Whenever Proton releases a new vehicle, the whole of Malaysia holds it breath in anticipation. That is what I would like to call the silent patriot inside every Malaysian hoping that the new model will be better than the outgoing model, and to be fair, to date, all new Proton’s have been better than those they replace.
So far all Proton models have been replaced with newer and better models except for the Perdana and the Satria GTi. We have no idea when the Perdana replacement model will be out but we do know that the new Satria Neo GTi is just a few months away.
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The division that handles cars like the GTi and other sports Proton models is known as R3 (Race Rally Research). The last R3 car was the Satria Neo R3, a car which some may argue featured nothing more than aesthetic upgrades, but trust me when I say that R3 is capable of so much more than just an aesthetics upgrade.
Almost all the boys at R3 are involved in motorsports in one way or another, the division actively competes in the Sepang 1000km race and before that it was the 12-hour Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race and R3 have been crowned champions in both series. Rallying is another form of racing that R3 is involved in and the division will also manage your Proton or Lotus at any race event for the right price, such is the competence, knowledge, experience and overall know-how of the team. So when R3 comes up with a new product, we pay attention.
Headed by champion drifter and racer Tengku Djan Ley, R3 has been working overtime to come up with its latest product that also celebrates the return of the Lotus F1 Team. Here’s what basically happened, they took a Satria Neo, threw out whatever they didn’t need and saved 50 kilograms, slapped on some highly capable products from some of the most highly respected OEM and aftermarket manufacturers from around the world, bumped up the power by 20hp, gave it a Lotus green paint job, and voila, we have the Satria Neo Lotus Edition.
A RM115,000 Proton Satria Neo that had some people up in arms and others in awe, so is it actually worth it? I got about ten minutes behind the wheel on track and the conclusion is maybe it is, but it all depends on individual perception because personally I would have loved more power and focus but a close friend of mine bought one, get what I mean?
The car has been built around the traditional Lotus ethos of lightweight, power, and handling. Shedding 50kg’s over the standard car is no easy task but it has been done thanks to lighter FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) fenders and front bumper. The twin-weave carbon fiber bonnet easily shaves a couple kilo’s off the regular car as it too is incredibly light, in fact so light it is that at the right angle it is able to support its own weight and not slam shut.
The new aluminium coil-over suspension is another contributing factor to the diet program together with the lightweight AP Racing brakes. The wheels save 2kilo’s each resulting in a total drag reduction of 8kg’s and that’s not all but I’m sure you know where the up-rated performance comes from now, it’s all about lightweight.
Power is still generated from the standard in-line 4 cylinder, 16-valve, 1.6-liter CamPro CPS engine, but it has now been massaged to create 145bhp@7000rpm and 168Nm of torque at 5000rpm, so the engine definitely is a screamer but you need to work the new 5-speed close-ratio gearbox hard to really appreciate the work that has gone into the car.
The gearbox is a completely new unit and features new gear ratio settings and a larger (4.625) final drive, the new box has been tuned for acceleration but also contribute to a new top end figure. Managing the engine is a new programmable R3 Engine Management System that has been supplied by Siemens.
New lightweight R3 Cam Shafts with adjustable alloy cams, crank, and water pump pulley, together with a R3 4-2-1 Performance header with a stainless steel exhaust system top off the contributing factors to the respectable performance upgrade.
And now the drive. Before I got into the car I was expecting hardcore full bucket seats with a completely stripped out interior, MoMo steering wheel and perhaps even a roll cage. But instead I was greeted by standard seats wrapped in leather and a standard steering wheel also wrapped in leather, no roll cage here but the interior was highlighted by the same green that adorns the exterior, it’s an acquired taste really but sits well with the overall theme of the car.
My immediate reaction was to question why a RM115,000 “sports car” does not feature Recaro’s or any other form of bucket seats. It appears that everything in the car is functional and the seats remained the same as it gives enough rear-end and hip support for the driver. The seats have also been designed to provide full support to the driver and passenger in the event the dual-airbags have to be deployed, so there really was no reason to change the seats. But something did get to me though, lightweight is imperative to a performance car, so the presence of leather is a big question mark, I would think that lightweight leather like alcantra or perhaps even simple cloth wrapping would have saved a bit more weight, cost a lot less, and would sit well with the overall theme of the car.
