Late last year, Proton Motorsports or R3, showcased a saliva-inducing 180bhp turbocharged Satria Neo R3 shocker at KLIMS 2010. Never to be ones to rest on their laurels, they unveiled a supercharged prototype, outputting a yummilicious 180bhp and 200Nm torque, last month. Exterior-wise, the car houses a bodykit similar to last year’s Satria Neo R3 Lotus Racing edition, with a black paint finish, red highlights and gold trimmings. The interior features the contrasty red and black combination, synonymous with previous generation R3 vehicles.

The supercharger is sourced from Australia, from a company called Sprintex. Early in the year Proton design house Proreka signed a MOU with ATG to establish a JV Sprintex supercharger manufacturing facility in Malaysia and to market and distribute ATG’s Sprintex® supercharger product range in the ASEAN region and Japan. The establishment of JV with Proreka would reduce ATG’s supercharger costs by approximately 50%.

Will we see supercharged Protons in the near future? We certainly hope so!

More from Paultan.org and Fastmotoring.com

PROTON’s Chris Atkinson steered his Proton Satria Neo S2000 to victory in the Malaysian Rally to claim first place and giving his 2011 Asia Pacific Rally Champions (APRC) campaign a solid start. Team mate Alister McRae claimed third place to make it a double podium.

The race was not at all smooth sailing for Atkinson as he had to nurse a right rear puncture sustained midway into the opening 12.42km special stage at Tai Tak – Court House. Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X continued to pile on pressure on the race leader.

“In a rally that was incredibly difficult, celebrating a victory and having two cars on the podium is absolutely rewarding for PROTON and the entire team, as much as it is a big boost to the brand and consumer appeal in our products,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

For more of PROTON Motorsports race exploits, visit http://protonmotorsports.wordpress.com

Official Press Release

JOHOR BARU: PROTON rallied to a difficult and well-deserved victory on home soil in the Malaysian Rally to claim 1st and 3rd overall, and giving its 2011 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) campaign a big early boost.

Making the most of an entirely new suspension set-up and significant engine enhancements, Chris Atkinson steered the signature yellow Proton Satria Neo S2000 to victory to finish 1 minute 36.6 seconds ahead of Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, with PROTON team mate Alister McRae claiming third place.

Restarting the third and final day of the rally in Kota Tinggi with lead of 2 minutes 10 seconds, Atkinson was quickly forced to concede 30 seconds to an attacking Gill, as he nursed a right rear puncture sustained midway into the opening 12.42km special stage at Tai Tak – Court House.

With the punctured tyre replace and unable to afford another puncture, Atkinson then paced the Satria Neo S2000 through the two remaining 11.97km and 14.26km special stage to return safely to the scheduled service interval. With four special stages remaining, the PROTON driver needed only to steer clear of trouble and maintain an already comfortable lead.

“This is a fantastic result for PROTON. The Satria Neo S2000 performed extremely well throughout the rally and it is especially satisfying to have been able to demonstrate the car’s true potential, competitiveness and its level of pace and performance in front of the home crowd,” said Atkinson who celebrates his first ever victory and only second podium finish with PROTON since joining the team last year.

Victory was even more meaningful for his co-driver Stephane Prevot who in his 24 years of rallying, celebrated his 300th rally on top of the podium and the APRC standings.

For McRae, third place was every bit rewarding considering he had to manage an overheating problem caused by debris and vegetation blocking the air path to the radiator through the front bumper grille. The podium finish also places him second behind Gill, in the Asia Cup category.

The third and final day of the Malaysian Rally was run over seven special stages totaling 79.80km. Heavy downpour just hours before the rally was due to start on the second day had wrecked havoc on the event, inflicting so many serious casualties and eliminating most of the top seeded drivers, as what had earlier been dry and dusty quickly became muddy and slippery conditions.

“In a rally that was incredibly difficult, celebrating a victory and having two cars on the podium is absolutely rewarding for PROTON and the entire team, as much as it is a big boost to the brand and consumer appeal in our products,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

“The results are also a manifestation to all the testing, development, hard work and heart that have gone into building on the Proton Satria Neo S2000′s competitiveness. The Satria Neo S2000′s pace and performance in Malaysia forms a strong foundation for further development in preparation for the next round of the APRC which moves to Australia next month and with five more very competitive rounds to contest.”

