Proton’s return to the IRC rocked by bizarre engine failures

Proton’s return to the IRC rocked by bizarre engine failures

For the Proton R3 rally team, this year’s plans centred on the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), which it has committed to for the full season, with only selected Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) rounds in between. Last week (24-26 June), the team had a two-car lineup for their return to the IRC at the Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium driven by Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson. Another Satria Neo S2000 was piloted by 19-year old British rally prodigy Tom Cave.

Unfortunately, things did not go well for the team, with both Satrias retiring at the fourth stage of the asphalt event. The cause was a failed valve spring on the number two inlet valve. It seemed like more than coincidence when Tom Cave’s semi-works Neo S2000 also stopped at the same stage, with the same problem. The team is perplexed to say the least, as they had a trouble-free test in the UK and finished second overall on a small test event prior to the Ypres Rally.

Proton’s return to the IRC rocked by bizarre engine failures

“What a bizarre way to end a rally. I’ve never had my team-mates retire so close to me with the same problem before. Obviously, this is really disappointing for everybody. The engine problem came out of the blue, we hadn’t had anything to indicate it was coming at all,” McRae said.

“As a team, we’re devastated by the retirements. The frustration is that every single person involved in this team is working themselves flat-out 24 hours, 7 days a week; we couldn’t do any more than we’re doing. I guess the positive to take from this is that the three cars went with the same problem. We know where the issue is, so it’s not like one car went with a broken gearbox half-way through, another went with a driveshaft on Saturday and the third had gone with the engine on day one,” said team principal Chris Mellors.

Proton’s return to the IRC rocked by bizarre engine failures

“Ironically, we didn’t put a part on the cars during the pre-event test, the small event we did prior to this one or at shakedown for this rally. This is the sport we’re in sometimes,” he lamented.

Data from all three cars is being analysed and a solution being prepared at the team’s UK base as we speak. The next race for the team is this weekend’s Rally of Whangarei, New Zealand, which is Round 3 of the 2010 APRC.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • armandd on Jun 30, 2010 at 11:28 am

    hmm, that’s weird.. perhaps the failure is caused by the engine design itself?

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  • 4agze on Jun 30, 2010 at 11:32 am

    thet been shadow by reliability problem since the start of the season..the car is good enough so as the driver..so MEM seriously need to rectify this asap

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  • squawk on Jun 30, 2010 at 11:45 am

    Oh well…. sh1t happens sometimes.

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  • sayang on Jun 30, 2010 at 11:54 am

    it’s always bizarre when you drive a proton.

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  • Why put a 19 year old white man in our less than mediocre car to do the marketing for our car brand? It is sad but apparently returning to our colonial master is the only way they could think of to remind people of our existence in the world map. I deeply believe there are dozens, if not hundreds of talented local drivers here.

    This terrible news just reminds of my disappointment with my 2007 Satria Neo 1.6 (A). It guzzled 50L of petrol to move me a mere 370 km which was super pathetic. I’m not comparing my stock car with the R3 though. Its just sad to see this car fail in such a way in the International arena. I dumped my Satria Neo the same year and this morning I wake up to reminisce the bad old days with the car.

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    • Tiadaid on Jun 30, 2010 at 2:12 pm

      Tom Cave’s a semi-works driver. He paid for the car…

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    • Annihilated on Jun 30, 2010 at 7:27 pm

      LOL at you Raf.. just like Tiadaid said.. Tom Cave paid for the car.
      He had driven Fiesta previously before going on to S2000.

      I’m not saying this is the best car but you are just so malaysian.

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    • watever on Jul 02, 2010 at 1:10 am

      just because ur neo suck, doesnt mean other neos suck too. I only need 35 liters of fuel to go almost 400km

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  • first one from Kota Kemuning

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  • totot112 on Jun 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Hope they will do good in New Zeland next round and solve the problem…

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  • Peter on Jun 30, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    I guess sometimes unexpected things happen….But well, good luck to them!

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  • well sometimes it happened..

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  • trav_da_man on Jun 30, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    It is just bad luck for MEM and Proton. The car has shown its good potential and a week before that rally they managed to run well and score podium finishers.

    Hopefully this week’s NZ rally will be a good one. Else, consider getting another new engine manufacturer

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  • Freaky555 on Jun 30, 2010 at 3:52 pm

    This is what called rally actually. Happened to all cars is really weird.Anyway it is too young for R3 in this field. McRae and Artkinson are good enough but why must 19 white boy?

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  • farghmee on Jun 30, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    tukar enjin la…hahaha

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    • acerman on Jun 30, 2010 at 7:10 pm

      Can’t use campro eh?

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      • Paul Tan on Jun 30, 2010 at 7:47 pm

        They can’t. Super 2000 cars call for 2.0 liter engines. The 1.6 liter Campro block can’t be bored and stroked up to 2.0 liters as its small. The Neo S2000 uses a 1.8 liter Renault engine (the one used in the Waja 1.8) and modified for 2.0 liter displacement.

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        • farghmee on Jul 01, 2010 at 2:47 pm

          hmmm…1.8 engine from old putra or sgti cannot be used?

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          • donno on Jul 01, 2010 at 8:00 pm

            the old 4g93 engine if bored out to 2.0 will have its cylinder block too thin and will be prone to explode. also the putra has been out of production for so long. they need to use an engine which is in a current proton, whichever model.

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  • were they sabotaged?
    hmmm..

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  • Proton’s engine, power window, accessories and etc are definitely NOT BIZARRE in Malaysia. Its very common and considered NORMAL by Proton fanboys.

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    • animous on Jul 01, 2010 at 12:21 am

      its the engine problem lahh not old ancient power window problem.. get a life man!

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  • P1, just preserve your resources and concerntrate
    on establishing yourself as a reputable car manufacturer.
    Please be focussed and do not over diversify.
    Remember not to be a jack of all trades and master of none !!

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  • Rizal on Jul 01, 2010 at 10:33 am

    Come on proton.. just make another engine with 2.0 liter capacity…

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  • superman on Jul 01, 2010 at 10:49 am

    Proton should pool their resources and give it all back to the Tengku Djan-led Proton R3 team to enter racing locally where they actually do well. the REAL Proton R3, lest we forget, has finished on the podium of MMER & S1k and AFOS MAX1500 several times.

    Instead, Proton waste money by paying MEM, who “rebadge” themselves as Proton R3 (when they are not, as the real Proton R3 crew are not involved at all except for 1 technician).

    Results speaks louder than excuses…..

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    • donno on Jul 01, 2010 at 8:07 pm

      Get a proper team like Prodrive / RML / N Technology that can do a proper development to the car to do it. Or just force Lotus to run the rally programme.

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  • tunggulah on Jul 02, 2010 at 12:35 am

    we wait and see the kampong enjin

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  • kamusaja on Jul 03, 2010 at 8:05 am

    Let see our junkyard car is well performed in IRC ;-p

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  • greasemonkey on Jul 04, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    Renault engine got lots of problems n not very reliable, look at our local renault models.
    just my opinion.

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