Last week, a group of Northwestern undergraduates raced along long stretches of Midwestern road in a vehicle that looks like it belongs in a futuristic movie.

The $200,000 solar-powered car, named sc5 as the fifth car to be built by NU students, took the NU Solar Car Team two years to design and nine months to build before making its way to a cross-country race, finishing 10th out of the 13 teams able to complete the race.

“It’s not about the competition as much as it’s about finishing,” said team member and Weinberg sophomore Michelle Loret de Mola.

Beginning the 1,200 mile 2010 ASC in Broken Arrow, Okla. on June 20, NU finished in Naperville, Ill. on June 26 with minutes to spare before the cutoff time. After reaching the finish line for their goal of a top ten victory, their car was put on display in the Museum of Science and Industry.

McCormick senior Phil Dziedzic said the team has grown throughout his years at NU into a much more organized and professional group, especially after successful recruiting efforts this year brought in the help of a large batch of freshman.

“They’ve gotten thrown in the deep end,” Dziedzic said. “But I don’t think any of them haven’t seen that as a positive.”

The team built their first car in 1998. Most of the current 34-member NU Solar Car Team major in engineering, but the team includes students from across disciplines. McCormick junior Jonathan Cook, the team’s sponsorship chair, said having members studying journalism, communication or other various disciplines is useful, as the team is not just about building cars.

“It’s producing this entire product,” Cook said. “It’s kind of like running a business.”

Each year, the students’ work culminates in racing in either the Formula Sun Grand Prix or the American Solar Challenge, which alternate years. The team ran a blog and Twitter feed during this year’s race, updating readers on everything from tire blowouts, surprising amounts of armadillos and even a breakdown an hour and a half before the finish line.

While the team was pleased with their finish at this year’s ASC, it had appeared during much of the race that they would place much better, Cook said. During one of the day’s of competition, their steering column broke, costing them about three hours of repair work, he said.

“It was a little unfortunate,” Cook said. “But we still got our goal.”

Other teams also faced difficulties.

Of 21 teams that initially registered for the event, several dropped out prior to the scrutineering process required to pass in order to enter the race, Cook said. Several other cars didn’t pass or broke during the “scrutineering” process, in which officials ensure the solar vehicles meet race regulations, he said.

NU helped other teams pass the “scrutineering” phase, for which they received recognition at the ASC award ceremony, de Mola said.

The team is currently working on the design for their next car, for which they are seeking sponsors.[email protected]