All SAE collegiate chapters worldwide can compete for cash prizes. Exhibit judging includes a formal 10 minute presentation by one or more team members and informal discussion with the judges. Student exhibits should incorporate the SAE 2009 World Congress theme, “Racing to Green Mobility”. The competition offers SAE student members the opportunity for high visibility and exposure with manufacturers, suppliers and alumni.

Registration is on a first-come basis. Click here for details and registration forms. Please contact Renee´ Bovair at the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445 or rbovair@sae-detroit.org with questions.



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Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The 16th Annual Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition for high school students will take place Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at Yazaki North America, Inc. in Canton. The first objective of the competition is to design and build a dry cell powered vehicle (battery supplied) to race up a fixed incline while pulling a six ounce weighted trailer (supplied). The second objective is to be the first vehicle to pass the finish line with the trailer in tow. In addition, a four-minute presentation and a one-page, type-written report about the vehicle are required.

CASH PRIZE AWARDS

OVERALL (winning schools)

$1,000 - First Place
$750 - Second Place
$500 - Third Place

DESIGN (top three teams)

$100 - First Place
$75 - Second Place
$50 - Third Place

PERFORMANCE (each team member of top three teams)

$75 - First Place
$50 - Second Place
$25 - Third Place


For more information, contact Renee´ Bovair at the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445 or rbovair@sae-detroit.org or click here for rules and registration forms.


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23rd Annual Golf Outing
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The 23rd Annual SAE Detroit Section Golf Outing will take place Wednesday, June 3, 2009, with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start at Fox Hills in Plymouth. The day will end with a dinner banquet at the Golden Fox clubhouse at approximately 4:00 p.m.

Assignments for the Golden Fox will be allocated on a first-come basis, giving sponsors first preference. Foursomes not placed on the Golden Fox will be on the Fox Classic course – the Lakes, Hills and Woodlands.

The 18-hole championship course, the Golden Fox, was designed by Arthur Hills. The course features a Scottish links design with natural prairie grasses, wetlands, mounding, and large bent grass greens. The Fox Classic course features 27 holes carved out of wooded, undulating terrain. The original 18 holes were built in 1921 with a 9-hole addition built in 1982. Fox Hills also features the Fox Hills Learning Center, with certified PGA instructors that will be available on the driving range prior to the outing to give free lessons to outing participants.

Sponsors - Companies sponsoring a hole will be assigned to Golden Fox on a first-come basis. Each sponsored foursome will receive a dedicated sign with their company logo at their assigned hole; have their company name printed on a large banner in the banquet room and will be featured in both the event program and the follow up article in the SAE Detroit Section publication, Supercharger.

The outing is limited to 360 players. Sign up early by using the registration form here. Each foursome leader will be notified by e-mail approximately two weeks prior to the event with course and registration details.

Golf fees will cover a powered cart, complete event scoring, breakfast, lunch, non-alcoholic beverages (cash bar for alcoholic beverages), buffet dinner, give-aways, and First Place and contest prizes.


For more information, contact Renee´ Bovair at the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445 or rbovair@sae-detroit.org.


The 23rd Annual SAE Detroit Section Golf Outing will be held at:

Fox Hills
8768 N. Territorial Course
Plymouth, MI 48170-5022
www.foxhills.com


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Young Automotive Professionals Conference
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Chrysler Chelsea Proving Grounds


The SAE Detroit Section along with this year’s host, Chrysler LLC, invites you to attend the Sixth Annual Young Automotive Professionals Conference on Saturday, June 27, 2009, at the Chrysler Chelsea Proving Grounds. The event will include a panel discussion with prominent industry executives on “Emerging Markets and Growths in Regions”. The afternoon highlight will be a Ride & Drive event featuring Chrysler’s most exciting vehicles on various courses.

Conference Agenda
8:30 a.m. Registration / Continental Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker, Chrysler LLC
10:00 a.m. Panel Discussion
11:00 a.m. Panelist Q&A
12:00 p.m. Networking Lunch
12:30–5:00 p.m. Ride & Drive

The conference is open to anyone over 18 years of age (Ride & Drive requires a valid drivers license) and is a great opportunity to network with young professionals in the automotive industry. Registration is limited to 250 participants. The cost is $40 for SAE members, $60 for non-members, and $20 for SAE student members. Cost includes breakfast and lunch.

Sponsors Needed!
We developed several value-oriented sponsor packages this year and we strive to align opportunities with talent at all of our SAE events. For sponsorship opportunities or to make reservations, visit www.sae-detroit.org or call the Detroit Section office at (248) 324-4445.

The GDT Speedster is an exciting, one-of-a-kind, high performance sports car designed and fabricated by a team of automotive professionals.





See GM's rich history and examples of success at the GM Heritage Center Tour.


The 16th Annual Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition for high school students will take place Wednesday, May 6, 2009.





The 23rd Annual SAE Detroit Section Golf Outing will take place Wednesday, June 3, 2009, with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start at Fox Hills in Plymouth.