Proton's BTCC team is based in Norwich too. Norwich City is not a premiership team, they're competing in the Nationwide League. Dunno which division hehe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New deal full of Eastern promise

Norwich City yesterday unveiled the biggest sponsorship deal in their history _ and opened the door to the lucrative Asian football market.

The Canaries have teamed up with Proton Cars and its sister company, Norfolk sports car manufacturers Lotus, in a three-year deal worth a seven-figure sum.

Although club officials declined to reveal the exact figure, it is known to be substantially larger than the previous deal, with a City-based digital telephone firm.

"Proton is a Malaysian-owned company and the relationship will provide the impetus for Norwich City Football Club to establish new supporter bases in the Far East, where the game of football has never been so popular," said director of sales and marketing, Andrew Cullen. "We will explore the opportunity to cement this relationship by examining the scope for our first team to tour Malaysia and other Far East countries from 2004."

While Premier League football is hugely successful in the Far East, the Nationwide League has yet to make such massive inroads, but the new deal is expected to open further doors in the Orient which could lead to more much-needed income at Carrow Road.

"The uniqueness of the sponsorship you will see unfold as time goes by," said City chairman Roger Munby. "It is an excellent commercial arrangement for all concerned.

"We don't get quite the exposure Premiership teams get in the Far East but it has that potential and it is certainly something we need to work on and if this provides a route to a presence, to awareness of our side, to the possibility of television coverage then to commercial activities that would be absolutely great. And I think it could."

However, it is unlikely that City manager Nigel Worthington will feel the effects of the new deal in the near future.

"If one starts off from the glass being half empty, that we plan to make losses next season, the thing is moving towards the point where the club starts to break even on a business basis," said Munby. "Before that we are looking to increase Nigel's budget step by step, basically, to enhance the great base he has already created.

"We don't have a sugar daddy, like Milan Mandaric at Portsmouth who has brought his promotion. In a way the discipline it brings not having an absolutely open cheque book is really quite good. It forces you to communicate with your fans to ensure they are getting the best out of the club."

Worthington has recently had a well-documented airing of his ambitions in recent days and during yesterday's press launch of the new deal said he accepted that the club's hands were tied financially.

"I think it is an exciting time for the club," he said. "There is a momentum around the football club from the last couple of years, on and off the field, and I think the supporters can see that and for Norwich City Football Club to get a sponsorship such as Lotus Proton is a massive achievement.

"It is for the football club and as we all know it is difficult times regarding finances and certain funds have to be spread across the board. We have to be fair all the way around and regarding what we can achieve, we'll try and do our best and what we can't have we have got to live with.

"I had a great meeting, along with Doug Livermore with the chairman and board yesterday.

"We had a very, very constructive and positive meeting and there was a lot come out of it. We have handed our list of players over that we would like to try and get.

"There is some money in there but we have to juggle around and do what's best. I want to be fair to the club. I don't want to get them into a mess like some others clubs.

"But the word momentum for me is very, very important … two years of hard work has gone in by everybody _ sell-out crowds, performances on the pitch, placings in the league, the restaurant _ so I want rather than standing still to try and keep moving forward."

woohoo! yeah! Ain't that great!? :cool:

wow........first formula 1, now football team....

next.... a condominium just for us, malaysian forumers!!

Is this the one much hype Proton Sutera..the replacement for Wira models according to this site.

new proton (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/ae_news_story.php?id=39022)

It got a nice rear end man :D

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_22/car_portal_pic_11083.jpg?4546

cool, pretty too
how much the price??

Yeah it's very cool....but still on WAJA rim?...The spoiler at the top back made it more cooler:) :okay: :okay:

Wah! Proton cars are getting better and better....can't wait to see THOUSANDS of em on the road in 2 years' time! :D :D :D

Here's the article that accompanies the picture posted by Hypermount:



New Wira A Star Attraction


Some manufacturers just can't help showing off. Why else would a car that's not due here for nearly a year be taken on a jaunt to France with only a bit of tape to hide it? The ticket booth at the Eurostar terminal is hardly a secret location either!

The car is the Proton Wira replacement, which our sources say could get a new name. It was snapped by Peter March-Smith of Southwood, Hants, who said: "It was one of two waiting to board the train. The other was black and looked decidedly conspicuous." The car was in the hands of Lotus - owned by Proton - and is now undergoing final testing. Meanwhile, Proton is said to be planning a small sports coupé based on the Lotus Elise. Bosses say they want to build the 250bhp car in Malaysia.

wow~ that car iz not bad yo~:cool: there are few proton in Aus too~

Originally posted by SEED

wow~ that car iz not bad yo~:cool: there are few proton in Aus too~

Actually a saw quite a number of Wira Aerobacks in Sydney. I only managed to see a single Satria GTI during my stay there for 2 weeks. ;)

yeh~ now there are few waja inda street too~ driver???? hehe:D
must be Malaysian :D :D

wow....great. I also heard Proton's new plant at Tanjung Malim will be ready by next year.......