Outstanding results for PROTON at the Malaysian Rally also extended to the two debutante front-wheel driven 1600cc Satria Neos. Competing for the very first time, the two cars finished 8th and 9th overall at the hands of PROTON Cusco Rally Team’s Akira Bamba and Kosuke Takashino. Both drivers also clinched 1st and 2nd in the APRC Junior Cup category.

The world-championship-winning Formula One Team of Lotus Renault GP (LRGP) made a historic visit to PROTON headquarters in Shah Alam, giving the F1 team an insight into the Malaysian car manufacturing industry. The LRGP entourage was led by none other than Managing Director and Team Principal Eric Boullier, who was joined by key members of his management team.

Also visiting was Vitaly Petrov, who placed third in the season’s opener at the Australian GP, and also reserve drive Bruno Senna.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

For more news, visit http://proton.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOTUS RENAULT GP MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO PROTON
SHAH ALAM, 7 April 2011 – PROTON Holdings Berhad today welcomed the Lotus Renault GP (LRGP) team to its headquarters in Shah Alam, giving the world championship-winning Formula One team an insight into the Malaysian car manufacturing industry and underlining a partnership envisioned to extend beyond the realm of Formula One.

The LRGP entourage was led by its Managing Director and Team Principal Eric Boullier, who was accompanied by key representatives of his senior management team. Joining the visit were the team’s driver Vitaly Petrov – who had given the team’s 2011 Formula One World Championship challenge an early boost with a third placing at the season opener Australian Grand Prix – and reserve driver Bruno Senna.

The visit is a follow-up to an earlier call made by PROTON’s senior management team to the LRGP facility in Enstone in the United Kingdom this year. Also present to represent Group Lotus was its Director of Corporate Affairs Gino Rosato, and Group Lotus Brand Ambassador and decorated ex-Formula One driver Jean Alesi.

The PROTON party, headed by PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir and accompanied by the Group’s senior management team, gave the LRGP team an exclusive tour around PROTON’s Research & Development facilities, and walked the team around the production lines at the Main Plant.

Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin said that PROTON’s association with LRGP aims to explore mutually and significantly beneficial opportunities, not just as the parent company of Group Lotus, but most importantly, as the Technical Partner to LRGP. “This visit offers the perfect opportunity for PROTON to showcase our capabilities as an automotive manufacturer.

Furthermore, as partners, it is important to be acquainted about each other’s operations, business strategies and plans. This will also give both parties the opportunity to explore how else we can help each other and benefit from one another,” he added. Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin also announced that a select and elite group of its engineers will soon be joining the LRGP family under an engineer exchange programme designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, skills and experience.

“Valuable exposure in a specialized environment and the opportunity to be involved in the development of technologically-advanced performance vehicles will significantly strengthen our engineering and technological capabilities which we would like to see applied and integrated into the future generation of Proton cars.”

This, Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin cited, is intended to emulate the success of PROTON’s long collaboration with Group Lotus that had enabled the company to leverage on Lotus’s world-acclaimed Ride & Handling technology which is today present in Proton cars and has been pivotal to instilling greater consumer appeal in its products.

PROTON staff was also not left behind in the activity, and were given the opportunity to get up-close and personal with Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna and Jean Alesi in a couple of meet-and-greet sessions. Meanwhile, Lotus Renault GP Team Principal Eric Boullier believes PROTON has not only a strong desire and the determination to succeed, but also the right capabilities and infrastructure in place to become a fully competitive operation.

“After seeing the facilities here, I’m really impressed with the advancement PROTON has made after only 25 years.”

“The involvement in F1 has clearly had a strong and positive impact with the handful of car manufacturers that have been involved in the sport since the early fifties. And with Group Lotus’s involvement in F1, I’m certain that PROTON will reap the rewards of this relationship, not least through technical, engineering and marketing opportunities and as a major business platform too.”

Also in conjunction with the visit, Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin, accompanied by Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna presented prizes to Grand Prize Winners of its Grand Prix VIP Challenge online contest. Winner Abdul Aziz bin A. Wahab. Abdul Aziz, who entered the online contest after servicing his Proton Persona received two Corporate Suite tickets to catch the action live at the Sepang International Circuit on race day.

The PROTON Grand Prix VIP Challenge was held from 16 March to 31 March 2011 across 500 Proton showrooms and service centres nationwide and open to those who test drove Proton cars, registered a newly bought Proton or serviced their existing Proton car.

