Last week, we learned a great deal about why Mellors Elliot Motorsport (MEM) chose the Proton Iriz as its R5 rallying machine. As it turns out, the Iriz platform was exactly what the famed racing team was looking for, and the Iriz R5 proved its mettle in almost every rally championship it’s involved in.
As for the engine, it’s powered by a 4B11T engine plucked from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, but downsized from a 2.0 litre block to the mandated 1.6 litre capacity. If FIA ruling was the dominant factor with which engine displacement was determined, why did MEM not use Proton’s Campro S4PH 1.6 litre engine as a starting point? Chris broke it down for us.
Now, according to the ex-rally champion, there’s no hard FIA ruling stipulating that an R5 race car should be powered by the same engine as the road-going car. In fact, every other participating R5 rally car doesn’t use their respective factory-fitted engine. What’s important, though, was that the engines must not exceed 1,600 cc, and there should be an FIA-approved air restrictor fitted onto the turbocharger system. This is basically a 32 mm tube which limits air flow (thus levelling the playing field), and it’s used by every other competing car.
In theory, MEM could use the Campro S4PH engine and have it modified to the same output and reliability as the 4B11T engine. That’s because the internal components, such as the pistons, camshaft, cylinder sleeves are all manufactured by MEM using race-grade materials.
As proof of concept, Proton R3 took the Campro S4PH engine and had it rebuilt to race specification, then shoehorned it into the Iriz, Saga, and Suprima S during the course of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and Sepang 1000 km (S1K). That engine made over 200 hp without forced induction, and the piston dimensions were identical to that of the actual production unit. As race engines go, it was pretty reliable, too.
Again, theoretically, MEM could do with the Campro S4PH engine, but why not? Well, it all had to do with the position of the exhaust valves and ports, which in the case of the S4PH unit, are located in front of the block. This means that the turbocharger would have to be installed up front, which causes a series of compromises.
First, a more complicated exhaust system would have to be fabricated, and this adds unnecessary length and weight to the entire car. The pipe would also have to bypass the gearbox (which in itself is larger than the factory unit) before reaching the back, and this is where it would run into bulky hardware such as the transfer case.
The complexities don’t end there, because ideally a rally car’s engine has to be tilted by about 25 degrees backwards, a seemingly simple modification that yields better weight distribution and driveshaft alignment. These two factors are way too crucial to overlook, hence the decision to go with Mitsubishi’s all-aluminium 4B11T engine.
With the turbocharger mounted behind the 4B11T engine, MEM could fabricate a simpler exhaust system that’s significantly shorter and lighter than it would be otherwise. As a matter of fact, the heat generated from the turbo can easily be directed rearwards without the hot air coming into contact with the engine, thus creating a more stable engine operating temperature over longer periods of time.
According to Chris, the downsizing necessitated the use of smaller cylinder sleeves, resulting in the strengthening of the smaller pistons. With this reinforced 1.6 litre 4B11T engine, not only is it FIA R5 compliant, it also harks back to the production Iriz which was once available with the 1.6 litre engine.
That sorts it, then. Now, would you like to know whether MEM built the Iriz R5 independently, or if Proton had a hand or two in developing the race car? Stay tuned to find out!
This piece has been translated from the original story written by our BM counterpart.
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To the basher: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now go read the artikel b4 u make an embarrassment of urself. Again. HAHAHAHA!!!
30 years of automotive experience but still need to rely on Mitsubishi’s engine…. Proton have Campro but unfortunately it is a game over engine
Lucky we have game changing Japan, Mitsubishi, China, Geely and Gary Lee helping Proton Motorsports to improve. Otherwise, Proton Motorsports should have been in the longkang game over right now and there will be no such thing as Proton Iriz R5
Proton is still struggling to reach it’s 100k unit goal sales but still want to focus on wasting money in motorsports. This is why Proton need to learn from game changing Perodua how to increase sales to reach target
Ferrari doesn’t sell 100k cars yet nobody calls them a failure and need to learn from Perodua how to sell cars. When your cars are cheap, definitely you can sell more. People buy your cars because it is cheap and that is it. Plain and simple.
Then he changed his statement from “rely on Mitsubishi’s engine” because he suddenly have time to read the whole article. Then he used “lucky bla bla bla” and below comment about Proton not getting “100K” sales figure because he knows the previous comment cannot be edited or deleted so he has to make some of his clones back him up with something else (rotten excuses). What.. A … Legend … lol
“As proof of concept, Proton R3 took the Campro S4PH engine and had it rebuilt to race specification” Again you dumbdumb dun wanna read and u bodoh to come and reply urself.
No mate, you’re the game over ah pek.
fist bump!
Double fist bump bro!
Triple the bump!
Damn ugly, no mood to read
Stop looking in the mirror my friend
why did MEM not use Proton’s Campro S4PH 1.6 litre engine as a starting point?
Bcos campro engine cant stand dust, coughing n overheating. For go kedai runcit only can.