Originally posted by ethan

wow....great. I also heard Proton's new plant at Tanjung Malim will be ready by next year.......

yea....the much awaited Proton City! ;)

Originally posted by SEED

yeh~ now there are few waja inda street too~ driver???? hehe:D
must be Malaysian :D :D

I was in Sydney when they launch Waja - It is selling for only AUSD 30,000 only (equalent to RM 65,000 at that time). The model that they are selling in Australia for 30K is the premium model which has 4 airbags and it is cheaper there. Here it sells for RM72,000! What a rip off! :rant:

Anyway when I am in Australia, I only saw the caucasians driving Protons. I don't think Msians would buy Protons there lar.......it is like we are so 'sick' of seeing too many Protons liao. I would rather buy Holden. ;)

Waja. only saw once in Oz. Proton already cut the Waja price to A$23000 because 30k for a Waja is way too expensive for Oz market.

Originally posted by dtkoh

Waja. only saw once in Oz. Proton already cut the Waja price to A$23000 because 30k for a Waja is way too expensive for Oz market.

wah......23K for the normal one izzit? Cos the normal one then cost about AUSD 26K and the premium one cost AUSD 30K. If the WAJA Premium edition is selling for AUSD 23K.....it is seriously worth it! :D

A$23k one is the base model, premium one ah, manual abt A$23,500 and auto A$27,400. I think last time Proton also give a one year free petrol.

Originally posted by dtkoh

A$23k one is the base model, premium one ah, manual abt A$23,500 and auto A$27,400. I think last time Proton also give a one year free petrol.

Yea...I remember that offer too! And a really attractive financial package too.......I saw the Waja at the Proton Showroom at Darling Harbour, Sydney ;) - quite a nice showroom just below the Darling Harbour Monorail station! ;)

quite nice but the back not nice lah IMO

i hear Lotus is involved in alot of Protons new styling..
(probly cos they own lotus..)

is this true?

Oh... great design...

but somehow I don't quite like the back of the car... personal opinion... but it looks great!

Originally posted by SUNNI

i hear Lotus is involved in alot of Protons new styling..
(probly cos they own lotus..)

is this true?

Well styling might have a bit of influence but most of the styling are home-grown. But technology like the suspension system and the car's handling are all Lotus tuned.........so mostly its the technology not too much of the design......;)

Originally posted by Magician

Oh... great design...

but somehow I don't quite like the back of the car... personal opinion... but it looks great!

This is a hatchback but I really hope they would have a sedan.

This car looks like a Renault Megane from the back .....with the C-pillar a bit like the Kia Spectra and the tail lights of a Frod Cougar/Puma......;)......The rims and the wing mirror are definitely Waja's! :D

szenoong> erm... Holden SUX!!!!!! like a gigantic cofin carier~:rant: i prefer Ford Falcon yo~:D :D ;)

Originally posted by SEED

szenoong> erm... Holden SUX!!!!!! like a gigantic cofin carier~:rant: i prefer Ford Falcon yo~:D :D ;)

Eeee......I dun like Ford Falcon!........actually I dun like Holden either but where else can you get Holden except Australia and New Zealand? I was saying I prefer Holden to Proton if I am in Australia.......I wouldn't wanna buy another Proton in other countries!!! :D

is it the same model that was circulated through the net long ago.. the one with codename WRM (Wira Replacement Model)..

proton will never show the new model anytime soon.. because that'll effect the current model sales.. but they'll use their new engine ..CamPro with Waja end of this year..

I hope the car will look like this :D..

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/getpicture.php?id=283576

ciplak or wat dunno somebody said it's Alpha Romeo design..

WOW they actually had planned to introduce a sportcar by 2005...old news but I din know...revealed in 2000.


It's called Proton Ultimate.

http://www.autoworld.com.my/EMZine/Review/viewarticle.asp?awReviewID=342&awCatID=RT.ATC.CAR.FT

typical proton trademark...the front grill design.

szehoong> hehe~ i will buy Mercedes or Audi loh~ Holden crap lah~ :D :D

that proton looks a bit...:hm:

Originally posted by SEED

szehoong> hehe~ i will buy Mercedes or Audi loh~ Holden crap lah~ :D :D

that proton looks a bit...:hm:

Aiyoh.....I say cheaper cars lar! Audi and Mercedes so expensive and nice.....I also wan lor.....:D

I also dun really like Holden but if in Australia I prefer them to Proton......;)

i hate holden, Ford BA falcon XR8 GT is much much better
a pic:
http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_ford_falcon_xr8-2.jpg
http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_ford_falcon_xr8-1.jpg

Yo people!im back!
Cool Proton!I read the article from mag in oz.This car was tested in UK.It was said that in UK Proton Wira is known as Persona.Which name you prefer?:P In Melbourne,i can see at least one proton almost everyday!Majority are GTIs.Maybe can see at least 2 a week.Secondly is Satria.
Well,compared to Holden and Ford,I'll go for Holden!!!I love the SS Commodore and the HSV la!Damn choon!:P
Ford supporters please don't look for me:D

Originally posted by szehoong

Aiyoh.....I say cheaper cars lar! Audi and Mercedes so expensive and nice.....I also wan lor.....:D

I also dun really like Holden but if in Australia I prefer them to Proton......;)

I have to Mercedes at my house.

sorry double post....

