The Proton Lekir Concept is essentially a Lotus Europa with a Proton badge. It asks a very interesting question – could a more affordable Proton-badged Lotus Europe sell?
Word is that the Lotus Europa was supposed to be a Proton in the first place, and it was known as the Proton Sepang project, but along the way it was decided that it would be sold as a Lotus instead, and of course with that came along Lotus prices. The Europa was short-lived and the position of a more comfortable Lotus has been filled by the Lotus Evora.
Seems like quite a shame to let the Europa go to waste – now imagine this, a Proton-badged Lotus Europa priced below RM150,000 and powered by the upcoming turbocharged Campro engine. A true rakyat’s sports car?
Look after the jump for a full live gallery from KLIMS ’10.
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[zenphotopress number=999 album=1760]
erk.. this is not true
erk.. something not right here
wah..below 150k..confirm i will buy this..no hesitate at all!!!
Yes it will definately sell. It could become a pseudo upmarket Putra replacement. Sort of coupe touring hybrid. Given its Lotus roots, its performance is surely bang on for the buck. Build it and sell it!
wah..below 150k..confirm i will buy this..no doubt at all!!!
if they do that, they’ll kill off Lotus buyers. And Lotus will lose its reputation… and the stupid LOTUS TUNE/HANDLING labe nonsense on the back of Protons will be meaningless.
Before sell it in Europe, try selling the model in home land first!!….
This car has been sold in europe for years. So I dont understand what you mean by testing the market of the car in malaysia before selling it in europe.
robert, that was just a randon post by odi862 without any thought at all!
LoL XD Lotus europa S in 2006 was released.
Proton should do this ealier…. btw, they start to chase back the Korea Car Manufacturer now…. great.
Wow…
proton, pls bring nack pm5
proton, pls bring back pm5
No, thanks!
Lotus Rebadge = Yes !!
Campro Engine =No !!
It just downgrades the Lotus branding.
Even MMC did not allow P1 to use a CamXpro in the Inspira.
I also dont think proton want to use campro when they have opportunity to have MIVEC
yup.. i do agree with you.. fird!
you sure dont know how car is made…changing engine required lot of change to engine mounting and so on….basically if proton want to use campro more investment is required…so, stick with mivec is the best way…
they need to sell well with low cost , so why need to put campro
definitely will sell…for sure…like 100%…with warranty of coz
okay. go above 220km/h, parts will fall off. if you’re lucky, maybe it’ll rattle like crazy
Wah… you must be from the future… coz NOBODY drives it yet currently!
OK, your job here is done… please go back to the ‘future’…
I’m sorry, Europa is sold out of this country already like 3 years ago? As a Lotus. And Proton being Lotus’ parents, they cut on costs and the car was plasticky and ergonomically flimsy in a lot of parts. It is cheap but it is old. Just so you know. Loads of people driven it. Go google Lotus Europa Reviews. ==
another guy with no Malaysian spirit. Go make your own car la
what about buying the right of ESNA Venere….?…really want to see it cruising, roaring on Malaysia road…..
Release this and I’ll buy the shit out of it.
agree agree
aiyooo…’lekir’ ? pls la proton…use another interesting name la for this kind of car.
It’s a concept naming la, not the final name….. what’s wrong with a little pride in own Bolehland?
pronounce the name lekir in English, it sounds okay tho
Lekor la better. (keropok lekor) ok??
if this car become the “rakyat ” sport car and make it less then rm120k ,the bashers will become the lovers … the one who already loves proton will become the dreamer and the glory of proton will happen once again , just like in 1985 when the saga came out in which make every one proud to be a malaysian
Not that I wouldn’t like that to happen as well, but I don’t think a RM120k car can be classified as “rakyat”. 120k even though it’s cheap for a sports car is still quite expensive for the majority of Malaysians, and with rising fuel costs, and car theft rate, buying an expensive sports car simply doesn’t make as much sense in Malaysia as it does in Europe or US.
That being said, I’m quite proud of what Proton has done with these five concepts, and I love the naming.
But really, abu, I feel that Proton’s climb back up is already happening. It’s no more an “if” scenario, even though it won’t be an overnight success. Hopefully Proton doesn’t encounter any more problems.