PROTON’s Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson demonstrated blistering pace on Day 1 of the Malaysian Rally where the top six in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship is separated by a mere one second difference. McRae completed the 2.5km super SS for spectators held near the Angsana Shopping Complex in a time of 2 minutes 02.5 seconds to take second place, just 0.4 seconds shy of current rally leader Indonesian Rifat Sungar in a Mistubishi Evolution X. Team mate Atkinson rounded up the top five to deny an all-Mitsubishi front row. The rally also saw the inspiring debut of the PROTON Cusco Rally Team 1600cc Satria Neos with Japanese drivers Akira Bamba placing 11th, 20 seconds behind the top APRC contenders. Bamba leads the APRC Junior Cup category ahead of team mate Kosuke Takashino. For more news, visit http://protonmotorsports.wordpress.com.

PRESS RELEASE
MALAYSIAN RALLY
ASIA PACIFIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
DAY 1, 1 APRIL 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROTON RUNS HIGH IN MALAYSIAN RALLY

JOHOR BARU: The two Proton Satria Neo S2000s of Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson demonstrated a blistering pace on a competitive opening day of the Malaysian Rally which saw the top six registered competitors in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship separated by a difference of just one second.

PROTON Motorsports’ McRae completed the 2.5km super special stage for spectators held near the Angsana Shopping Complex in a time of 2 minutes 02.5 seconds for second place, just 0.4 seconds shy of current rally leader Indonesian Rifat Sungar in a Mistubishi Evolution X. Team mate Atkinson rounded up the top five to deny an all-Mitsubishi front row.

“Today’s short run was an excellent testimony to the Satria NEO S2000’s competitive and newly-charged pace and performance,” said McRae whose result also places him second in the Asia Cup category.

PROTON’s exposure in the rally was also given a further boost with the inspiring debut of the PROTON Cusco Rally Team 1600cc Satria Neos. Japanese drivers Akira Bamba was placed 11th, 20 seconds behind the top APRC contenders, but leads the APRC Junior Cup category ahead of team mate Kosuke Takashino.

“It’s a strong start for PROTON with all four Satria Neo’s occupying the top positions in their respective classes. This certainly helps to generate a lot of exposure, and with the APRC beamed to 129 countries with a worldwide audience of 390 television viewers, we believe our involvement in rallying will go a long way towards establishing brand awareness and interest globally,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

The Malaysian Rally has attracted a total of 35 entries, of which 18 cars are Protons, with 12 cars competing for APRC points.Day 2 of the rally involves seven special stages, with another seven special stages being run on the third and final day.

As announced earlier, here’s the official press release issued by Proton on the launch of the 2011 R3 Satria Neo.
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUBANG JAYA, 7th March 2011 – Engineered for more spirited and dynamic driving enjoyment, PROTON today introduced an exclusive hot hatch, the Proton R3 Satria Neo.

Built by PROTON’s Motorsports Division under the Race, Rally, Research (R3) brand name, the car is distinctively recognizable by its striking Fire Red exterior with a black painted roof.

Running the tried and tested 1600cc CAMPRO CPS engine, R3 engineers have upgraded its performance with the addition of Stage 2 performance upgrades inviting car enthusiasts to experience a greater dose of excitement. This increases power from the standard 125 bhp and 150 Nm of torque to 145 bhp at 7000 rpm and 168 Nm of torque at 5000 rpm coupled to a close ratio 5-speed manual transmission.

“Motorsports is one of several key strategies being pursued to enhance the PROTON brand. It is a platform that allows us to not only promote the brand and increase awareness in new and potential markets, both domestically and abroad, but it is an equally rewarding proving ground,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

“The R3 Satria Neo is an extension of our involvement and experience in motor racing, and it caters to a demanding segment of customers and enthusiasts who desire vehicles that are purpose-built for performance as much as it is practical for everyday usage.”

The R3 Satria Neo’s promise of an exhilarating drive is further conveyed by its all-round CPS bodykit; an R3 designed rear roof spoiler; a front lip for improved down force; titanium coloured side strips; and a more muscular stance the result of a 10 mm drop in ride height. R3 engineers also made significant enhancements to ride and handling, with the use of specially-designed R3 performance springs for reduced body roll; recalibrated alignment, toe and camber settings for more grip and steering precision; and R3 edition 16” inch gunmetal lightweight alloys wrapped in softer compound Bridgestone Potenza RE001R 205/45 series profile tyres for better traction.