Originally posted by D_Y2k.2^

Yo people!im back!
Cool Proton!I read the article from mag in oz.This car was tested in UK.It was said that in UK Proton Wira is known as Persona.Which name you prefer?:P In Melbourne,i can see at least one proton almost everyday!Majority are GTIs.Maybe can see at least 2 a week.Secondly is Satria.
Well,compared to Holden and Ford,I'll go for Holden!!!I love the SS Commodore and the HSV la!Damn choon!:P
Ford supporters please don't look for me:D

Cool!!! :cool:

yeah......in UK, Wira are known as Persona.

Here are the UK names that I remember:

- Wira = Persona

- Satria = Persona Compact

- Kancil = Nipah (or izzit Nippa? hehehe....I forgot liao)

- Waja = Impian

But nowadays, Wira and Satria has been rebranded back to its original name (but Waja is still Impian).

Satria has two ranges in UK which is Satria GTI and Satria Sports.

;)

Originally posted by szehoong

Cool!!! :cool:

yeah......in UK, Wira are known as Persona.

Here are the UK names that I remember:

- Wira = Persona

- Satria = Persona Compact

- Kancil = Nipah (or izzit Nippa? hehehe....I forgot liao)

- Waja = Impian

But nowadays, Wira and Satria has been rebranded back to its original name (but Waja is still Impian).

Satria has two ranges in UK which is Satria GTI and Satria Sports.

;)

hey, i didn't know got such things one. why got different names one??

I find the name persona is better!:D Yeah i also wonder why they have different names.Any idea on whether the Proton City has any tower?

Originally posted by D_Y2k.2^

I find the name persona is better!:D Yeah i also wonder why they have different names.Any idea on whether the Proton City has any tower?

They have different names because of marketing strategies. Maybe for UK market, the name Persona is better to be pronounced or something like that (You would have to ask those people who does marketing :D)........


Proton City would be a campus-like facility so I doubt there would be any towers. ;)

I heard before rumours saying that Proton cars can be rarely seen on the rood...true?

Originally posted by n00bscraper

I heard before rumours saying that Proton cars can be rarely seen on the rood...true?

Errrr....what r u saying? I do not comprehend.....:?

i think he is trying to say that he heard that people saying that very few Proton cars are seen on the road.

Originally posted by TYW

i think he is trying to say that he heard that people saying that very few Proton cars are seen on the road.

But he is in Malaysia right? So what is he talking about??? :?

You could see Protons EVERYWHERE in Malaysia! :D

wah!! proton city iz in tj malim rite!!! my penpal is from there:D :D :D can get some information from herloh!!!!:D

anyway that Ford pic u post is Car Ofda Year in Aus~ i like that one hehe:D

szehoong> is Audi veri expensive in Malaysia???

Originally posted by szehoong

But he is in Malaysia right? So what is he talking about??? :?

You could see Protons EVERYWHERE in Malaysia! :D

maybe he heard from ppl from other countries??

I mean at UK, Austrialia... Well commonsense can tell you that I'm not saying at Malaysia...(duh!)

Originally posted by n00bscraper

I mean at UK, Austrialia... Well commonsense can tell you that I'm not saying at Malaysia...(duh!)

Some one with common sense (and brains) would have say things more completely! (Duh!)

I heard before rumours saying that Proton cars can be rarely seen on the rood...true?

Look at your stupid question first before saying people without any commonsense. :ohno:

How would you expect people from other countries to know that Malaysia have street-full of Protons? Some doesn't even know what is Proton let alone it is a Malaysian car. ......

another pic of WRM..

http://www.autoworld.com.my/photoalbum/listPhoto.asp?AID=1570&MID=Nahar@1&CID=74

of the new proton model (autoworld.com.my is full of em)....looks like proton is teasing the M'sian public.....if it really looks anything like the pics say, it's beautiful :)
Hopefully the interior doesn't dissapoint (ie.Waja, plastic too cheap looking)

And oh, what's this ford holden you guys are talkin abt, never saw it before? Sorta looks like a mustang! I checked the US website for ford, don't have the car either.....is it peculiar to Asia???

Holden Commordore and Ford Falcon are Aus made car. It won't available in the US.
Commordore also rebadged as Chevy Lumina in Middle East and some other countries like Msia.

Originally posted by liping_t

of the new proton model (autoworld.com.my is full of em)....looks like proton is teasing the M'sian public.....if it really looks anything like the pics say, it's beautiful :)
Hopefully the interior doesn't dissapoint (ie.Waja, plastic too cheap looking)

And oh, what's this ford holden you guys are talkin abt, never saw it before? Sorta looks like a mustang! I checked the US website for ford, don't have the car either.....is it peculiar to Asia???

Holden is something like Malaysia's Proton to Aussies. They rebadged and developed some new models out of the GMC stables.

