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LIVE from Rally Sweden: PG Andersson leading S-WRC category, Alister McRae’s snow challenge ends

February 10, 2012 at 9:12 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton

Greetings from snow covered Norway! But aren’t we covering Rally Sweden, you ask. Well, the Swedish rally has a few stages running in neighbouring Norway and we’re now at Kongsvinger, where the cars are having their first remote service after five special stages.

The rally officially started yesterday night – SS1 was a super special stage in the rally’s base city of Karlstad, Sweden. A horse racing ring in the small town of 60k turned into a rally showcase for the locals, who came out in droves despite the temperature dropping to below -10C. It wasn’t a walk in the park for yours truly – my luggage containing heavy winter wear got lost in transit – but it warmed the heart being with the enthusiastic crowd, ranging from grandmothers to small babies.

The rally isn’t won and lost in that short 1.9 km showcase (MINI’s Dani Sordo came out tops) so the real start is today, where the cars slip and slide in a white landscape. Leading the overall standings is Citroen’s Mikko Hirvonen, with a small lead (just 2.9 seconds) over ex teammate Jari-Matti Latvala, from Ford, who was tops in qualifying. By the way, qualifying replaces shakedown, where the fastest cars get to choose their start order, usually in the middle. Going first and setting a trail is always trickier.

Mads Ostberg’s Adapta Ford Fiesta is third, while Hirvonen’s superstar teammate Sebastian Loeb is in fourth leaving Kongsvinger. Behind Loeb’s DS3 is another famous rally name, Petter Solberg, driving for the works Ford team. This duo was hit by unwanted delays – Loeb collected a 10sec penalty while the Norwegian spun on home soil in SS4.

In the S-WRC category (S for Super 2000) which Proton is contesting in, homeboy Per Gunnar Andersson came into Kongsvinger in the lead, with a slim 7.4 second advantage over unheralded Pontus Tidemand in a Skoda Fabia S2000. Ireland’s Craig Breen, who won the category in Monte Carlo after PG retired on the last stage, is in third with his Ford Fiesta S2000.

Alister McRae, Proton’s APRC champion, had his snow adventure cut short – the Scotsman went into a snow bank. Although there wasn’t any serious damage, the Neo was stuck, ending his challenge here.

We caught up with PG at the service park and he appears very confident in bringing home Proton’s first points of the season and winning his class. The popular Swede said he lost a bit of time in SS3, a tight and technical stage where he couldn’t get a good rhythm. But things went well after that, so let’s hope all goes smoothly from now. Overall, PG is 15th behind the WRC boys.

More updates later.

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SPYSHOT: A clearer view of the P3-21A interior revealed!

February 9, 2012 at 3:02 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Proton, Proton Persona R

Here’s a new shot of the Proton P3-21A interior – the clearest shot we’ve ever seen, uploaded onto funtasticko earlier today. According to funtasticko, this shot was snapped at Equatorial Cameron Highlands.

There are some differences with this particular car’s interior compared to the one we previously saw, which I’ve included right below the latest image for your easy comparison. The first interior that we saw featured what appeared to be nice glossy strip of wood on the dashboard section in front of the front passenger.

This one doesn’t have that glossy wood, which could indicate a lower spec model. Tun Dr Mahathir also mentioned a GPS navigation system in the top of the range model, while this car has a normal radio system.

Liking what you see so far? The way the center dash area curves down to the gear selector area actually reminds me of the Proton Waja design.

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Rally Sweden LIVE: Proton’s PG Andersson and Alister McRae are ready for the ultimate snow challenge!

February 8, 2012 at 6:06 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton

Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship, will start slightly over a day from now. Yours truly would have been just two hours away from Stockholm now, but due to a technical problem on our B777, I’m now in sunny Putrajaya (32C) instead of freezing Karlstad (-6C). Anyway, the long journey to winter wonderland starts tonight, God willing, and we’ll bring you some live reports from Sweden.

Those of you who follow world news would know that Europe is suffering from a cold snap now, with severe snow and record low temperatures. Many have died, and I’m hoping that my winter wear will hold up. This job can be hazardous you know :)

Thankfully, Proton Motorsports, which is competing in the S-WRC category (S for Super 2000) in WRC, had a better run up to the event than us. The men driving the yellow Satria Neo S2000s in Sweden are homeboy Per Gunnar Andersson and Alister McRae. PG drove superbly in the season opening Monte Carlo Rally, but an unfortunate technical problem meant that he had to retire from the S-WRC lead (9th overall) on the last day with just 20+ kilometres to go.


Click to enlarge list

Putting the disappointment behind him, the Swede prepared for Sweden in style, with a Super 2000 victory in the KNA Rally Finnskog in Norway days ago. Of the 42 entries, he finished ahead of fellow S2000 Ford and Skoda teams and fourth overall in a warm up event that included the Citroen and Ford WRC teams. Let’s hope the good form continues.

