Hello, budding designers! By now, we’re sure you’re hard at work on your Proton Design Competition 2014 entries and your vision of a Proton city car for 2020. While you guys are doing that, here’s a look at some of the concept cars Proton has done before.
UPDATE: The Proton Design Competition 2014 closing date has been extended by a week, from August 11 to August 18.
Visitors to the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) in 2010 will surely remember Proton’s Pahlawan concept cars, and in particular the Proton Tuah. Presaging the Proton Preve, the Tuah showcased many of the design features that eventually featured on the C-segment sedan.
These included the broad “Proton Wings” grille, swept-back projector headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, prominent bulging wheel arches and a rising character line echoed by a light line at the bottom.
A surprise at the same show was the Proton Lekiu concept, which reimagined the Proton Exora as a crossover of sorts. While the front end looks much the same as the Exora’s save for new headlights and front air intake configuration, the rear was shortened and featured a completely new design with tall L-shaped LED tail lights. Grey protective cladding went around the car, giving it a more macho look.
Of course, no recount of Proton’s concepts would be enough without the Proton EMAS city car, arguably the company’s most famous concept and the closest in format to the competition’s design brief. Designed by ItalDesign Giugiaro and showcased at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the car featured a reinterpretation of Proton’s corporate look, the “Proton Wings” grille flanked by narrow slit headlights.
The side profile was dominated by a steeply-diving belt line, which surely gave the EMAS good frontal visibility and an airy interior feel. This is followed by a similarly steep character line, while a kink in the C-pillar added some pizzazz to the design. The large rear windscreen integrated the tail lights, which made the EMAS look classier and more sophisticated.
Think you can do better? Then enter the Proton Design Competition 2014 with your vision of a Proton City Car for 2020. Stand a chance win prizes worth a total of RM58,000 including cash rewards, MacBooks, an internship at Proton’s R&D Creative Design Centre and even getting your design immortalised as a quarter-scale model displayed at the Proton Gallery.
Visit Proton’s Facebook page for contest details, terms and conditions. And if you are interested, better hurry – submissions close August 11, 2014!
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AI-generated Summary ✨
The comments generally praise Proton's design concepts, especially highlighting the Tuah rear design as a potential new identity for Proton, and some suggest updates to existing models like Preve and Suprima S to incorporate Tuah's rear look. There is strong patriotism expressed in supporting Proton and frustration towards critics and quality issues. Many commenters emphasize the need for improved build quality, reliability, and affordability over purely aesthetic considerations. Debates about design effectiveness, aerodynamics, and the importance of innovation versus originality also appear. Overall, the sentiments favor fresh, well-designed concepts but stress that these must be coupled with better quality and competitive pricing to truly succeed. Off-topic negativity and personal attacks are filtered out, leaving a focus on constructive feedback and national pride.