Malaysia used to sell Holdens but not anymore. But once a while, one would get to see some late 70s Holdens on the road here :D

Actually all Proton's plastic is kinda cheap. Waja's and Perdana's isn't too bad comapred to Wira but they should remove those el-cheapo 'wood trims' that are supposed to make the car looked 'high class'. The 'wood' plastic trims are what that makes the interior looked 'Plastic'........:puke:

but not only the wood trim, I actually dun fancy the plastic as well, and I mean the glove box, the dash etc. It doesn't have the feel of a 70,000RM car esp when compared with her competitors. Also, I have some issues with the interior design of the Waja, mainly the air con placement. The way it's set up, the air con is directed mainly towards the driver, leaving the poor passenger sweating like crazy in the Malaysian heat....otherwise, I think the Waja is a great replacement for the Wira.

Now hope this new model whenever it comes out, with be with the times rather than behind it...:)

so we dun get laughed at no more...!!

Dodge Neon SRThttp://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/dodgeneonSRT.jpg

SRT interiorhttp://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/srt-4_interior.jpg

Nissan 350Z
http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/3350z_gal_med22.jpg

350Z interiorhttp://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/3350z_gal_med09.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton2.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton3.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton4.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton5.jpg

http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton6.jpg

if this is true....

SPEECHLESS!!

I doubt it's true..looks like the logo was superimposed on the streering!
http://www.you-are-a-huge-nerd.com/public/freepix/proton2.jpg

one can hope! *grin*....after all, Proton is still considering making a mid-engined sports car modelled after the Lotus M250 if I recall....Proton Ultimate(?)

p'haps, if we're lucky it'll resemble this one eh....if this is fake anyways....

Originally posted by liping_t

one can hope! *grin*....after all, Proton is still considering making a mid-engined sports car modelled after the Lotus M250 if I recall....Proton Ultimate(?)

p'haps, if we're lucky it'll resemble this one eh....if this is fake anyways....

Yea....you're right about Proton coming out with a sports car based on a Lotus body.

If you looked closely, you would find that the design of this car follows along the design principles and the lines of a Lotus. Just that the badges superimposed into the pictures! (dunno ....but at least it looks like it!) :D

Another doubt is that this car is left hand drive but I;ve seen left hand-drive Protons before! :D

That one not a Proton, it is a Koenigsegg cc

I was trying to look for which car it might be, if not a proton, but couldn't decide where to start!~

http://www.koenigsegg.com/index.asp

link above is the actual car!

Well, that wraps that question up. Hopefully the Proton Ultimate will still be built...and be built nice!

Originally posted by liping_t

I was trying to look for which car it might be, if not a proton, but couldn't decide where to start!~

http://www.koenigsegg.com/index.asp

link above is the actual car!

Well, that wraps that question up. Hopefully the Proton Ultimate will still be built...and be built nice!

Aiks......why these people like to create hoaxes and made me think so hard on wether it is a Proton or not??? :? :D

Anyway it is always cool to know about an unknown manufacturer! ;)

But the car does looks like a Lotus but larger (esp the hard top design which had the familiar lines of the Elise!). :)

Mystery solved!!! :laugh:

that car is really :eek2:

This is the new proton that was posted by someone before!remember it was tested in UK?

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/getpicture.php?id=546768

So what you guys think about this Proton?I find it really cool for a replacement for Wira!:cool:

The back of the car

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/getpicture.php?id=546780

the front is OK but the back not nice lah

Nice! But the grill in front should be enhanced. Anyway, it looks a bit like Seat Toledo but Proton looks much better!
I hope no bogus pic also :cry:
:angel1:

This one looks more convincing and the logo doesn't looks too fake as if it was added on.....

Anyway this car picture has credibility as it looks like AutoWorld's scoop a few months ago! :D

Anyway I wouldn't wanna judge the car at this moment as I've not seen the real thing as pictures could be deceiving and some cars aren't photogenic. At the moment I think the car looks kinda kewl! :okay:

Here's more that I've received:

http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/Proton WRM/WRM1.jpg

http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/Proton WRM/WRM2.jpg

http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/Proton WRM/WRM3.jpg

http://pwp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/Proton WRM/WRM4.jpg

Spy pix taken at USJ near Summit......

http://202.157.189.199/userimages/photoalbum/harsher@1/1901/74F50118410.jpg


http://202.157.189.199/userimages/photoalbum/harsher@1/1901/74F50176320.jpg

When ah this thing?

For those of you who wish to know, Norwich are my team and we are currently third in division 1 :D

Man G, hope for Norwich city to snatch one of the automatic promotion spots from WBA and the other team in the top 2...

Then we can finally see your team and Proton in the Premiership after so many years!

any pic of the hatchback version of waja?

yeh men!!!! next will be Petronas sponser soccer team!!! hehe~ jokin~:D

Technical speaking Proton is one of Petronas' subsidiaries.

And Proton BTCC is Team Petronas Syntium Proton BTCC (PSP), a touring car racing team established by Petronas Motorsports.

So, indirectly, Petronas is sponsoring the team too.
:colgate:

Tomkat>>>

oic... thx~:D

We need all you chaps to buy replica shirts to make us rich! The away shirt is a very fetching shade of British Racing Green with the Lotus emblem on the front.
We were second but had a run of draws so we slipped to third. We are playing Everton in the FA cup though.
For more information on the mighty Norwich visit www.pinkun.com
Cheers!

