UShift, UM’s automotive club, is the first club of its kind designed specifically for UM students and alumni. Although the club is only two years old, it has rapidly grown in popularity and hosts monthly car meets in the red parking lot near the University’s school of communication.
UShift welcomes any UM student or alum who wants to learn more about cars or show off their own vehicles.
Max Crozier, UShift’s president, displays his 2017 BMW M3 Comp with Eventuri intakes, Eventuri charge pipes, upgraded intercooler, BBS wheels and a GAD wing at the meets.
“It was built for the racetrack, really, and it just feels like it has a soul, but a lot of cars don’t,” Crozier said. “There’s more of a driver to car connection than most cars out there.”
Founded in 2023 by Parker Fallesen and Jakob Brown, the club began as a small Snapchat group chat and has evolved into an official campus organization. The club now has more than 600 Instagram followers and 200 active members.
Vice President, Ashton Yadegar, said the club’s first car meet had about 10 to 15 cars, but now they average 25 to 30 each meet.
“I’ve been here the past few times and I’d say it’s definitely a great experience, not only the nice cars you see in the parking lot, but it’s people to talk to. It’s a community,” said Alvand Fallahi, UShift member and photographer.
The club hosts five car meets per semester, held monthly on Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Information about specific dates can be found on their Instagram or Engage page.
“I love cars. I love my car, too. And I thought I might as well come and see what other cars are around, get out a little bit,” said Alvaro Bayer, senior UShift member and car owner.
The meets are a chance to look at cool cars, but they are also an opportunity to reconnect with the UM community
One of the flashiest cars at a meet was a decked out 2024 Toyota Supra owned by Gabe Ruiz, a faculty member of the Miller School of Medicine who also completed his residency at UM.
Ruiz discovered UShift from an Instagram post sent to him by his daughter, who is a freshman at UM.
“There are a lot of young people, which I love and I’m starting to see really nice cars,” Ruiz said. “The car community in college is something that I didn’t know existed, but it’s great that people are growing up with their cars and keeping their cars.”
The club’s executive board, including Crozier, Yadegar and Treasurer Ciara Bower, plan to expand the group’s activities beyond monthly car meets.
They are currently seeking University funding to host go-karting days, private collection tours and trips to a racing simulator in Wynwood. With this funding, they hope to host these events with discounted rates for these experiences to students.