Yes, this is rakyat’s sportscar. next will be Evora. i really like to see Evora came as Miata or RX8 in proton stable. look at the roundish logo of the Thundercat there.
cool!..
nice rims …
see the emblem? they use only the tiger head logo not the usual proton logo! nice!
i love it too! maybe this can be the logo for p1 sport car in the future..
Think an average income guy like me can own this sports car if it is Proton-badged?
Yes, if sports car is your passion.
Proton should not come up with an excuse such as “it was supposed to be a proton but we sold it as lotus anyway” to justify this Proton Lekir Concept’s existence. This is probably the first step of rebadged lotus being sold as proton, it’s shameful. who would become the next victims? Elise? Evora? Espirit?
go read more. there’s a lot of articles written on this. Europa was supposedly manufactured in Malaysia, but they changed the plan.
Why not with proton price range.
the Brit will hate us for this….
You think they’ve been liking us all this while? They hate the French, German and in fact they hate everybody especially those who make cars.
well, I think the round shape Proton logo looks better than current one…
What do u guys think?
agree agree!
that logo surely look garang..
I think maybe need to be a bit more minimalist, maybe remove the circle shape and the proton wording, and leave it as the tiger shape. Personal opinion :)
But I like both this circle version and the current version.
i am all in baby
dude, its just a concept lah… y emo2?
wait n see when they produce n ppl start to use la. then we will know whos the one who r bodoh… those proton ppl or U
Why not? This could become Proton’s first ever sportscar regardless of the car’s origin (It’s Proton owned Lotus afterall!). Only thing is Proton should at least tried to change the front and rear face, a total redesign of lamps is needed so that it would become less obvious that it’s a Lotus Europa!
Finally A Lotus for Rakyat Malaysia
Another copied model, with another stupid name.
Dear Jlee,
If you wish to coment use BRAIN la haiyo!!..
1]Copied yesit was, but it was concept which was supposed to be a proton car originally not a lotus car.
2] It was stopped in the final stages as the factors such as cost and the practicality of selling and building the car here was not good then unlike now.
3] Brather, name wise it IS A PROTOTYPE la name not final just a theme thery were gettin at.
I dunno readers now days so shallow. Gota spank them le. If tin kosong go fill n come bak le, dun so noisy here.
Do u knw wat concept car means??? HAIYO!!
I quote fr Wikipedia: “A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling and new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.”
But this so-called CONCEPT CAR is a copy of Lotus.
So before u go hammering on others, I suggest YOU go use yr brain 1st. Or maybe spank yrself, if u pls.
Proton is lame, and so are u.
problem is that, years ago, the Lotus Europa S was supposed to be a Proton model under project ‘Proton Sepang’, but then change to Lotus in final stages of development. you understand, punk?
it just a concept not the real deal why you have to be emo about it
this concept was originally proton with code name proton sepang..then proton decide to sell it as lotus europa s.now its proton turn to show the people how well proton can do..
Who cares if it’s a lotus rebadge in order for the rakyat to enjoy a sub 150k sportscar? Not happy with the logo then change it man, for what people like me are concerned is that its a friggin’ cheap sportscar with real performance. Proton haters will be haters, but you are a proton hater and a racist. So please get out of here and go drive your slushy automatic transmission dugong with sampan transmission.
talking without knowledge… go check what sepang project first… then comment…
Critic is good, what matter most is sale.
If there is a market for it, why not?
Common business sense.
I was liking where this was going until you talk about the CamPro engine =.=’ potong stim
to buy it?!
if below 80k — yes…
between 80 – 100k… better get a 2nd hand mr-s…
150k… buy fairlady!!!
rm80k-100k for a toyota mr-s? it’s 10 years old’s price.
rm150k for a fairlady? well… It’s 3 years old dy.
But to think about it.. when u only got a small sports car and fixed with mere Campro turbocharged engine.. I remember the CBU Smart roadster is priced at rm150k. so for this local made Proton should priced under rm100k.
i dun think it would affect much of performance if the campro turbo can produce 160hp or more… yes this is heavier than elise but still it would be feeding golf gti and renaultsport megane with 160hp.
ur rite bimb…hope they be fair to us by pricing it fairly in d market n not by attaching it lower than the other mre established makes…
hurmm.. not bad… same like lotus.. =)
its is lotus rebadge. only some cosmetic changes.
“who will want a Proton badge in sport car of Original Lotus…”
Errr, those who can’t afford to pay for the Lotus badge…?