Sadly...Nope...
i never heard of that though.
Any idea on what are they gonna call this new Proton?
What do you guys think about the new Perdana?

Originally posted by D_Y2k.2^

Sadly...Nope...
i never heard of that though.
Any idea on what are they gonna call this new Proton?
What do you guys think about the new Perdana?

This is supposeed to be the WRM (Wira Replacement Model). So it should be called the Wira

I really hope they replace Wira.......I dun wanna see new but old cars on the road anymore and with Proton coming out with more cars....well......they should just have replacement models for a lineage rather than having new names.

Originally posted by szehoong
This is supposeed to be the WRM (Wira Replacement Model). So it should be called the Wira

I really hope they replace Wira.......I dun wanna see new but old cars on the road anymore and with Proton coming out with more cars....well......they should just have replacement models for a lineage rather than having new names.

I SO agree! Proton should update all of it's lineups, the time taken for new models to be out on the market place is really too long for a company aspiring to be a respected car manufacterer. Unfortunately, it still is something of a joke in other countries...*sigh*...

Having said that, this 'WRM' does look somewhat more in line with current styling. The 1st pic makes it look somewhat small tho, like a Hyundai accent. And the interior still looks cheap....of course, can't really judge according to pics...but, the materials used look 3rd rate....

I like the headlamps, tho the grille area could be more aggresive. The tail looks good though....wonder whether they'll have a sedan model rather than a hatchback...

We'll see....Proton can't afford to slack off now!

Originally posted by liping_t

I SO agree! Proton should update all of it's lineups, the time taken for new models to be out on the market place is really too long for a company aspiring to be a respected car manufacterer. Unfortunately, it still is something of a joke in other countries...*sigh*...

Having said that, this 'WRM' does look somewhat more in line with current styling. The 1st pic makes it look somewhat small tho, like a Hyundai accent. And the interior still looks cheap....of course, can't really judge according to pics...but, the materials used look 3rd rate....

I like the headlamps, tho the grille area could be more aggresive. The tail looks good though....wonder whether they'll have a sedan model rather than a hatchback...

We'll see....Proton can't afford to slack off now!

What do you expect from a car manufactuer formed from a scratch just 20 years ago....Hyundai and Kia are already like 50-60 years old...and their cars were only considered "good" in mid nineties..

Now that is something from Proton..that is one proton I wanted to buy.

SHHH...THEY are angry mate!;)

Photos of new Proton model trigger excitement, anger
By ZURAIMI ABDULLAH


PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd’s (Proton) new model that will replace the ageing Wira has already become a hot stuff, although it will not hit the roads until end of March 2004, the earliest.

Thanks to several photographs that first appeared in a motoring-based website — autoworld.com — last week, the purported Wira Replacement Model (WRM) has sparked excitement among consumers, but uneasiness and anger from top Proton executives.

Consumers in general were impressed with the sporty design and styling of the WRM. If the photographs are to be believed, the new model will be a sporty five-door hatchback far removed from the present Mitsubishi-based look. The picture shows a a front graced with a honey-combed grille and a wrap-around rear with interesting light clusters.

In fact, the photographs generated so much excitement that some industry observers are suggesting that the whole thing is a marketing gimmick to create sensation ahead of the launch of the car, widely expected by end of the first quarter of 2004.

Proton did not take it well, though.

It did not deny that the photographs were of the real WRM but took up several newspaper advertisements threatening to take legal action against anyone infringing its rights and properties.

One of its contractors has lodged a police report against autoworld.com editor Chips Yap.

Advising against distributing further information, Proton claims that it is the sole owner of all industrial designs, copyrights, ideas, sketches, photographs and images of its future products which are currently pending industrial design registration.

But in this case, Yap disputes the claims.

“In order for them (Proton) to say that any party or parties cannot use any confidential information including photographs, they must first show what it is.

“They cannot simply claim that it is their product. From my experience, I have received many pictures said to be the future Proton products.

“Some models in the photographs are cleverly touched up that they look like the future products from Proton. Am I to assume that any picture of a car with a Proton badge in it is Proton’s property?” Yap asked.

No other car manufacturer in the world makes such a threat to the media when images of its future products accidentally appear in the public domain, Yap told Business Times.

“They are usually happy with the free publicity though they may review their own security measures.”

Yap recalled pictures of a BMW 5-series being doctored with the Perdana V6 nose that had many fooled into believing it was a new Proton car.

Yap said he spent three hours on Saturday being questioned at the police commercial crime unit in Kuala Lumpur after a Proton contractor filed a report about the purported WRM photographs.

Amid the controversy and excitement, analysts said, the WRM fitted with Proton’s indigenous Campro engine will make or break the national carmaker.

Proton’s car sales fell more than 25 per cent in the first 10 months due to the lack of new and attractive models and intense competition from foreign marques, particularly Toyota and Honda. Its sales eased 5 per cent month-on-month in September alone.