“We’ve put the disappointment in Monte Carlo behind us. It’s quite obvious that the Satria Neo S2000 has the pace and performance, and we’re back in Sweden to prove this point. Rally Sweden is an incredibly exciting event which will see competitors battling it out on ice and snow for what is a proper winter rally. We have a competitive package, and alongside experience as well as local knowledge, we’re confident the Satria Neo S2000 will live up to challenge,” PG said.

After KNA Rally Finnskog, the team spent a trouble-free day testing the Neos. “The rally in Norway went very, very well for us. The odd very cold day in Britain aside, this was the first time the Satria Neo had ever run in anything like these conditions and it worked perfectly straight away. We fitted a stronger heater to make sure the screen was clear and put some warm jackets in the back for the guys, but apart from that, this was the same car which won in Malaysia at 40 degrees. On Saturday it was winning S2000 in temperatures 70 degrees colder!” team boss Chris Mellors exclaimed.

Some might be surprised with the inclusion of Proton’s APRC champ Alister McRae. The reason he was drafted in for Sweden is because PG’s regular teammate Italian Giandomenico Basso is more of a tarmac specialist. The Scotsman has competed in Rally Sweden seven times before, finishing as high as fifth overall. He last drove here in 2004. “It’s fantastic to be back. Rally Sweden will also give us a chance to test the 2012 Satria Neo S2000 ahead of the start of this year’s APRC,” said McRae.

Rally Sweden has attracted a total of 85 entries and will be contested over 24 special stages covering a competitive distance of 360km. The rally begins with a 1.9km super special stage in Karlstad tomorrow (looks like we’ll be missing that one) and continues on Friday with nine special stages which will see competitors driving through classic Norwegian stages in the town of Kongsvinger.

Heading to KLIA now, stay tuned for updates!

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Tun Dr M reveals a first look at Proton P3-21A specs list – production Tuah/Espire to be launched in May 2012?

February 7, 2012 at 8:22 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Proton Persona R

It’s one of the things that makes Malaysia unique – a popular ex-premiere who as the adviser to the national car company, can scoop all of the motoring publications in Malaysia when it comes to test driving and revealing the first details of the upcoming P3-21A!

Our ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir has test driven the new Proton P3-21A at their Shah Alam test track, and he’s revealed the first details of Proton’s new car on his Che Det blog. The following is a list of what we can gather from his post:

  • Proton’s new 1.6 liter turbo engine will be used, which allows the P3-21A to produce the power of a 2.0 liter engine with a smaller displacement.
  • Hot press steel as opposed to cold press steel
  • Vehicle Seek Lamp
  • Wiper Auto Speed
  • Automatic folding wing mirror
  • Push-button Start/Stop function
  • Automatic Wiper Sensors
  • Automatic Headlamp Sensors
  • GPS navigation system
  • Impact sensing door lock
  • Central Locking
  • Alarm with Immobiliser
  • CVT gearbox with 7 virtual speed manual mode
  • Tiptronic selection on shift lever
  • Steering-mounted paddle shifters
  • ABS with Brake Assist

We’ve already been made aware of some of these features in the past, for example when we got our first look at the P3-21A’s interior (click to have a refreshed look in case you’ve forgot), we could see the paddle shifters and the push-start button.

Tun Dr Mahathir noted that these features are for the top of the line model, with some low-end and mid-level equipment levels to have less than the above features. He also mentioned that the car would be launched in 3 months time, which would mean sometime in May 2012? Until then, stay tuned for more updates!

In the meanwhile, what’s your wishlist for the new P3-21A? Share in the comments! For me, I would like to see 2 airbags standard on all models, as well as the option for side airbags to be included in the more expensive versions. I also wish ESP stability control would be an option.

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Proton sponsors Le Tour de Langkawi for the 17th year

February 7, 2012 at 9:15 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Proton has extended its support to the country’s most prominent cycling event, Le Tour de Langkawi. The national carmaker has been sponsor for 17 years now, since the race was first held in 1996. At a recent simple ceremony, Proton presented a mock key and the symbolic Blue Jersey to LTDL 2012 organisers. The Blue Jersey will be worn by the tour’s overall Sprint Champion.

This year’s sponsorship of the tour will include the supply of a fleet of vehicles, including technical support, maintenance, manpower and merchandise giveaways during the cavalcade. The Proton cavalcade is a procession of vehicles that will proceed ahead of the main racing peloton in promoting the tour. The Inspira, Saga, Exora, Persona, Perdana and Satria Neo will all be used.

“Le Tour de Langkawi provides Proton with a fantastic opportunity to showcase our range of vehicles not only to the local audience, but also the international riders, teams, officials and television viewers who will be following the race,” Proton’s Director of Group Marketing, Branding and Motorsports, John D. Chacko said.

LTDL 2012 has attracted a total of 120 cyclists representing 22 local and international professional teams. They will compete in a grueling 1414.8 km race stretched over 10 days. This year’s race will see the teams being flagged at the Proton Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam for Stage 6, which is a 108 km charge to the peak of Genting Highlands. As you can imagine, this will be the toughest stage of the tour, which starts on 24 February in Putrajaya.

Here are some pics of the Inspira with R3 kit and LTDL official car livery. Nice rims!

