Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team with Neo S2000 and Karamjit/Jagdev officially launched!
Click for enlarged image
Proton officially launched its new Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team yesterday. The team will run one of those new Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 rally cars and it will be piloted by a team that needs no introduction: Karamjit Singh and Jagdev Singh as driver and navigator respectively. The Neo recently finished 4th place at the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Russia, driven by Guy Wilks.
“It has been quite a while but we’re now ready to return to the rally motorsports arena. With the Neo S2000 and our long time associate Karamjit, we are sure that we will put up a strong challenge in this championship. What the car has achieved thus far while still in the developmental stage has been extraordinary,” said Proton chairman Dato Mohd Nadzmi.
When asked about his thoughts on the race, Karamjit said he was concerned that his left-hand drive Proton Satria Neo S2000 has him at a disadvantage. “If the car was right-hand-drive I would be confident and able to attack. It’s a fabulous car and the tricky Stages I can handle. I just don’t feel comfortable so I’ll be taking it easy to ensure we finish,” Karamjit said after completing the reconnaissance earlier today.
Rallying has done wonders for Subaru and Mitsubishi in their brand building efforts and Proton is also using the rally scene as a platform to showcase their cars, namely the Satria Neo Super 2000. The Neo will race at the Rally of Malaysia this weekend, and will move on to Indonesia on the 3rd to 4th October and then the China Rally on the 14-15 November.
Look after the jump for some photos of the Neo S2000 on test on Malaysian soil before the official launch, and also read up my previous stories on the Neo S2000 to find out more about the rally car.
Related Posts:
Cool facts: The Proton Satria Neo S2000 Racer
MEM Satria Neo S2000 makes first rally debut
Introducing the MEM Satria Neo Super 2000
Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 enters the IRC
Satria Neo S2000 Videos
August 13, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
good luck for the team!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
cool!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
Go karamjit go!!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
Finally he gets his break into this industry.
Hope to see more of such manufacturer involvement in the near future
August 13, 2009 @ 12:19 pm
Go Karamjit !!! I always waiting for your comeback to rally. You are Malaysian, the car also a Malaysian, Go for Malaysia !..show again to the world.. Welcome back.
August 13, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
All the best Proton.!!
With Karamjit at its helm
i guess it was the best decision ever made to include
Karamjit with his vast experience to show.
August 13, 2009 @ 12:26 pm
I hope the car will last thru the APRC stages. Its been known to breakdown before the end of the rally. Its also the car’s first outing in these climate so we never know how the British-built car will fare
August 13, 2009 @ 12:27 pm
jus curios , will this mean proton have to sell a minimum number of satria new r3 to satisfy FIA regulations?
August 13, 2009 @ 12:27 pm
Hopefully this time Proton will keep it up and not do half ass job like wut happen to proton pert team. The only reason subaru and mitsubishi was so successful in promoting thier car thru rally was coz they really stick to rally for years and years to properly develop a racing pedigree…. if proton is finding for a quick solution to promote neo.. then sadly the best we can hope is that this new team will again sink into the history like the pert team. winning one race then died… i was incredibly sad when i heard that news last time
August 13, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
BRAVO!!!!!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Finally Karamjit get what his wishes for, a proper full works rally team! Hoping he will give a proper challenge to Crocker and his subaru in this weekend’s APRC in Malaysia.
Seeing this is an aged pair, i do hope Karamjit will able to find his successor and train/manage him. We should see a proper contender in the future WRC soon.
Good luck for this week’s rally!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
ah ha.. the champ is back!
August 13, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Yes,,, what a great news…
August 13, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
At last!
Big responsibility for them, coz new machine..
August 13, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
Ah.. This brings back memories. Back then they used to have live/delayed coverage on rally. Now is more on football.
August 13, 2009 @ 1:40 pm
[quote]pulge said,
August 13, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
Ah.. This brings back memories. Back then they used to have live/delayed coverage on rally. Now is more on football.
[/quote]
Pulge,
there was a delayed telecast aired on Astro for APRC.. but just a lil bit coverage only… in fact it was only aired few month after the event.. n
August 13, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
Finally, Karamjit Singh back to rallying. I hope he does well, and maybe Proton would slide him back into international rallying? Karamjit Singh, World Rally Champion perhaps?