Inside, the R3 Satria Neo features a sporty, yet classy and alluring matte red and black two-tone interior. R3 limited edition front bucket seats wrapped in nappa leather with ‘Trivel’ finish, carbon effect PVC and red stitching replaces the standard seats. Its fiery personality is also accentuated by the use of matte red dashboard trims, gear console and handbrake handle; two-tone door trims; R3 floor carpets, an engine start button; aluminium foot pedals and gear knob.

Safety features built into the car include high performance brake pads capable of withstanding high-temperatures of up to 400 degree Celsius for increased fade resistance often associated with constant heavy braking; dual front airbags, and anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). The car also comes fitted with Ecotint solar and security protection, and a 2-DIN audio head unit with 3D GPS navigation.

Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin said motorsports has a very unique way of establishing a strong emotional bond between car manufacturers and enthusiasts in that it injects excitement into a brand or a particular model, often inducing sales – and with achievements, reinforces brand superiority.

“While PROTON may still be in its infancy of introducing performance-based vehicles, I assure you of many more exciting new variants in the future.”

The R3 Satria Neo is priced at RM79,797 on-the-road inclusive of road tax and insurance, and can be viewed at Proton Edar’s Crystal showroom at the Proton Centre of Excellence, Shah Alam and any of the three Platinum showrooms located at  Mutiara Damansara, Juru and Plentong. Bookings can be made immediately at any of Proton Edar’s 23 sales branches throughout Peninsular Malaysia with a fee of RM2,000 and purchasers can expect the car delivered to them within four weeks of obtaining loan approval.

For more information, visit your nearest PROTON showroom today, call our PROTON i-care at 1-300-880-888 or log on to www.r3.proton.com.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

About PROTON Motorsports Division
PROTON Motorsports specializes in the research, development and production of race cars, special and performance-driven road going models and performance parts for the Proton range of vehicles.

About PROTON
PROTON, established in 1983, is Malaysia’s largest manufacturer of automobiles, and the only full-fledged OEM car manufacturer in South-East Asia. With operations in key markets from UK to the Middle East, and across South-East Asia and Australasia, especially in countries like China and Iran, PROTON produces cars to suit a range of consumer demands and preferences.

Its offerings include versatile and reliable four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks for the young-at-heart, luxurious and stylish executive sedans, spacious and affordable multi-purpose vehicles, as well as the world-renowned sports cars from Lotus. Most importantly, PROTON models are now developed with Lotus Engineering, offering customers superior ride and handling experience in every drive.

PROTON’s inception as a key driver of national development has seen the brand accelerate its learning curve through technology transfer with strategic partnerships and technical collaborations. By listening to the needs of customers, PROTON cars are now steadily on track to achieve the mission for the future, with PROTON set to become a marque which builds cars with passion and soul; cars that are a delight to drive – and a pleasure to own.

The all-new 2011 R3 Satria Neo. No official pics as yet but a couple shown here are based on the R3 Satria Neo Concept test-driven by T. Yamano in Japan. More pics and video after the jump.

Pic source: Hadzwan Hamzah

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JxV0dten30

2011 R3 Satria Neo: It’s Official!

The much-anticipated 2011 R3 Satria Neo was officially launched by PROTON yesterday. True to the speculated specs, the R3 Satria Neo is powered by the same 145bhp (@ 7,000rpm) / 168Nm @ 5,000rpm torque Stage 2 CAMPRO powerplant that powers the R3 Satria Neo Lotus Racing.

Sporting re-profiled camshafts with tuned ECU fuel mapping for enhanced performance, it also features a custom carbon fibre air intake system, a high flow 4-2-1 performance exhaust system as well as lightweight adjustable aluminium camshaft pulleys. The tuned CAMPRO lump is mated to a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox which we assume is donated from a 1.3 Satria Neo. Weighing in at a scant 1,200kg, performance figures should be in the low 9s range for 0-100km/h sprint with a top speed of 205km/h. In addition to that, the R3 Satria Neo is fitted with high performance 500-degree rated brake pads for optimum braking power.

The new R3 hot hatch comes only in Fire Red metallic finish with a black painted roof,  together with a full CPS bodykit and redesigned rear spoiler. It’s also fitted with R3 16” inch gunmetal lightweight alloys wrapped in sticky soft-compound Bridgestone Potenza RE001R 205/45 series profile tyres.