Proton used to sell 6 out 10 new cars but its market share, for the first time in years, has shrunk to less than 50 per cent now as non-national makes gain popularity with competitive models such as Honda City, Toyota Vios and Naza Ria.

Poor sales by South-East Asia’s number one car company in sales term saw total industry volume dropped 10 per cent year-on-year (YOY) in October, dragging the year-to-date total down 8 per cent to 342,730 units from 371,715 units in 2002.

National car sales slumped 25 per cent YOY and 3 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QOQ) to put the year-to-date total at 17 per cent lower.

In stark contrast, non-national car sales grew a whopping 45 per cent YOY and 8 per cent month-on-month.

“With the dearth of new models coupled with a plethora of negative industry news, Proton is hopeful that the WRM would ignite ailing sales,” Avenue Securities said in a recent research note.

Proton had scaled back production in response to the lacklustre demand with the build-up of unsold stocks, Avenue Securities said.

However, the brokerage firm hinted at a sales turnaround for Proton. “The WRM, slated for launch by the first quarter 2004 and followed by new models for Satria and Tiara, is expected to be at least 15 per cent cheaper than the current range,” it said.

Kenanga Research is more bullish about Proton’s prospects.

“Proton’s longer-term outlook will be more promising from now on since it is close to completing its cost-cutting plan through various programmes.”

The programmes include increasing local contents, using the Campro engine which will reduce production costs by 25 per cent or a savings of about RM100 million a year in royalty payment to Mitsubishi and enhancing efficiency in its new Proton City plant due to start operations next year.

Proton is also losing because many consumers shelved purchases of national cars in anticipation of cheaper imported vehicles when Malaysia starts cutting import tariffs in 2004 under the Association of South-East Asian Nations Free Trade Area.

Proton officials repeatedly said that it would, from next year, freshen its model line-up which currently consists of Mitsubishi-based models except for the Waja.

Proton also suffers from weak brand loyalty and perception, which it needs to address if it hopes to break into the regional markets and ward off foreign competition post-2005, analysts said.

Having substantially raised its research and development budget, Proton must produce dynamically competent and well-priced vehicles to succeed in a liberalised market environment, they added.

One thing Proton should do to offset shrinking domestic sales, analysts said, is to intensify overseas exports, which now account for less than 10 per cent of total sales.

The company recently teamed up with Automotive Industry Development Co of Iran to build vehicles and engines for the Iranian and overseas markets

Originally posted by hypermount
What do you expect from a car manufactuer formed from a scratch just 20 years ago....Hyundai and Kia are already like 50-60 years old...and their cars were only considered "good" in mid nineties..



how much do I expect? Quite a bit actually......it's a huge deal to make a car company, and ours is a national effort...so of course I should expect much! Add that to the fact that basically, the company is where it is today, much due to the support of the Malaysian public....so the money they are spending....is taxpayer money. Why do I say that? Cuz for years, the governent has sheltered Proton with oodles of tax breaks, special incentives etc etc, and coddled it from competition, thus making it the de facto car for Malaysians to purchase.

And now, it's time for Proton to grow up and stand on it's own 2 feet. The world today is quite unlike that of 50 yrs ago when Hyundai etc were born. In today's cut throat enviroment, they had better learn to adapt fast, or rapidly be destroyed. The car industry is no place for minows anymore......

From The Asian Wall Street Journal
10 December 2003


Malaysia's Proton Wants Continued Tariff Protection



By S. JAYASANKARAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian national car maker Perusahaan Otomobil
Nasional Bhd., or Proton, is preparing for increased competition ahead
of a looming Southeast Asian free-trade pact by asking the government
for continued tariff protection.

In a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last month, Proton
Chief Executive Tengku Mahaleel Ariff asked that the state-controlled
car maker be given another 20 years of protection. Since its inception
in 1985, Proton has been sheltered from local and foreign competitors
by duties ranging from 40% to 300% on imported auto-parts and cars.

According to auto industry executives, Tengku Mahaleel has also
requested immediate exemptions from all import duties and excise
taxes, and has asked for new government grants for "research and
development" purposes.

Proton's requests pose an embarrassing dilemma for Kuala Lumpur. Under
the rules governing a Free Trade Area, known as AFTA, proposed by the
10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, tariffs on
manufactured goods -- including cars and auto parts -- are to be
reduced to no more than 5% by 2003. Malaysia, while agreeing to the
overall AFTA pact, has obtained special treatment for its auto-sector,
however. It has delayed tariff cuts on cars and components until Jan.
1, 2005, when duties are to be reduced to no more than 20%, instead of
the 5% mandated by AFTA.

Should Malaysia now renege on those commitments in order to prop up
publicly listed Proton, fellow Asean members, as well as auto-sector
investors who have moved into Malaysia and other Southeast Asian
countries expecting a level playing field by 2005, are likely to be
furious. "Thailand and Indonesia would kick up a fuss and there could
be trade retaliation," predicts a senior Malaysia-based auto executive
who declined to be identified. "It would be just too messy."

The Malaysian government hasn't responded to Proton's new requests,
and Tengku Mahaleel didn't respond to written questions regarding the
company's request for continued protection.

