A ride in the Proton Satria Neo Super S2000

Pic 1: Riding shotgun with Alister McRae

I've always been a rally fan. The sport is so much more accessible to the petrol head than other forms of motorsports. You get to be right at the heat of the action rather than behind some cordoned off fences.

Another plus point is that rally drivers are a friendly lot. I've met, chatted and took photos with some of the world’s best known rally drivers and I can say they are a whole lot better than those F1 drivers that I bump into during the F1 races. Humble, down to earth and chatty with the fans. :)

Pic 2: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 3: Interior

Recently I had the opportunity to hitch a ride with Alister McRae in his Proton Satria Neo Super S2000 (Thanks Gary!). The car is based off the Proton Satria Neo but has been extensively redesigned and redeveloped by Chris Mellors of Mellors Elliott Motorsport (MEM) to FIA Super 2000 rally specifications. For those that are unaware, Proton is now competing in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

I am mighty proud that Proton did a good season this year too. They took first and second placing at the APRC 2010 and also second and third placing for the Asia Cup. Overall the team came out second for the Manufacturer’s Championship. Now ain't that a feat for a team that is considered the underdogs!

Pic 4: Lovely seats!


Pic 5: GEMS system

The 2 litre Proton Super 2000 engine is derived from the 1.8 litre engine fitted to Proton Waja and has been further developed by MEM’s engineers to produce a reliable 278 bhp @ 7600rpm with a usable power band from 5,500 to 8,500rpm. Combined with the Xtrac 6-speed sequential 4WD Super 2000 transmission, the car sets new standards for engine performance and driveability. And all of this power is naturally aspirated!

I can still remember the first time I saw Alister McRae. It was in 1998 when he was driving the Volkswagen Golf GTi. Then in 1999, he was the works driver for Hyundai driving the Hyundai Coupe. Check out the pics below which I took way back then. A little walk down memory lane .....

Pic 6: Alister was driving the VW Golf GTi in 1998 (note autograph :P)


Pic 7: In 1999, Alister was works driver for Hyundai


Pic 8: During recce, Alister ran into an emu during Rally of Australia hence the damaged front end (Yes he autographed this pic too :P)


Pic 9: David Senior tightening back the wheel

Anyway, back to the experience in the Proton Satria Neo Super S2000, the drive was done in an oil palm estate somewhere in Sepang, Malaysia. Strapped in the TRS harness and donning the Stilo helmet with integrated intercom, I was able to chat with Alister enroute to the start of the SS. As my only experience in a rally car was on tarmac, he was telling me that real rallying is on the forest (gravel) and it will be a totally different experience. I agreed and look forward to going at crazy speeds admist oil palms on both sides of the road.

Observing Alister piloting the car, the agility and maneuverability of the vehicle is phenomenal. It's amazing how Alister controls the vehicle on the slippery gravel (it was raining!). What really amazes me is how responsive the brakes are. Braking was done very very late. For example, at a square turn, Alister yanks on the handbrake and the car slides thru with ease. Everytime, he pulls the handbrake it's like a ballerina on steroids!

Pic 10: Those buttons on the steering wheel are bluetooth linked - weight saving on wires


Pic 11: Those are AP pedals there

I did take a video of the experience but sadly it's not the best as I mounted it on the A pillar roll cage thus it's a tad slanted in view and my cam ain't the best out there. Hope you enjoy the video.

Pic 12: Gear indicator display


Pic 12: GEMS system with 12 scroll-able screens


Pic 13: GEMS system with 12 scroll-able screens


Pic 14: The rear - spare tyre, jack, first-aid kit, etc..


Pic 15: The heart of the Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 16: The heart of the Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 17: Roll cage and air vents on the roof


Pic 18: Side shot


Pic 19: With Alister McRae


Pic 20: The hardworking crew


Pic 21: Alister McRae


Pic 22: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 23: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 24: ER34 or Proton Satria Neo Super S2000? Hmmm.....


Pic 25: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 26: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 27: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000


Pic 28: The Proton Satria Neo Super S2000

Happy 25th Anniversary, Proton!

PROTON celebrated its 25th Anniversary yesterday with a grand Gala Dinner held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. I was fortunate enough to be invited for the event and are thankful to be remembered as part of the pioneering few that kick started official PROTON car clubs.

