Projects For Automobile Engineering Students

I presume that you want to go to a good university to get the opportunity do cool research in automobile engineering. So I will instead try answering a rephrased question "What kind of projects or research I can do now that will help me undertake more ambitious and challenging research projects in automobile engineering for my MS?"

To answer this question, I will go by skills, experience that would seem useful and related to automobile engineering. Any projects that relate to any of following should be useful towards the goal. Also note that projects don't always have to target generating new ideas. Even a thorough survey of existing state-of-the-art is a good start and a worthy exercise.

1. Structural mechanics related software, finite element analysis, AutoCAD.
2. Validation, Testing, Qualification, Verification of systems (or subsystems of an automobile) - these could be mechanical, electrical, digital, embedded, hybrid.
3. Robotics - in particular, mobile robots, controls, motion planning, perception, autonomy, computer vision.
4. Vibration isolation, drive systems.
5. High strength composites, plastics, etc. Projects related to crash worthiness of automobiles.
6. Human machine interfaces, anything that helps driver avoid collisions, and/or increases safety of passengers.