August 13, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
Wah!! Felda sponsored proton R3. Dr.M launch this car and he said it is a good car, just by looking at it.
August 13, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
bravo…….
August 13, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
bye bye crocker…..
August 13, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
Selamat Maju Jaya pada En. Karamjit Singh dan pasukan Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team.
August 13, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
wonder when i will get my neo cps. 1 month already
August 13, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Say when did Karam join A1 Team Malaysia? Their uniform look the same. Anyway it the same people from the PERT project from before. Hope it goes all the way.
More importantly hope Proton sell a limited run road legal S2000 Neo however expensive it may be
August 13, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
gudluck uncle karam…
Show to the world you still got s**t hot speed in you. Now thats done, what/who are we going to cheer for in the future? We still have no supported/sponsored feeder mini races or “cups” in MRC for young rally wannabe’s. We need to enulate the highly successful “cubprix” series, something like the “wira” class in the malaysian cubprix. Now we have the Neo S2000 which is wonderful, but where is the low cost N2 version or R1 version of the Neo? Please proton, give us a works N2 or R1 kit for the neo ASAP…
August 13, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
Myvi can beat this car.. haha..
August 13, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
if you want to win, employ a fin.
August 13, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
yessza!!!
i hope uncle karamjit will excel more than the rivals
weh..rtm1/rtm2/tv3/tv9/ntv7..kasi hype sket la kt sukan permotoran!
August 13, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
so karamjit will leave his evo for this neo…..hope it is worth it
anyway, i’m eager to see karamjit “fly” with this car……it has been looong time ago when i see hem in action..hehe
August 13, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
myvi R3,
go and ask ur daddy perol dua to built own sport division. Everything want to copy people. Car already copy (rebadge), sport division also want to copy ka? Malu la myvi want to use R3 name….myvi tin racing team..ok? perol dua fan…go and play with your myvi or bibah…don’t play with adults here…
August 13, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
Myvi R3 said,
August 13, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
Myvi can beat this car.. haha..
_______
haha… funny statement… it may be true in dreams…
August 13, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Karamjit have to cari makan too
if no one sponsoring Evo then cabutlah!!
Anyway the onus is on Proton to come up with a
competitive rally car.Hopefully it can be in the same league
as Subaru / C4 /Ford Focus.
August 13, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Hehehe, to think that bashers were complaining abt proton not supporting local drivers la, this la that la when last time Paul posted abt neo S2000… what’re they gonna say now?
All the best, karamjit n jagdiv!!
========
Diablo said,
August 13, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Say when did Karam join A1 Team Malaysia? Their uniform look the same. Anyway it the same people from the PERT project from before. Hope it goes all the way.
More importantly hope Proton sell a limited run road legal S2000 Neo however expensive it may be
========
I doubt ppl want to fork out six figures for a Satria Neo…… outside msia maybe, but here in msia…… the rich here prefer to get a merc, bmw, audi, etc
August 13, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
tokmoh, private collectors would pay for it. Ordinary joes like you and me won’t, even ifwe had the money
August 13, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
good luck to flying singh, singh is king, hidup singh,hidup singh,hidup singh……………
August 13, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
If the flying singh reads this blog, good luck. About time
August 13, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
Hebat proton!
August 13, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
Gud Luck Karamjit Singh…
Btw, i like the rims….nice!!!
August 13, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
wonder y this is a proton car but yet is left handed? if is built by proton then it should be right handed..any idea?
August 13, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
S2000 sounds familiar rite? Copy jugak nama tu bang….
______________________________________________________
memeranglaut said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
myvi R3,
go and ask ur daddy perol dua to built own sport division. Everything want to copy people. Car already copy (rebadge), sport division also want to copy ka? Malu la myvi want to use R3 name….myvi tin racing team..ok? perol dua fan…go and play with your myvi or bibah…don’t play with adults here…
Read more: http://paultan.org/2009/08/13/proton-r3-malaysia-rally-team-with-neo-s2000-and-karamjitjagdev-officially-launched/#more-16118#ixzz0O3UetT7R
August 13, 2009 @ 5:57 pm
Swift? said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
wonder y this is a proton car but yet is left handed? if is built by proton then it should be right handed..any idea?