As a Malaysian, PROTON plays a big part in ones life. I bet almost every Malaysian have owned a Proton at some stage in life. It is inevitable. For those who have not owned a PROTON before, you might be the 'lucky' few or perhaps the 'unlucky' few. :)

My family was an early adopter of PROTON. My mom had a 1986 Proton Saga and it had served the household well. My first Proton was a 1994 Proton Wira 1.5GLi. It was the early version where it ran on carburetor instead of EFi. Back then I was still a very young chap with little or no money BUT interest in cars is already building up strong. With limited funds and limited knowledge about engines, I succumbed to simply mods like Bosch Super 4 spark plugs and Hot Bits spark plug cables which I thought would make the car super duper powerful. Guess not. Hahaha

It was at this time also I ran a K&N filter which gives out a nice throaty roar on throttle. But I must say the thing that most people remember about the car was the noisy exhaust. You can hear me coming a couple a blocks away! And it was a DTM style muffler. Hahahahaha

Everything else remains stock but I recall keeping a set of 15" Enkei RP01 (Made in Japan) for over a year in my store room as I have no money to buy 15" tyres. The Enkei were graciously 'donated' by my uncle off his car. :)

I had to potter around with the stock 13" wheels though as the Enkei never did find its home on the Wira until today. LOL

After that my 2nd Proton came into the picture and that changed my life forever. The Proton Perdana V6 was a lovely car and via that car and via the inception of the V•Sixers: Perdana V6 Club, I have made a lot of friends and together we have had countless fun times together. From interstate and intercountry drives to track days and autokhana competitions. Those were the days.

Ahhh........such memories.

Coming back to the gala dinner, the guests were treated by two of Malaysia's most talented singers, Zainal Abidin and Sheila Majid! I was mesmerized when both of them sang duet to "Ikhlas Tapi Jauh" accompanied only by electric violin and guiter. It was simply super awesome!

After some speeches by YBhg Dato' Mohd Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh, Chairman of PROTON and YAB Dato' Seri Mohd. Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, the 25th Anniversary Special Edition PROTONs were unveiled by YBhg Dato' Hj. Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohammed Tahir, Group Managing Director of PROTON.

Only 25 units of these special edition PROTON will be produced per model, the Proton Exora 25th Anniversary Edition, Proton Persona 25th Anniversary Edition and Proton Saga 25th Anniversary Edition. Interesting way to celebrate.

Pic 1: Proton Emas - front view

What really got me excited was the opportunity to touch and feel Malaysia’s first global car, the Proton Emas. Emas, an acronym for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, was designed in collaboration with acclaimed Italian design house Italdesign Giugiaro. Production is scheduled to be by 2012.

The Proton Emas was first unveiled during the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. Having the chance to view it up close is amazing. I am amazed by the lighting system and overall interior space given that it is afterall a small car. Hope to see it on the roads 2 years from today.

I wish all the best to PROTON.

A journey that has been the nation's pride,
A dream fueled by passion, and
A vision towards another 25 years of progress.

Pic 2: Interesting interior

Pic 3: Proton Emas - rear view

And thank you for the memento. I am sure I will have a wonderful time reading the 25th Anniversary Commenorative Book, "A Saga: Proton's 25 year story".

Pic 4: A Saga: Proton's 25 year story


Pic 5: The past 3 Presidents of the V•Sixers: Perdana V6 Club


Pic 6: Those are very interesting integrated headlights and signal lights


Pic 7: Not sure what technology is this but it lights up as the rear lights


Pic 8: 18" wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero 215/45/18


Pic 9: Doubt this will make it into production. Too bulky power window control


Pic 10: Another interior shot

V35 Skyline wanna be Audi R8

Pic 1: V35 or Audi R8???

Well an owner of a V35 Skyline Coupe (aka Infiniti G35) in the USA decided that having the Audi R8 'side blades' on his ride would make it look cool and invariably fool people into thinking that he is driving an Audi R8.

Hmmmm.....c'mon man. Does the V35 deserves this sort of treatment? I've seen some Audi TT that did this sort of thing, while it may not be correct to do so but at least it's still within the same family gene.

To me this is no better than this chap that decided to turn his Proton Saga (BLM) to look like an Audi A4. He even has the ABT emblem on his grill. But I can't figure out why he needed a faux roof scoop tho. LOL :D

Pic 2: Proton Saga BLM or Audi A4???

How low can you go?

Pic 1: Low low low Proton Wira

Spotted this Proton Wira sometime back which rides crazily low to the tarmac. It's so damn low, I think a rat is unable to pass underneath it. WTF!

I really wonder how the owner drives around the roads in Kuala Lumpur ...... surely it will NOT pass through even the slightest of speed bumps! Let's not even talk about carpark ramps.

This is the extend some people will go to look cool I guess.

Pic 2: Closer view

Proton Waja R34 GTT

Pic 1: Waja R34

A friend spotted this Proton Waja (also known as the Proton Impian in the UK) with R34 tail lights and ER34 factory rear spoiler in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Guess this is Malaysia's interpretation of how a 4dr R34 should look like?