Now when proton come up with a great car, everyone wohooo..rebadge useless~ did you read this statement by Paul
“”Word is that the Lotus Europa was supposed to be a Proton in the first place, and it was known as the Proton Sepang project, but along the way it was decided that it would be sold as a Lotus instead, and of course with that came along Lotus prices.””
Proton OWN Lotus, essentially ITS OUR CAR ITS PROTON PROPERTY. So rebadge or not that is proton property. 350Z? haha that heavy no good fuel guzzling car, I love the design of the Z but hate the engine and weight, y? design by american!!
And for another news, SO MANY CAR MANUFACTURER REBADGE Y U ALL ONLY BASH PROTON!!
dont get 2 mad there my friend.. they do no know how to read.. or they are just dumb! yes, p1 own lotus.. and automatically all their technology are p1 right.. so, there is no wrong if rebadge.. if this car ever get into production line, isnt it great to see our people have their own sports car..
SO MANY CAR MANUFACTURER REBADGE Y U ALL ONLY BASH PROTON!!
sebab mereka baru keluar dari ceruk dapur,, tahu nak megata sahaja..
tapi biar la lotus yg keluarkan kereta mcm ni.. buat kat malaysia dan guna jenama lotus.. bg saya dah cukup bangga, tak perlu la proton nk sebok2 buat sport car… proton lotus, lotus proton.. tak der beza, semua org tahu…
well said.
many dunno but even GM rebadged elise/ exige as opel/ vauxhall/ saturn with the engine in the europa. never see ppl complain bout GM on that move though… instead it was quite a successful 1!
At least saga aeroback ‘keretakebal’ kept the dashboard! A lotus at 150k or below, it sure be selling hot ..
150k wif 5 years 200,000k warranty. gd deal! but don thk it would be set at tat price, unless Campro Turbo under hood.
nice!
This is exciting! For the 1st time, i felt more anticipation on Proton new lineups, prototypes and Lotus new exciting sport cars lineup in KLIMS. Seems that KLIMS this year is worth our money!!!
brp byk da PROTON kluarkan keta ni..Pmbeli akan smakin binggung memilih..Anyway..Congrats PROTON..!
Hope it uses the 2.0 Turbo as per the lotus model and not chuck in a Campro.
you sell, i buy, ok?
Selling this in the name of proton would highly improve protons name. But, will turn down the standard of Lotus. I think maybe Proton would like to sell this rebadge version for Malaysian market only instead of taking it overseas. RM150 +- for this type of car, plus campro turbo will be a great Rakyats sports car! I would like to see this car with campro ruling Sepang Curcuit.
buddy if it were to be just a rebadge then it would be very hard for it to rule sepang as you say…
it wuz built as a GT so weight was not reli cut down unlike the exige and the elise S…turbo charging it allows it to have high output but on the track it cannot sustain it self as I have seen 1st hand….
it will b a godd GT car tough not a evora n not n exige..its a clas by itself…not the best lotus but still definately better than the 350Z..hehe
now gimme one of those and i’ll be happy!
Jebat is more appropriate as it goes against the grain of family oriented sedans which is the main staple of Malaysian drivers. Jebat is our own anti-hero and sheds off everything to uphold virtues and principles he held in his heart.
If it was made a Proton it would only fill the vacuum that was left by the Putra which only appealed to the adventurous and the restless. It would have been a low volume seller. It was appropriate to be a Lotus in that sense. But it came at a time when the drivetrain to pull it off wasn’t there for a Proton. And it didn’t fill any vacuum in Lotus lineup when everyone was (and still) looking for a new Esprit.
nice.. but weird name..=.=??
I do believe there is a demand for lightweight smart/sports car among young professionals in the upcoming Asean and China. if the price is right, it can go head to head with mazda2 and mazda8.
would love to get my hands on one of this..well, if they produce it la..
Oh yeah, forgot to mention go to youtube take a look at new lotus, proton wont drag their name down, they got new lineup for the coming years
it’s a shame
If its powered by Campro (even if its the turbo), no thanks…
the hell with all those bashers…. keep improving Proton… Lotus is Proton property after all.. I’ll be happy to buy it….. finally an affordable sports car…. make it real please Proton..
