{"id":78808,"date":"2026-03-03T05:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=78808"},"modified":"2026-03-27T10:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:43:35","slug":"shute-dynamics-pikes-peak-generative-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/shute-dynamics-pikes-peak-generative-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Shute Dynamics Races to Pikes Peak With Generative Design in Autodesk Fusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Engines roar as cars race 12.42 miles up a small, winding road to Pikes Peak, climbing nearly 5,000 vertical feet and finishing in the clouds at over 14,000 feet. Supplemental oxygen is pumped into the driver\u2019s helmet. The extreme physicality of reaching the summit is undeniable, gripping through 156 turns with no power steering and G-forces like a fighter jet. Not to mention unpredictable weather and sheer drops without guardrails, leaving zero margin of error.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, in 12 minutes, give or take, it\u2019s all over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the experience of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb<\/a>, one of the most dangerous and demanding motorsports events in the world. No do-overs. Just one run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Wolf raced by Robin Shute at Pike’s Peak.<\/strong><\/em> Courtesy of Larry Chen Photo. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Each June, racers from around the world come together to experience this historic race that first started in 1916. Every team\u2019s passion and intensity are palpable after a year of designing and manufacturing the optimum car to conquer the summit and win the race. No one knows this better than Robin Shute, founder of Shute Dynamics<\/a> and awarded the prestigious title of \u201cKing of the Mountain\u201d with a record four wins. <\/p>\n\n\n

A lifelong automotive passion <\/h2>\n\n\n

You could say cars and racing are in Shute\u2019s DNA. His father helped design the iconic Lotus Elise<\/a> and bring it to the U.S. market. Growing up, Shute was already close to the industry and even began learning CAD<\/a> and designing electric hill climb cars when he was 16. He moved to the United States and eventually worked at Tesla<\/a> as an engineer. During that time, his interest in motorsports piqued again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shute began racing as a hobby with his coworkers. He also discovered Autodesk Fusion<\/a>, which became essential to his design process. His first competitive car at Pikes Peak, nicknamed \u201cThe Wolf,\u201d was originally an Italian chassis that he and his team heavily modified. Despite the car\u2019s potential, their debut year in 2018 was plagued by engine issues and bad weather, preventing them from showing their true capability. But it laid the groundwork\u2014and determination\u2014for what came next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Robin
Courtesy of Huckleberry Mountain.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With lessons learned and a growing understanding of the mountain and designs for the car, Shute returned stronger in 2019 and claimed his first win. Since then, he\u2019s proved that victory was more than, as he calls it, a \u201cflash in the pan.\u201d With Yokohama<\/a> now as a partner and sponsor, Shute is designing a brand-new car called \u201cSendycar V1.\u201d It\u2019s his first car designed and manufactured from scratch, and he’ll be racing it at Pike’s Peak in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had four overall wins with The Wolf, but I really want to go and set the overall record with the fastest car ever up the mountain with Sendycar V1,\u201d Shute says. \u201cThis journey started in earnest about two years ago, and I was able to ramp up really quickly with Fusion\u2019s ease of use. It allows you to design professional-grade parts, whether it\u2019s with generative design or CAE. I’ve done the entire function of an OEM to design a whole car by myself using software that costs only hundreds of dollars.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy design philosophy for Sendycar V1 is to be simple, lightweight, and use modern tools and manufacturing processes to design and make the next-generation race car. There\u2019s no real corporate pushing and pulling of what this car needs to be. It\u2019s simply the best car I can make. The performance, physics, and tools around me steer the design.\u201d<\/p>\u2014Robin Shute, Founder, Shute Dynamics\u00a0<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n

Creating the ultimate, aerodynamic Sendycar V1 <\/h2>\n\n\n

One of Shutes\u2019s greatest advantages for Sendycar V1 lies in aerodynamic innovation, which is made possible in a single platform with Fusion. Much of his focus on aerodynamics is modeled and developed largely by Fusion\u2019s T-Spline modeling<\/a> and simulation tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"T-Splines<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cT-Splines in Fusion are really important,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can create models quickly, output them for CFD testing, and iterate in less than an hour. That\u2019s unheard of in the industry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI designed the final body surfaces in T-Splines,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s been huge to have that capability. Not many CAD programs can get close to it. It\u2019s especially impressive as someone from the OEM world who knows full-time employees are doing surfaces all the time on just portions of the car, not a whole car, and one person doing it. I probably have hundreds of evolutions of the car in Fusion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This workflow and flexibility helped Shute design surfaces so aerodynamically efficient that, as he puts it, \u201cit could drive upside down in a tunnel at 80 mph.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

Generative design infuses new potential <\/h2>\n\n\n

Shute also attributes much of his design success\u2014from suspension to bell housing\u2014to the use of AI-powered generative design<\/a> in Fusion. Lightweighting, strength, and stiffness are paramount for his priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Shute, learning and using generative design has evolved his design philosophy completely when it comes to conceptualizing and designing certain components.\u00a0Even the entire rear of the car was completed with generative design, creating \u201cthis blend of an extreme race car that people are familiar with and kind of alien-looking technology that sparks their imagination when they see it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"automotive<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGenerative design is something I love because it ensures parts are fully optimized, lightweight, and strong enough,\u201d Shute says. \u201cThere\u2019s no room for extras in these car designs, and I can make things very multi-functional to combine different part functions into one part, such as the rear shock absorber mount. I have added the bodywork mount, the exhaust mount, and the heave spring mount all to that one part, which weighs just 100g.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything must be optimized because the competition is stiff,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere\u2019s no room for being \u2018good enough\u2019 because it must be the best to compete. There are OEMs that put tens of millions of dollars into their cars. You really need to lean into modern technology, and that\u2019s where generative design and all the professional-grade capabilities available with Fusion help us succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComplicated parts are hard to engineer, and they can take years to develop. But using generative design in Fusion, you can put multiple functions into one part, iterate, prototype, and it’s just a matter of weeks for a final product.\u201d <\/p>\u2014Robin Shute, Founder, Shute Dynamics  <\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n

Race ready <\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Sendycar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sendycar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In June, Shute will put Sendy V1 to the test in the Unlimited Division of the Pike\u2019s Peak race. With all the intensive work and testing now nearing completion, he\u2019s ready for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith Fusion as the development platform, I can take Sendycar V1 to the next level of performance,\u201d Shute says. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to see what we do on the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn more about Shute’s process? Check out this episode of the Shop Talk podcast<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n

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