—————————————————————
Not build by proton. proton only supply chasis.
August 13, 2009 @ 6:21 pm
Mellors Elliot Motorsport from the UK did all the R&D and built the car. Proton gave them a chassis to start from and the rights to race their car. Likewise the engine block is based from the Waja 1.8 engine as per regs. Everything else is bespoke except for production car bits per regulation. Karam’s car was actually bought by Proton from Mellors like a customer. I’m sure they got a discount from MEM for allowing the rights to race the car in S2000 in the first place. Anyone can buy this car from MEM if they have the dosh!
August 13, 2009 @ 6:40 pm
myvi can only beat or overtake this car when this car stopped on the side road haha….. crabs
August 13, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
Yeah, that’s the spirit, Malaysia Boleh!
August 13, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
Woo…Hoo…now is the time for action Karamjit & Jagdev and also Proton
August 13, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
Karamjit probably (still) is the best rally driver in Malaysia. Maybe one of the best in Asia too. But he won’t be anywhere as fast without a very good navigator. Without the navigator, the driver is almost blind. There are probably a few more years of competitive rallying left in Karamjit and Jagdev’s body. But no matter how good they are, there are limits to what their body can cope as they’re aged. I think it is about time we look for a new breed of drivers and navigators, the younger ones.
So, apart from rallying as a long term R&D platform and selling the car to the world, what else Proton and WE should/could do to sell local talents to the world?
Until then, good luck to the team and their machine. Do us proud!
August 13, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
Go! Karamjit! Go! Proton! Go! Neo! Show to the world Malaysian capable! Malaysia Buleh!!
August 13, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
aftr the sad news of schuey…….atleast our king is back with promising car….best of luck KING…..sing is KING
August 13, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
I’m so happy to read this! go Karamjit go!! you are truly a deserving Malaysian to be in that seat=)
August 14, 2009 @ 12:07 am
Yes, why in the world is it left hand drive? Is there a stipulation in the rules that permit only left hand drives?
August 14, 2009 @ 12:08 am
go go go Flying Singh!!
a Malaysian with a Malaysian rally team…
August 14, 2009 @ 12:19 am
Erm, I might be a Dino, bukan Karamjit ngan Allen Oh ke? Since when?
August 14, 2009 @ 12:34 am
good to see karamjit back.
he and jagdev are synonymous with rallying protons and the car is in no doubt in good and very capable hands.
having driven a group A in the past, this car sap sap sui lah.
rallying on home turf, karam should be able to give the aprc front runners a good fight provided of course, the car holds up.
good luck guys.
August 14, 2009 @ 12:43 am
Allen Oh retired many years ago …:)
August 14, 2009 @ 2:42 am
S2000 here doesnt have any relation with the honda S2000.
S2000 here means the car is built according to the specification and regulation of Super 2000 class also known as S2000.
————————————————————
_xXx_ said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
S2000 sounds familiar rite? Copy jugak nama tu bang….
______________________________________________________
memeranglaut said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
myvi R3,
go and ask ur daddy perol dua to built own sport division. Everything want to copy people. Car already copy (rebadge), sport division also want to copy ka? Malu la myvi want to use R3 name….myvi tin racing team..ok? perol dua fan…go and play with your myvi or bibah…don’t play with adults here…
Read more: http://paultan.org/2009/08/13/proton-r3-malaysia-rally-team-with-neo-s2000-and-karamjitjagdev-officially-launched/#comments#ixzz0O5cnRt7S
August 14, 2009 @ 3:36 am
karamjit should open a “Rally Driving School. ”
surely a bomb.
August 14, 2009 @ 4:32 am
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood LUCK!!!!!
August 14, 2009 @ 8:59 am
Swift? said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
wonder y this is a proton car but yet is left handed? if is built by proton then it should be right handed..any idea?
—————————————————————
Not build by proton. proton only supply chasis.