Great idea, except for two things: One, I’ve never been a fan of re-badging; Two, the car will be outdated by now, the Europa is quite old.
old yes but stil few cars aroun tat can beat it in terms of wat if can do on the road…
if it were to be sold at RM150k u will be silly not to buy it if u got d cash…its competing against the 350z and other 2 door coupes…no doubt its no world beater but it stil a respectable car non the less
europa may be might be outdated, take example ferrari 599 it also outdated design, but ferrari keep improving it like improve bhp, bodykit and recently convertible and gto. it still sell like hot cake, i think if proton improve the europa design or quality maybe it will sell here in malaysia.
it’s a ferrari laaaa….a supercar should at least last for 10 years ==’
hahahahaa…………………..i told you guys before that Proton will rebadge Lotus……see, its easy to predict right….?
it was designed by Proton, not Lotus. they sell it under Lotus brand. and it was supposedly manufactured in Malaysia too, but Lotus want anything branded as Lotus to be done in UK.
if my memory serve me right, i’ve seen this car but as Lotus Europa during KLIMS ’06. I didnt know that it used to be a proton project during that time. Quite sleek in term of body design. i stil have the europa photo somewhere.
Call it Putra. Yeah a Campro CPS R3 would be ok to put the cost down and another one with a light turbo.
Proton should change the badge as this…
this round emblem is cooler!
so with that i can say:
bye bye evo
bye bye impreza
bye bye golf gti
bye bye polo
bye bye clk
bye bye m3
kiss my arse!!
now i’m only main cucuk angin with lambo, ferrari etc
I do not think rm150k is possible because lotus chassis ia not designed for mass production.
If proton only copy the shell … then maybe … ;-)
oi ? surprise nobody comment about this ………………
well if campro / CPS can produce 200bhp without any reliable issue is a good thing. as i think everyone is hunger to get that chassis to play around with……i think …..lol
S.neo,
the 200hp CPS is not a reliable engine, as proven by their race team in 2 previous MMER…if it were to built for a specific target i.e short races, even autocroses amy be but I do not think its a reliable roadcar…
I am saying this based on the similar engine componets in the MMEr neo n Gen 2..although both were NA cars most of d parts are carried over frm their racing programme..they commonly use it to test new tech…
OLD is GOLD…. :-p
Good OLD = GOLD, Bad OLD = BOLD.
lol such stories
WIll never be done. Because, if proton had any intention of getting a true rakyat sports car, they would have a Putra replacement by now.
If you can take a Toyota Celica and rebadge a proton on it why not. Will sell even though in small numbers.
Another thing why this will only be a concept car and not made into reality is I don’t see Satria Neo GTi anywhere yet. Got limited 25 year edition. But where is the GTi??
Proton will not make niche cars again. Even inspira which is not that niche is rebadged. Good because concentrate on core models. But then peopel will not be able to choose proton sports car.
a lot of people seem to not know that this is designed by Proton in the first place but badge as a Lotus, unlike other Lotus models!! so if Proton really like to launch this as a Proton, it is not strictly a rebadged Lotus. The patent of this model in UK is hold by Proton, not Lotus! So this is technically Proton’s, not Lotus’s, although everything that belongs to Lotus also belongs to Proton naturally because Lotus is fully owned by Proton anyway, but not the other way round.
Becareful of niche-market car, especially for a small carmaker company with not-very-good brand image.
Careful marketing survey must be done first.
If it is a true Lotus 100% and ‘Proton’ is just for tax purposes and it it reckoned to be profitable, then hopefully it may work; I mean CBU with just logo change.
No point add another production line using home-made Campro Turbo engine, it surely will fail.
agree with u, proton must done some survey first before launching the concept car. if the they didnt have positive response from the market there no point to make the concept car real if no one will buy it. it just business really if you produce thing that people will not buy, so what the point producing it
150k for a car that has nothing in it (the interior is so bare)? i’m sure the pricing can be lower if it is mass produced on proton’s manufacturing lines.
come on, make it real. sure gonna buy it. i don’t care what engine, campro turbo or lotus-toyota engine, but must be 200hp or above. Price at RM140k-RM180k.
Malaysia 1st 10second car….i loike
I’m thinking this one will replace Proton Putra
good sports car…why not Proton chuck in first the Campro Turbo engine or something. Then offer upgrades in the future for more powerful engines at minimal cost. Or better still, chuck in the old Petronas E01 engine and test. Sure the car flies to the sky..! Then sell at 80k-100k…sure hit one!
