Amirul
Resident Journalist
Image courtesy of Zainon Shaari, Facebook
Well folks, take a look at what we discovered. It seems someone is building a WRC R5-spec rally car based on a Proton Iriz! The image was posted on the Facebook page of motorsports photography people, Chicane Media and is now circulating across the net.
Developed by Mellors Elliot Motorsports (MEM), the car looks pretty serious, with natty front winglets nicely integrated into the front bumper, which is believed to be wider than the stock Iriz as well. The front lower grille has been replaced with a metal mesh and spray on ‘Iriz’ lettering completes the rally look.
MEM is a British-based company known for motorsports engineering, and had previously built the Satria Neo S2000 for Proton a few years ago. However, this Iriz is believed to be prepared for their own use.
Regulations mandated that an R5-spec car would have to employ a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, which Proton already posses in their fleet; and has been powering the Exora, Preve and Suprima S.
The output and pace of the Iriz R5 would be within hair's distance to what the Satria Neo S2000 has to offer, which uses a 2.0-litre engine (an upgraded 1.8-litre Renault engine from the Waja 1.8X Premium).
In the meantime, we've found this cool image of what looks to be a Proton Iriz rally car as well. The image is rendered by a Facebook user Zainon Shaari, a member of the Proton Iriz Club Malaysia Facebook group. Oddly enough, the image is claimed to be designed over two years ago.
Image courtesy of Chicane Media, Facebook
The Iriz on the rendering features full roll-cage, a roof scoop, bigger spoilers, wider front and rear fenders and large OZ-like wheels, typically found on rally cars. However, it looks like the rear doors are missing. Well, it’s just a rendering anyway, isn’t it?
Nevertheless, the design looks pretty legit. What do you think?
Stay tuned as more images of the MEM Iriz R5 develop. Let's see how close it will be to the Iriz rendering by Zainon Shaari.
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