Sweating gallons of water while shooting non-stop for 20 hours, all to the soundtrack of Hi-NRG techno and cheeky pops ‘n’ bangs cards, is enough to make anyone feel a little weird. But despite these excellent exhaustions, the weirdest thing about my first trip to Malaysia earlier this month was the cars.
Not weird, like using 19-inch wheels on an Impreza WRX, or removing the wings on a Skyline GT-R. I mean weird in a Bizarre world alternate universe sort of way. Welcome to the crazy world of Proton.
I’m not ashamed to admit it, but it took me a few tries to figure out what was happening. After I asked “Is that a Civic?” or “Is that an Evo?” a few times I started to see the difference between Proton models and their Japanese doppelgängers.
For those unfamiliar, Proton is the national car manufacturer of Malaysia, founded by the Malaysian government in 1983 in partnership with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Today, Proton holds almost 20% of the market share of new car sales in Malaysia. These Malaysian made cars are affordable, look pretty good and seem well made too. Reviews online usually confirm this.
The design language is a mix of European robustness and Japanese silhouettes. The interiors seem more European than Japanese, like asking someone at Toyota to design a Mercedes-Benz.
The presence of Proton at Retro destruction 2024 and on the streets and parking lots of Kuala Lumpur was impressive. When it comes to customizations, a few Proton models stood out among the grocers.
First up was the Proton Satria, which in its first generation form (1996 to 2006) was based on the Mitsubishi Mirage and was available with various four-cylinder engines, the largest of which was Mitsubishi’s 1.8L DOHC 4G93 with 16 valves in the GTi version. The GTi’s sporting intent is clearly visible with its factory cutouts and lip kit, but also beneath the skin where Lotus was called upon to refine the handling. Interestingly, these cars were sold not only in Malaysia but also in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Naturally, with a shared Mitsubishi chassis, the 2.0L DOHC 16-valve turbo 4G63T is often chosen, which was most commonly found in Lancer Evolutions.
Another favorite is the Wira, which translates to “hero” in Malay. Does it look familiar? It should, as it’s based on the fourth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer.
This one has an Evo III rear end transplant – a major cosmetic procedure – plus other CE9A exterior parts. The swapped 4G63T is built up to 2.2 liters with a Tomei forged piston and Manley forged connecting rods, plus Brian Crower 272-degree camshafts and valve gear, and a custom billet intake. The real power-giving aspect is the turbo system, which features a GTX3076R turbo on a custom manifold, a Precision Turbo wastegate and a Trust GT-R intercooler.
The real oddity and star of the Proton show is the Putra, or Evo coupe, given the Lancer Evolution exterior and engine treatment. Of course, a Lancer coupe was sold outside Japan, with which the Putra shares its chassis. These came standard with the Lancer 1.8L 4G93 engine.
The amount of work that has gone into these cars is commendable. However, Malaysia’s strict laws prohibit converting vehicles to four-wheel drive, which limits how far they can be pushed.
The Satria, Wira and Putra are the three best tuners to wear the Proton badge, but there’s another model that stole my heart. For that, you’ll have to wait for the final chapter of this Saga…