————————————-
Proton oso built the left-handed car for export market (e:g: australian market).
August 14, 2009 @ 9:42 am
Good Luck Uncle Karamjit
August 14, 2009 @ 9:42 am
to _xXx_
hmm..S2000 sounds familiar.
but then..everyone in the same class 2000cc uses this s2000 to indicate racing class.
or do u mean the honda s2000? huhu
_xXx_ said,
S2000 sounds familiar rite? Copy jugak nama tu bang….
______________________________________________________
memeranglaut said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
myvi R3,
go and ask ur daddy perol dua to built own sport division. Everything want to copy people. Car already copy (rebadge), sport division also want to copy ka? Malu la myvi want to use R3 name….myvi tin racing team..ok? perol dua fan…go and play with your myvi or bibah…don’t play with adults here…
August 14, 2009 @ 9:58 am
keyboard rosak,
I thought Australia is right hand drive also?
August 14, 2009 @ 10:02 am
_xXx_ said,
S2000 sounds familiar rite? Copy jugak nama tu bang….
_______________________________________________________________
what do you mean by copying name? your knowledge in motorsport must be very thin like onion skin lah bro.. the ’s2000′ is the class of the car according to FIA rules lah.. not copying the Honda s2000 name.. do some google first or read the previous post about the neo s2000 here.. dont just simply bashing.. it make u look so stupid..
August 14, 2009 @ 10:10 am
wuahahaha… ada lagik org fikir yg S2000 tu nama copy dari yg lain… mentaliti bashers bro farghmee.. asal S2000 je mesti dtg dari HONDA!! wuahahaha… biarlah si luncai terjun dgn labu2 nya… wuahahaha!!
————————————————————-
farghmee said,
August 14, 2009 @
to _xXx_
hmm..S2000 sounds familiar.
but then..everyone in the same class 2000cc uses this s2000 to indicate racing class.
or do u mean the honda s2000? huhu
————————————————————–
_xXx_ said,
S2000 sounds familiar rite? Copy jugak nama tu bang….
August 14, 2009 @ 10:11 am
Way to go Karamjit Singh !!
If this is a right hand drive I think we are assured of 1st place..
August 14, 2009 @ 10:58 am
I proud about this relationship…Proton + Karamjit
Go go to sky limit bro Karamjit d(’_')b
August 14, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Swift? said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
wonder y this is a proton car but yet is left handed? if is built by proton then it should be right handed..any idea?
———————————
Proton oso build the left handed car for export market (eg: australian market)
August 14, 2009 @ 11:47 am
the reason most rally cars are built left hand drive is because most rally drivers are from left-hand drive countries, and almost all aspiring rally drivers practice to drive LHD cars as most top of the range WRC cars are build in LHD. So thats why all the top rally cars, even the subaru, suzuki, mitsubishi etc are mostly build in LHD, although some is in RHD. I believe the neo can be built in RHD, but for time and development constraints, all of the early neo s2000 cars are built LHD only.
August 14, 2009 @ 11:52 am
Go Go Proton and Mr Karamjit, hopefully our national flag waved higher and higher. Yeah Malaysia Bulleh…
August 14, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
Using rally for brand building *for Proton* is senseless. Would I buy a Proton just because somebody raced a specially-built Proton that is nothing like any of the Protons on the market to the first place, knowing full well three months down the road, the freaking seat beat buckle would come off, or the door handle will give in? You are damn right I won’t. Save yourself those worthless cheerleading comments. Start spending those dollars on *useful* research instead. Moron.
August 14, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
keyboard rosak said,
August 14, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Swift? said,
August 13, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
wonder y this is a proton car but yet is left handed? if is built by proton then it should be right handed..any idea?
———————————
Proton oso build the left handed car for export market (eg: australian market)———————————————–
ni sbb kes tatau bahawa proton pun banyak dieksport ke luar negara kot? hehehe… egypt pun LHD . gen2 banyak di sana.
August 14, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
I thought Australia is Right-hand drive???
August 14, 2009 @ 4:28 pm
Yes, Australia same as Malaysia – RHD..