Still, Kuala Lumpur appears committed to its AFTA obligations. On Dec.
6, Deputy Trade Minister Kerk Choo Ting said that the government would
begin reducing car and auto-part import tariffs in January ahead of
its 2005 commitment. Kuala Lumpur plans to offset revenues lost by the
tariff reductions by imposing new excise duties on local and imported
cars.

Even so, AFTA could open the 540,000 unit-a-year Malaysian vehicle
market -- Southeast Asia's largest -- to sharply increased
competition. AFTA guidelines say that any car maker that sources at
least 40% of its components from Asean countries is considered "local"
and so qualifies to a member country's minimum import duties. That
means major international auto makers that have set up plants in
Thailand, for example, could challenge Proton's long-standing
dominance of the Malaysian market once tariffs come down in 2005.

Indeed, Proton is already feeling the heat, as rivals cut prices in
expectation of AFTA's impact. Sales of all Proton models fell 27% to
135,000 cars year-on-year in the first ten months of 2003. Meanwhile,
locally assembled foreign cars -- led by Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda
Motor Co. -- saw sales soar 62% in the same period.

Write to S. Jayasankaran at s.jayasankaran@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/

I felt that every Malaysian should read this.......

A food for thought on Proton's recent request to our fed govt on extending a 20-years protection. This is a letter from a reader published on the Malayskini website........




Time's up for Proton


LCH
5:02pm Tue Dec 23rd, 2003



Proton's recent request for 20 more years of tariff protection is so
ridiculous. I wonder if Proton's management has truly learned anything
after 20 years in the business.

The auto industry is a tough mature industry where the key factors for
survival are a) size and efficiency and b) incremental technological
progress. As a small general carmaker, Proton cannot possible compete with
the giants in the long run without expanding its market beyond Malaysia
and achieving marginal but constant improvements in product and technology.

So what is wrong with giving Proton protection, maybe forever? The main
reason is Malaysia is a trading country. If it wants to continue expanding
that trade, it must commit to free trade with others. The auto industry is
the highest on the agenda of any free trade agreement.

Secondly, protection of manufacturing companies are costly and
inefficient. The high cost of protecting Proton has lead to higher cost in
the supply chain of production and services of other products. It is in
fact like a high tax rate that makes not only keep the auto-industry
inefficient forever, but also other industries as well. And for what? For
workers that are better deployed elsewhere? For misplaced national pride
in a bad product? For the political and financial interests of a few?

Proton must compete or die. It is not only a fact, but a symbol of our
country progress towards competitiveness. To delay the removal of
protection of Proton is to only delay our own progress. It also sends
wrong signals to investors, workers, and consumers.

Few countries today have an auto industry that does not have the global
auto giants playing a role. Even the protected China market is dominated
by foreign auto joint-venture companies. Korea tried to protect their auto
industry, but all of them is not at least partly owned by one of the
global auto giants. All small European carmakers have either perished or
been swallowed by the giants (except of niche players like Porsche and
Ferrari).

The truth is the auto industry is a very tough business with very narrow
margins. There is no point making a Malaysian car if our product loses out
to Thailand. Malaysia has a chance to be an auto-industry hub if it
chooses to give up its emotional view of Proton. Otherwise we can, for the
moment at least, indulge in national thumping and false hope, while giving
up jobs and growth to our neighbours.

So...this is the one that everybody is talking about. No wonder it create a lot of fuss.

Such an embarassment for a company that already in the market for almost 20 years. I have to give me credit to the writer in Malaysiakini. The question is now...what will be the action taken by govt pertaining to this request...

Actually the Malaysiakini writer made a blunder:

All small European carmakers have either perished or
been swallowed by the giants (except of niche players like Porsche and
Ferrari).

If I am not mistaken, Ferrari is now under Fiat. It isn't independent anymore! :D

I think that Proton Chief Executive probably knows that it will be next to impossible for the company to compete without those tariff protection. But then again, for how long...business supposed to be business, without competition then it will be no fun ma...

Originally posted by ZaHiRnYa???

I think that Proton Chief Executive probably knows that it will be next to impossible for the company to compete without those tariff protection. But then again, for how long...business supposed to be business, without competition then it will be no fun ma...

they all very silly wan lah.....even Dr. Mahathir hinted that Proton could have a substantial foreign car-maker shareholder but till now nothing happened. :(

Lemme give ya an anology....

Imagine I set up a business......then after 20 years it failed......can I still go back to my parents for pocket money and help? ....this is SO SO SO embarrassing!

Originally posted by szehoong

they all very silly wan lah.....even Dr. Mahathir hinted that Proton could have a substantial foreign car-maker shareholder but till now nothing happened. :(

Lemme give ya an anology....

Imagine I set up a business......then after 20 years it failed......can I still go back to my parents for pocket money and help? ....this is SO SO SO embarrassing!

We are talking about something that some people think that they are the best in the business without realising the reality of it. They survived so far because they been pampered. This is not about embarassing anymore. This is ridicilious and really put a shame. So much about Malaysia Boleh. If Malaysia Boleh, then prove that they can survive and do it better without having those protection. People will give them respect for that...