Whatever that pulls your fancy mate.

Btw, you've got a friend here : Proton Waja-line R34

Proton Waja-line R34

Pic 1: Front of Waja R34

I took these set of pics quite a while back and kinda forgotten about it until I found it in my folders. This is a Proton Waja undergoing transformation to become uhm.... a R34 Skyline look-a-like.

Of course by now it's already done. Hope to bump into it on the road someday. :)

The transformation is pretty elaborate. It spots a BNR34-like front bumper, headlights made to mimic the R34 items, copy version of the BNR34 rear spoiler and R34 sedan style rear lights. I wonder if the intercooler is a real working version......

Pic 2: Rear shot of Waja R34


Pic 3: Front 3/4 view

DILYSI #14: Frasiers Hill

Pic 1: The cars up in Frasiers Hill

The 14th installment of the Drive It Like You Stole It (DILYSI) series was to Frasiers Hill. Not many cars went this time round as some decided to pull out last minute. You know who you are .....

Anyway, my last trip to Frasiers Hill was way back in December 2008. Damn ... it sure didn't felt that long ago. Time really does flies. A total of 7 cars met up at our usual rendezvous point before heading off. There were:-

2 Nissan Skyline 25GT-t
1 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II
1 Mitsubishi EVO VI
1 Mitsubishi EVO VII
1 Suzuki Swift Sport
1 Proton Satria GTi

Traffic was slightly on the heavier side along Ulu Yam this time round but after that it's pretty clear all the way. I was really gunning it despite the traffic. Going fast, braking hard and overtaking all the way. Midway through the course on a sweeping left-hander, a chap waving his arms in the air caught my attention. Oh shit! Something must have happened up front. Throttle eased off slightly, I caught sight of a spun Alfa Romeo 156 on the right hand side of the road. The car belongs to another group of driving enthusiasts. I saw a fair mix of continental cars parked at the roadside. Saw amongst others a Fiat Coupe, Fiat Punto, Mercedes Benz SLK, Alfa Romeo 147, Volvo S40, etc.. The car looked like it spun 360 degrees and ended up on the embankment. I hope the driver and car is ok. Check out the video at 7:20 onwards. You'll see the ER34 passing the incident site.

Video 1: ER34 at Ulu Yam

After seeing some picture of Jon's orange EVO VI, I finally got to see it in its flesh. This is one intimidating beast. Stripped interior, roll cage and sporting an Ikeya Formula sequential shifter. You wouldn't wanna mess with this car. :P

Pic 2: Jon's EVO VI

Heading up towards The Gap, I was taken by surprise right after a bend; up ahead is a fallen tree right across the road! I literally shouted "FCUK!!" in my heart and slammed on the brakes progressively to stop a couple of feet away from the tree. Hazard lights on and lifted my hand out of the car to signal a 'halt', I reversed my car a tad bit away from the debris. The two charging Evolutions behind luckily managed to stop in time and avoided each other and me too! The tree must have just fallen early in the morning. It was still in a mess!

Pic 3: The felled tree practically blocked the whole road

We are in a dilemma now. To proceed or not to proceed? Jon started work almost immediately to rip off some branches to create a pathway wide and high enough to squeeze underneath the tree. After letting a passing Perodua Kenari to perform the acid test, it looked safe enough and we proceeded on.

Pic 4: Deciding to proceed or not

Pic 5: Going thru....


Pic 6: Going thru...

Luckily enough we reach The Gap just in time; 10 minutes before the gate closes for traffic going uphill. The 10km way going uphill towards Frasiers was very very tricky. The road is damp and there's wet leaves strewn everywhere. The ER34 struggles for grip and constantly lost traction. Having semi slicks on the car doesn't help either. Those AWD boys would probably have a better time than me. LOL :D

Up in Frasiers, we had some great American style breakfast and took a walk around before going back downhill when the gate opens at 12:00pm. Enroute down, we took a little breather at the Sg. Selangor Hydroelectric Dam before heading back to Kuala Lumpur via the same route.

Oh, btw the felled tree was already cleared when we head down. I must say that's might quick and effective work by the authorities. And that's on a Sunday too!

It was another great drive and it was truly enjoyable driving with you guys.

Till the next drive.....

Pic 7: Going downhill


Pic 8: Jon's EVO VI


Pic 9: At The Gap checkpoint


Pic 10: The cars of DILYSI #14


Pic 11: What's under the hood?


Pic 12: Charging downhill


Pic 13: Mun Kit's Swift Sport and Jon's EVO VI


Pic 14: Hwa Ming's BNR34 and my ER34


Pic 15: Alvin's ER34 and Yap's SGTi