Gen-2 also exported to China, Egypt, Taiwan, Turkey with LHD..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic
August 14, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
Using rally for brand building *for Proton* is senseless. Would I buy a Proton just because somebody raced a specially-built Proton that is nothing like any of the Protons on the market to the first place, knowing full well three months down the road, the freaking seat beat buckle would come off, or the door handle will give in? You are damn right I won’t. Save yourself those worthless cheerleading comments. Start spending those dollars on *useful* research instead. Moron.
Read more:http://paultan.org/2009/08/13/proton-r3-malaysia-rally-team-with-neo-s2000-and-karamjitjagdev-officially-launched/#comments#ixzz0O97YbYRp
Ahhh…the self proclaim self righteous know it all proton hater. It for brand awareness. Get it? Every single manufacturer also specially-built their rally spec car if you know what I mean. Including Mistu, Subaru, peugeot, citroen, and so on. Where got standard manufactured car enter rally anyway. They need specially built car to enter lah. Roll caged, weight reduction, engine tuning, special transmission and rally spec brake and so on. The list of upgrade goes on and everybody does it. What is your problem anyway?
Sorry to hear your seat buckle comes off and your handle gives in. u got yourself a bad lemon. You hate proton, evo, Scooby , beemer are waiting for you. Don’t waste your time for giving opinion on moron proton. They are moron you are not mr smart dingo. Take care…
August 14, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
Agreed with you Diablo about, this is sort of a revive PERT team. Their Former boss Datuk Razak Dawood has joined Proton as non-exec director and now GM this year after he left EON in 2007.
August 14, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
Proton already screw a True Malaysian champion 1 time with PERT, hope same thing don’t happen. To all crowing about it, this is the bare minimum Proton can do seeing as how it left Karamjit high and dry for so many years.
Also shame that is left hand drive. So far as I know there is no rule that force all rally car to be left hand drive. In fact the Putra Karamjit won in last time (giving glory to an undeserving company) IIRC is RIGHT HAND DRIVE.
Shameless screwing by Proton to sell more car, at the cost of Karamjit not able to perform 100%……
August 14, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
“It for brand awareness. Get it? Every single manufacturer also specially-built their rally spec car if you know what I mean. Including Mistu, Subaru, peugeot, citroen, and so on.”
Dey…..when Subaru 1st enter rally, the mat salleh laugh at the car you know?
Its only with constant investment and a sound strategy that cause them to produce a championship rally car in WRC.
Compare that to Proton last entry in the market. Win 1 title then lost interest and gulung tikar…….LOL. Like that you made yourself even more laughingstock. Unfortunately for Proton, very unlikely they will repeat same success as Subaru/Mitsu.
Thats because Proton never bother to update their cars much unless the car is donkey years old already. Example is the old “rally” Putra. New model? Mana ada. Satria also in existence more than 10 years then only a new version came out (”special edition with jinjang rim and bodykit not considered update”)
Imagine if Subaru still racing in 2009 using the 1999 WRC? Habuk pun tak menang………hehe.
August 14, 2009 @ 11:39 pm
I see, it can run in the ladang Kelapa sawit as well.
Felda runner.
August 15, 2009 @ 2:13 am
EVO WRC pun RHD jugak…..
August 15, 2009 @ 4:29 am
is this mean that Karamjit has parted with Penzzoil team, or this is just another collaboration that meant for one APRC race which is happen in Malaysia round?…
I hope that he will race for both team when needed…
best of lucks!
August 15, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
not_ah_beng said,
August 14, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Read more: http://paultan.org/2009/08/13/proton-r3-malaysia-rally-team-with-neo-s2000-and-karamjitjagdev-officially-launched/#comments#ixzz0OEygLTre
*******************
how come u know they NEVER BOTHER TO UPDATE their car?
August 16, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
darxness2000 said,
August 15, 2009 @ 2:13 am
EVO WRC pun RHD jugak…..
_______________________________________________________________________
I don’t recall any EVO WRC that is build in RHD… AFAIK only a few WRC cars are built in RHD, mostly Impreza and focus WRC customer cars for the wealthy Irish Rally Championship privateers…
August 24, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
GO FELDA GO!