SunTiger III

On June 19, 1997, SunTiger III roared to a start in Sunrayce 97. University of Missouri-Columbia's third generation solar car began its ten-day journey in Indianapolis, Indiana. The '97 race route was 1230 miles long and ended in Colorado Springs on June 28.

SunTiger III finished third on the final day of Sunrayce97 and placed eighth in the overall competition.

Aerodynamics were greatly improved in SunTiger III, leading the team to win an award for Best New Aerodynamic Design. This was mainly due to symmetrical teardrop airfoil design that reduced drag. The reduced drag led to more efficient energy usage.

SunTiger III also made great strides in weight loss, weighing in at only 832 pounds. That's over 50 pounds less than SunTiger II and nearly 300 less than the car that started it all, SunTiger I. This was accomplished by a more weight-efficient frame and shell design.

For this car the students decided to construct their own array. This decision was made because it was felt that the students would do a more careful job of construction and the array would be able to be built within very specific specifications. Having little to work with and a lot to do, they managed to come out with a beautiful and powerful eight square meters of solar power.

SunTiger III Specs

Final standing: 8th place
Weight with driver: 832 lbs.
Motor: chain driven
Frame: cromoly steel tubing
Body: carbon fiber/nomex honeycomb composite
Wheels: three NGM 6061 Al rims with Bridgestone/Ecopia tires inflated to 114 psi
Wheel configuration: 2 front, 1 rear