R3, as you know, pride themselves not just for their styling and engine performance capabilities, but also for their well-respected prowess in the ride and handling department. The R3 Satria Neo is fitted with tuned R3 performance springs paired with standard absorbers, that drop the car 10mm lower to reduce body roll. R3 also did their magic by calibrating alignment, toe and camber settings to increase grip and steering precision.

To complement its fiery exterior,  R3 has fitted limited edition front bucket seats wrapped in Nappa leather with micro fiber finish and carbon effect PVC, detailed in red stitching. The racy interior continues with matte red dashboard trims, gear console and handbrake handle, two-tone door trims and R3 floor carpets.

Like the R3 Satria Neo Lotus Racing, the car features an engine start button. Aluminium foot pedals and gear knob completes the driver-centric interior. All cars come with solar and security protection. For those who insist on listening to the stereo instead of the throaty intake or growling exhaust will be happy to know that a 2-DIN audio head unit with 3D GPS navigation is included as standard. Active and passive safety features include dual front airbags, and anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).

The R3 Satria Neo is priced at RM79,797 (MT Metallic) and is available for immediate booking at all PROTON Edar showrooms in Peninsular Malaysia. Booking fee is RM2,000 and lucky early birds will be invited to the launch event and get photographed with star drivers, R3 Head and champion drifter – Tengku Djan Ley and chassis engineer and race driver Faidzil Alang.

Features at a glance

Performance:

• Power: 145bhp @ 7,000rpm
• Torque: 168Nm @ 5,000rpm
• Weight: 1200kg

Engine

• Carbon Fiber Intake System
• Reprofiled Cams
• Recalibrated ECU
• High Flow 4-2-1 Extractor
• Tuned exhaust system
• Lightweight Adjustable Aluminium pulleys

Chassis

• 16″ Lightweight R3 Gunmetal Wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE001R in 205/45 rubber
• 500-degree Celcius rated brake pads
• R3 Springs with tuned suspension settings

Exterior

• Fire Red metallic paint with black roof
• Full CPS Bodykit
• New R3 Front splitter
• New R3 Rear wing

Interior

• R3 Limited Edition seats in Nappa Leather
• 2-Tone black interior detailed in red stitching
• Matt-red dashboard trims
• R3 floor mats
• Engine start button
• Aluminium foot pedals and gear knob
• Solar and security protection
• 2-DIN audio head unit with 3D GPS navigation

So what are you waiting for? Book la! Call 1-300-880-888 or log on to www.r3.proton.com

000 Da Bitch – Reincarnated as a Stock GTI, still black but no Recaros R3 wheels etc.
001 Da Slut – Siting in workshop unused waiting for new owner to buy the car
002 – Formerly Proton’s Corp Comm Media Car. Stolen June 2006 in CoE Car Park
003 – Sold to a Proton staff.
004 – Sold, Proton BoD member
005 – Sold
006 – formerly Prozac
007 – Raj (formerly Crash)
008
009  - kaYz1e (formerly Sousuke)
010

011
012
013 Handsome Lala
014
015
016
017 mzs a.k.a ZULKIFLI
018 formerly Shaunchen
019 sabreena
020 Engku Faiz
021
022 halimrrr
023
024
025 MaxiMauL
026
027
028 fadzly
048 harvey
049 khld
051 lixrym@rosmi
052 Desmosedici
056 stan aka ninja_iga
058 Eddy
061 Andrew Lee aka jÅkùùZèèMån©
067 Redwacko
072 Shaffy (formerly akmal_has)
073 vinoviruz
074 Incube
076 Dean
077 Dummy7718
083 Buahdurian
084 Dayton
085 fi3
086 Amchikarai
092 rancor
093 – Racer Boy
094 – ammetUIA
097 GajenDie (formerly r0ok)
098 Jeremy
099 – RT90
105 – Robin
106 neuralyzer
107 Punisher
111 Rizal
114 efie
115 john800
118 Raj
119 KINGTOZ
121 kanai
122 Ajoy
123 Zainal (zf)
124 GeneX
125 Gei Ko (2522)
126 pistola
129 Apexi
130 Hugh
133 Commander Reza
140 rickmoh
141 Shanashi
142 fitry
144 chivas
145 fordrunger
147 Nazrin
148 – aishah
149
150

Pretty surprised to see R3′s maiden commercial project car – the Satria R3 being featured on Proton’s site. As you may already know, the www.racerallyreseach.com website was shutdown circa 2008. Looks like Proton’s committed to moving the R3 brand forward. Yippee.