“Hopefully some OKU bashers spend sometime in ACTUALLY READING the article above….”
clearly you didnt read the article.
He dont dare to say out plotong s4ph camtakpro is rubbish engine, problematic, overheat issue that hard fix, no enuff air, long story short cannot use one lahh, lousy engine. Play in kampung tanam padi only can. Otherwise he kenak piap by plotong. Now plotong can regret cos they not continue marriage wif mitsubishi lastime. This plotong super idiot they tot there already smarter than mitsubishi n become sombong n divorce mitsubishi. Mitsubishi of best engine out there. Now plotong kesombongan masuk longkang only, cannot maju anymore, have to sell to china then survive. Tu pun 110% bancrupt already, luckily china willing to buy n try revive.
Pity pity.
No bro, its u whom dare not brace the truth.
He dont dare to say malaysians are a stupid lot indeed when they believe myths about japanese cars superiority when they have the better car in their own backyard but dont support it. Brits call it stupid arrogance which does translate locally to bodoh sombong.
“In April 2017, when we first introduced the GCPA system, Proton products were 6388 points, competitive products were 4500 points, Geely products were 1200 points, Volvo products were 850 points. Today, Proton products are 1329 points in June 2019. Quality improvement is an important reason for the increase in sales of Proton cars. “Li Chun Rong said.
Proton not proud of their CAMtakPRO engine. It shows how much low confidence they have on their own engines.
Just show how confidence u r on yr level of stupidity.
If you read, you’ll find this “As proof of concept, Proton R3 took the Campro S4PH engine and had it rebuilt to race specification, then shoehorned it into the Iriz, Saga, and Suprima S during the course of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and Sepang 1000 km (S1K)”. Since you didn’t read, I have to agree with @kek lapis about your level of stupidity. lol
There you all have it. The reason for the Mitsu engine is about the positioning, complexity and less components which leads to reduced weight. It got nothing to do with engine reliability. Why, even the other brands are using a different make engines. Hopefully some OKU bashers spend sometime in ACTUALLY READING the article above….
Dear PaulTan,
Please translate this article to BM, Mandarin and Tamil and publish it in your brother/sister sites (if any). Most Malaysian could not understand or too ignorant to the fact that Proton’s engine is par with the racing standard. To quote John above, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now go read the artikel b4 u make an embarrassment of urself”
Double fist bump!
over 200bhp NA?
so why they are wasting our time here?
why not make survey, how much we are willing to pay for a very good proton with 200 bhp, perhaps 250 – 300 Nm?
bolt that into the new inhoused design perdana, then i am buying
you dont get 300Nm/220 lb/ft from 1.6 NA and 200bhp from said engine displacement would mean a peaky engine, meaning narrow power band and peak power/ torque close to red line on WOT, which require constant gear changing to stay in the power/ torque sweet spot- not a problem for race cars on the track. road cars require an earlier and broader torque spread thats why most 1.6NA engine torque peak at 4000rpm.
If you really want a 200bhp/300Nm 1.6 engine, you need forced induction, period. super or turbo charged either way.
On to the real gud stuff that basher simpleton minds cannot understand.
“In fact, every other participating R5 rally car doesn’t use their respective factory-fitted engine.”
This is what I say b4. Only dumbasses who bollocks about P1 cannot understand this.
“Proton R3 took the Campro S4PH engine, made over 200 hp without forced induction, and the piston dimensions were identical to that of the actual production unit. As race engines go, it was pretty reliable, too.”
Taken from the horsies mouth. That shows our abangabang engineers know more than most how to create gud engines. I alwiz say my CPS manual feels like a caged tiger waiting to pounce even at full throttle. Now I see the max potential of this engine.
“Again, theoretically, MEM could do with the Campro S4PH engine”
Most rally cars have the engine longitudally mounted which is what Campro not designed to do. This cud be oso why its not used in R5.
Proton Gen 2 parts in South Africa
If this news is about Perodua Myvi or any models from Perodua hahaha we can see the comments will be flying around but when it comes to Proton those people just can’t take the truth
Its a shame when others from outside Malaysia recognise this Iriz but Malaysian failed in supporting such a car
Correct, correct, correct.
Looking forward to the next part of the interview. The fact that they are willing to do interview means the car is ready for 2020 wrc2 debut? Would love to see Iriz competing with Skoda and Hyundai.
this explains why so many Proton Saga did a Mivec engine swap
Only stoopid ahbengs does that and then expects better fuel consumption but complaints about Proton and the car when FC drops thru the floor.
Most of those comments above are given due to the fact people read it from their smartphone. As a result, the user become not so smart by just reading the headline only and jump to comment section with a bashing intention inside their heart. Period.
When it’s going to fight the Skoda Fabia R5, the WRC2 champion? I’ve been waiting for sooo loonnggg…
To those bashers, if those mitsu or jepunis engine is the best why they still doing the tuning ? Why they just don’t use the normal day to day engine ?
whether you read the article or not, both title and content want to deliver the same thing, mitsubishi whole engine system design is much more superior