Time to go out on track then, so clutch in and I was surprised again. The clutch was incredibly light for a car with sporting intentions but that could just be me being too accustomed to stomping down on the weighty third pedal of my own ride. Gear changes were smooth and short from click to click thanks to the new close-ratio-gearbox, and the new aluminium gear knob does have a nice feel to it but may tend to heat up on a typically hot Malaysian day.
So out of the car park and onto the track, get on the accelerator hard and listen to the throaty exhaust signal you to shift, the rev meter shows a 6000rpm redline but that’s because the meter is standard but not the car, you can actually rev the car past 7000rpm. Shift into second and there’s no shove in the back or anything as dramatic, 145hp hardly has that effect but the revs were quickly and smoothly building up and third gear was promptly called upon. The acceleration figures stand at 9.2 seconds to the 100km/h mark but it certainly doesn’t feel like it thanks to the comfortable seats and overall ambiance but I was not to be fooled, this car does have a few tricks up its wheels so I was cautious.
We were at Proton’s oval test track with a 45 degree banking, its a semi-high speed track so entry speed for the bankings were about 130-140km/h, but the car is capable of much more so I had to constantly watch my entry speed, according to the guys at R3, the Satria Neo ‘Lotus Edition’ tops out at 200km/h, respectable for a car that previously could hardly manage 180km/h.
Out of the track and onto the braking and slalom course. Before I saw the car I had already known what type of modifications the car was going to carry, everything seemed great but it was the AP Racing brakes that I didn’t quite understand, it seemed like overkill to me so I asked Djan about it. Apparently the idea behind the Satria Neo ‘Lotus Edition’ is to have as many parts from the Formula One car over to the Neo, that’s why there are products that are typically reserved for high powered cars like the AP Racing brakes and the Ohlins suspension.
At the braking test, I was told to floor it over 300 meters and stomp on the brakes, stopping distance was predictably short and with a total lack of drama in the form of a rear end threatening to swap places with the front. The suspension tuning is a great contributing factor to this and it was further highlighted at the slalom course.
I have clocked up a lot of hours behind the Satria Neo R3, pushed it hard enough to know that it doesn’t like sudden imprecise shifts in weight and it will let you know by ungripping the rear end so I expected the same from the ‘Lotus Edition’, and just to make sure I carried more speed than necessary into the slalom course, and without braking made my entry, no understeer, very little body roll and the best part it just gripped and kept going. Impressive stuff and racer Faidzil Alang who was seated next to me went on to explain that the Ohlins suspension actually has an additional valve in the damper that opens up to guarantee ride compliance. The dual valve system also works to ensure a comfortable ride over any road conditions ensuring that the Neo ‘Lotus Edition’ is useable on a daily basis.
So that was the end of my short test, we have been promised more drive time but that’s due to happen at a later date. Later, while seated with the boys of R3 I had to ask if they expect the ‘Lotus Edition’ to do well, according to them, almost half of the 25 units due to be produced are already sold and the rest are quickly being grabbed. But what is the purpose of such a car? Why would you even want to build such a car knowing that the Satria Neo is a car meant for those looking for a car in the RM50,000 – RM70,000 segment. The answer is simple, the Proton Satria Neo ‘Lotus Edition’ is a brand building product put together to show the capability of the Neo, which is due to spawn a few other models including the highly anticipated GTI edition.
RM115,000 for a Satria Neo is a lot of money to be paid for a two-door Proton but someone told me that the car is not meant for boy racers, but with such branded products and such a character, it is the boy racers who will be attracted to it, but ultimately it will be those who have RM115,000 sitting around to waste that will buy the car. The modifications itself cost more than RM30,000 and the Ohlins suspension are made exclusively for this car so there’s no way you can get hold of the same suspension to be fitted into your own Neo (unless you get someone to steal a ‘Lotus Edition’). The car is pretty special there’s no doubt it, but the price will definately put some people off. I will refrain from making a final verdict till I get more drive time but for now, the modifications and the character upgrade that has been done to the car is, simply put, fun.
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