Projects / 3D-Printed Racecar

3D-Printed Racecar

A multi-part printed car with rack-and-pinion steering, built and tested as V1, then redesigned as V2 to add braking and electronics packaging. Both versions were done with a team of three.

Context: Team of 3 (V1 and V2)
Tools: SolidWorks, FDM printing
Year: 2026
Status: V2 chassis printed, CAD in development

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V2SolidWorks assembly with drivetrain and electronics bay

Problem
Requirements
Design
Analysis
V1
Issue
V2
Result

Problem

Design a car that can be FDM printed as separate parts, assembled by hand, and steered through a working mechanism, then grow it into a platform that can carry remote-control electronics.

Requirements

Requirement	Version
Working rack-and-pinion steering	V1, V2
All parts FDM-printable and assemble without rework	V1, V2
Clearance for full steering motion	V1, V2
Mechanical braking	V2
Dedicated space for the controller and remote-control electronics	V2

Design

Steering uses a rack and pinion: turning the pinion slides the rack side to side, which turns the front wheels. I modelled the chassis, steering and wheels as separate printable parts in a single SolidWorks assembly so fit and motion could be checked before printing.

Analysis

For this project the analysis was physical: I printed and assembled V1, then used the prototype to check what the CAD alone couldn't confirm.

Component fit between printed parts after assembly.
Steering motion through the rack and pinion.
Clearances between moving parts.
Packaging: where future components like a brake and electronics could go.

V1: printed prototype

Our team of three designed, FDM printed and assembled the multi-part V1 in PLA with rack-and-pinion steering. Drag the model below to look at it from any angle.

Assembled green PLA racecar seen from above, front wing on the left — V1Printed and assembled in PLA, top view

Underside of the green PLA racecar showing the rack, pinion and steering links — V1Underside: rack, pinion and steering links

Green PLA racecar parts laid out on a table before assembly — V1Printed parts laid out before assembly

V1Rack-and-pinion steering turning the front wheels

V1The printed car rolling down a hallway

Drag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom

Issue

Building V1 showed three limits:

Steering geometry had room to improve.
No braking function.
No space for electronics, so it couldn't become a remote-control car without a new layout.

V2: team redesign

The same team of three redesigned the mechanical layout using what V1 showed: revised rack-and-pinion steering geometry, a mechanical braking concept, and dedicated chassis space for the controller and remote-control electronics. We FDM printed the V2 chassis as a prototype to check the new layout in hand.

V2 racecar CAD isometric with gears and electronics bay — V2Isometric CAD

V2 top view with numbered callouts — V2(1) Electronics space, (2) Arduino packaging, (3) mechanical brake concept

FDM printed green PLA V2 chassis with mounting bosses and electronics bay — V2FDM printed chassis prototype

Result

Area	V1	V2
Steering	Rack and pinion, working	Revised geometry
Braking	None	Mechanical brake concept
Electronics	No space	Dedicated bay and Arduino packaging
Status	Printed and assembled	Chassis prototype printed, CAD in development

V1 proved the steering and printed assembly. V2 carries those lessons into a layout that can become a remote-control car. The V2 chassis has been printed as a prototype; the rest of the V2 mechanical CAD is still in development.