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SPYSHOT: Proton P3-21A Persona R rear uncovered!

February 6, 2012 at 7:38 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Proton Persona R, Spyshots

Here’s another leaked shot of the soon to be launched Proton P3-21A, posted over at funtasticko. Don’t mind the slightly misaligned bootlid, it’s probably because the boot was not shut properly. The horizontal strip running across the bootlid is similiar to the one found on the Proton Exora – although it’s body coloured here, perhaps like the Exora it will be finished in chrome on high end models. What do you think of the design so far? It’s quite a departure from the Proton Tuah Concept eh?

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Ex Proton CEO Tengku Mahaleel to make shock return?

February 3, 2012 at 9:39 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff, the outspoken former Proton chief, is set to make a shock return to the national carmaker, which is now under DRB-Hicom’s ownership. Business Times reports that the ex CEO will probably return as chairman of Proton, leading the company into another new phase.

“More or less, it’s almost a done deal,” a source close to DRB-Hicom told BT. If true, TM will replace Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, who was one of the bidders for Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s 42.74% stake in Proton.

Tengku Mahaleel’s last stint in Proton ended on 30 September 2005, when his contract was not renewed by the board of directors led by Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim, then the chairman of Proton. TM joined Proton as Vice Chairman, Strategy & Operations in 1996 and was with the company for over nine years. The official statement then explained that Proton is a “national asset, an institution of sorts and not a private entity.”

Prior to his departure, he did a controversial interview with a Chinese daily, disagreeing with the way the national automotive industry was heading. “Automobile assembly means you just need screw drivers, you don’t need die and mould and engine factory. If the government only needs the automobile assemblers, we can then grab a Mitsubishi car, fix it with a Proton emblem and say: ‘Nah, this a Proton car’,” he was quoted as saying.

Not a man to mince words, that’s for sure!

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Proton P3-21A rear end uncovered for the first time?

February 1, 2012 at 11:07 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Spyshots

Remember the yellow Proton P3-21A that showed the upcoming sedan’s face uncovered? It looks like a partial rear shot of that car has been circulating online, showing us the tail lamps without any masking. Even as we analyse it, bear in mind that this may or may not be the final production design.

Shown at funtastickodesign, the lone image shows a rear lamp cluster that’s unlike the wraparound old Subaru Legacy style rear design of the Tuah concept, so perhaps Proton is looking at a more contemporary look. The edges look a bit sharp and abrupt, though.

We can see that there’s a chrome bar visually linking the two sides of the tail lamps, like how Jaguar does it for the XF.

What we see here is also consistent with what’s visible from the masked test mules running around – full red with a clear strip running in the middle, with part of the lamp extended into the boot lid.

Do you prefer this or the rear end look of the Tuah concept?

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Reports: Volkswagen AG directors visit DRB-Hicom, looking into technical collaboration with Proton

February 1, 2012 at 9:15 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Volkswagen

Reports linking Volkswagen with Proton have emerged, with the national carmaker’s new owner playing host. According to Business Times, DRB-Hicom is understood to have hosted two Volkswagen AG group directors last Thursday. The duo met with key stakeholders of DRB-Hicom, including its top management.

“They also reviewed all Proton Holdings Bhd’s models,” the publication’s unnamed source revealed. BT says that the Volkswagen directors came down to evaluate the possibility of having a collaborative technical agreement on technology transfer with Proton.

“This is the first step and I think that there will be many more such meetings before a deal could be struck,” their source added.

As all of us know, this isn’t the first time Europe’s biggest carmaker Volkswagen is being linked with Proton; the previous marriage attempt broke down because of issues over majority stake. With a new owner in place (DRB-Hicom is VW’s local assembler), will this latest “on” in the “on-off” relationship stick, or will it fizzle out like it always does?

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Proton extends its lead in the S-WRC at Monte Carlo

January 21, 2012 at 8:11 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

P-G Andersson has stretched Proton’s lead in the Super World Rally Championship (S-WRC) category in Monte Carlo. Combing the icy roads through snow, rain and fog on the third day of the rally, Andersson’s Satria Neo S2000 held on to 9th overall and extended his overnight lead from 23 seconds to 1 minute 40 seconds over the second-placed S-WRC car, Kevin Abbring’s Skoda Fabia S2000.

Abbring dropped two places to 12th overall, while Irishman Craig Breen remains third – and 15th overall – in the S-WRC class, a further five minutes behind in his Ford Fiesta S2000. Bryan Bouffier, in a Peugeot 207 S2000, continues to hold 4th place in the S-WRC class, but has moved up to 18th overall.

The third day saw three special stages being contested in the mountainous region of Southern France, which included tackling what is reputed to be one of the most difficult stages of the rally, the 24.13km Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart route.

Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb continued to dominate Monte Carlo, leading Dani Sordo’s MINI by more than two minutes. Sordo, in the meantime, has taken advantage of Petter Solberg’s misfortunes to build a gap of more than a minute – the third-placed Norwegian damaged the wheel of his Ford Fiesta and subsequently suffered a puncture.

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