Then, join the car in the GT Racing, then can get international eyes on Proton…
Wish its that easy…
All those supposedly weird names are as I believe, only meant for concept car purposes. The production cars should should have a more commercial & presentable names..
If really below RM150,000, I will snatch one without hesitation even just for the looks.
Damn!! The name is wrong. This should Hang Jebat!.
Rebelious and scary!!
Grrrrrrrrr!!!
yes, i want one please!
lotus europa with campro turbocharge engine..
with proton exotic “lion head only without shield” emblem..
pricing for the lower price of lotus..
thinking…
thinking…
why not? more affordable.
it is slower but go faster, minyak go like tap water. want?
ok lahh niiii.. tak buat, salah, buat, salah.
go proton!
if i get the chance 2 hv this, i’m gonna eat megi 4 everyday..
OMFG, 1st they take a Lancer and called it Inspira/Jebat, now an Europa and calls it Lekir. Damn lame.
proton own lotus you cannot say anything about it, if im the boss also i might do that because i own lotus to earn some profit that just business , for mitsu that different story
Well, thank good they can only afford to buy LOTUS. Otherwise, all their ‘concept’ will look like their sister company’s design. lol.
Whn u acquire another more superior (can I even say that? cos Lotus don’t even produce their own engine) car maker, it’s about sharing of technology. Not just rebadging. By doing so, what’s to become of future Lotus clients? Ask yrself, would u buy a Europa or a Lekir?
To me, it just lack ideas and creativity as Malaysia’s largest car manufacturer. And again, they hv abuse the word CONCEPT.
lotus have the best suspension systems.. at least that’s something.. oh and since your creative why don’t you go offer yourself as an innovator or designer at p1..
the best? who rates it? you?
for ppl like u, if proton slap a turbo on any of their cars, it’ll set yr tongue waggling.
btw karam, yr comment is rather childish.
i will buy..nice..
LOL!!
Pernah dengar Vauxhall VX220 Turbo??
Pernah dengar Caterham 7???
Both of it rebadge by Vauxhall and Caterham.
Hey, Proton is the boss for Lotus. Even a rubbish waste at Lotus belongs to Proton.
Hahaha…..
Fiat owns Ferrari, do u see any Fiat models that looks like a Ferrari? pernah tengok tak?
I see a Lamborghini Gallardo being rebadged as the Audi R8. Same chassis, same engine, only a different design. Your point?
The cluster meter and air cond blower look like previous saga (kereta kebal)…
by the way it’s a nice car
so many “engineer” in every post
it seem so many people cant accept that lotus europa is a proton’s in the first place.
what the price??
150k.. the top price product from malaysia…
The designer of the LEKIR told me that the car is just a concept and will not be in production just yet.
All this proton bashing.. the only thing i have against them is the import taxes in place to protect them.. just came back from aussie and a golf gti there is the same price as a civic 2.0 here…
but this car would do a world of good for the rakyat.
Would be great to see Lekir in production. Any engine will do in this car as it’ll be quick given the lightness of the car. Of course there will be some cost cutting in the interior, equipment, but you know what? I don’t think people would mind at all and besides, it could salvage the Europa somehow given it’s been reviewed not a proper GT car.
there a superb prototype..
they imagine it.
they like it
they build it
they use it…
Rakyat? Sports car? In the same sentence? What are you thinking? You want sports car, you pay.
Proton should exist as a business entity and produce cars that sell not only here but worldwide. Bring back the profits, distribute to shaholders and pay taxes.
I dont care if there’s a Lotus underneath the bonnet,
i’m not buying it if it’s call LEKIU.
Heck! i wont even consider a lotus anymore!
Yess…Put Lekir in the production line at Malaysia…btw malaysian company was built the body panels….
u can call it inspira lekir or even proton pisang. With that design and performance i would definitely want to buy it if i could afford it.
its like “Copy n Paste” from lotus to proton….anyway, it looks nice…! Can i know how much is d cost..?
i love is car…i must buy it..
mr/dr.amirul…can u singing with my band…i wanna u created one song for your father misali….hes has four fingger now!!!hahahaha…i love u so much…muahhhh
korang yang membangkang ni kepala otak nak bangkang je..apa pun tak boleh..bodoh macam mak korang gak.. hidup x bersyukur..bukan korang yang buat keta tu bodoh..