If these people keep delaying new models and also keep face-lifting old models (looks at the latest incarnation of the Saga...my god.....give this car a break! This is early 80s technology man!) ......the company wouldn't survived.....

They should also keep their blabby mouth shut and not to be so arrogant. Some of the famous (sometimes heroic) statement made by Proton recently are:

1) "We are ready for AFTA!" (said in year 2000 after the introduction of Waja)......luckily our govt didn't fall for that! Dr. Mahathir quickly retort that Proton still had got a long way to go and extended the AFTA thingy till 2005....phew!!! :ohno:

2) "Who needs airbag? Airbags are unsafe" ......oh this is classic man! I am really dumbfounded by this! I forget the sources but I clearly remember someone saying this about the absence of airbags in most Proton models.

3) "The levels of defect in Protons are almost equal to that of Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. The reason why there are a lot of complains is because of the higher number of Proton owners on the road." okay...another classic.......I mean have you ever heard of a Mercedes rear lights or indicator lights punya casing masuk air? Or that a Toyota Camry punya power window jam? How about the engine of a Vios, Altis or Mercedes C-Class stalled when the car is still brand new? To date.....I've heard two Perdanas and a Putra whcih the engine had to claim warranty as there is a total engine failure. Mind you that these cars belong to 3 of my friends (close friends somemore not friend's friend or that kinda crap)......aiyoh......how can they say these sort of things??? :?

these are the type of very proud attitude that Proton needs to shave off. There are simply no room for such arrogance in today's business world! ;)

Originally posted by hypermount

What do you expect from a car manufactuer formed from a scratch just 20 years ago....Hyundai and Kia are already like 50-60 years old...and their cars were only considered "good" in mid nineties..

Now that is something from Proton..that is one proton I wanted to buy.

haha...I think you'll better let others be guinea pig first.....dun rush-rush....heard of Proton's QC? :lol:

I am not doubting em or what but they are getting bad to worst. I tot they would have imporved with Waja (dun say I din give em chance)....but no.....so I be more patience until Waja 1.8 came out.......I was kinda impressed by the drive-by-wire thingy.....but sadly...I happened to know two person whom had bought the car and guess what? lotsa problem.

And like Liping had said......you can't compare with Hyundai or Kia or Daewoo for that matter. These are large conglomerates and they have other industries to fall on should their sutomotive division fails. Furthermore the market and business world these days are so much fiercer than before.

20 years is a long time for govt protection. Eventhough Korea protected its car industry in the past Koreans still made Korean cars their first choice. Why? Simply because they sell the best Korean cars in S. Korea!!!

Proton is a sad company which rips us all off. A Waja in Australia is selling for $30,000 Aussie for the Premium edition and $26,000 for the standard edition. The premium ones comes with 4 airbags and the standard comes with 2. And of course Protons in UK and Australia are of higher quality than that of in Malaysia.

So why ripped Malaysians of the basic fundamental rights of able to own the best of Proton could produce? And why sell the Waja cheaper in Aussie market than in Malaysia. The Premium edition sells in Malaysia for RM72,000 and the standard is for RM65,000. (note: the prices are of end of 2001)

I did not make all the prices up nor heard this from anyone. I saw this with my own eyes and I've even got the catalogues and price list to prove it. I was in Sydney when Waja was launched. I went to the Proton showroom at Darling Harbour to enquire........;)

I really hope Proton wouldn't make Malaysians distrust em anymore as Malaysians are Proton's biggest supporters and buyers. Never fails your home market and that's all I could say.......

Originally posted by szehoong

"Who needs airbag? Airbags are unsafe" ......oh this is classic man! I am really dumbfounded by this! I forget the sources but I clearly remember someone saying this about the absence of airbags in most Proton models.



Who said airbags are unsafe? :bash: What a stupid statement :bleep:

Originally posted by ZaHiRnYa???

Who said airbags are unsafe? :bash: What a stupid statement :bleep:

yea......if he said it is redundant then I can still accept but unsafe ?!?!?!

I mean is he outta his mind?!?! Airbags are created solely for safety and he had the brains to say it is unsafe......what a joker! :D

all these statements make Proton look bad and unprofessional. Makes you wonder who are the idiots they hire!

Originally posted by szehoong

yea......if he said it is redundant then I can still accept but unsafe ?!?!?!

I mean is he outta his mind?!?! Airbags are created solely for safety and he had the brains to say it is unsafe......what a joker! :D

if they say unsafe, that means dangerous lah?? LOL:lol:

Originally posted by TYW

if they say unsafe, that means dangerous lah?? LOL:lol:

yaloh...I believe so....sometimes it is difficult to understand people with low IQ ;)

Airbag unsafe??!!!?!?! siow one

watch Final Destination II too many times I guess...

hyper > Where r u now? You seemed to have dissappeared! :D

Originally posted by szehoong

hyper > Where r u now? You seemed to have dissappeared! :D

in the gym i guess :jk:

Nolah I'm still around....

Szehoong and Baq and the rest...if you want to contact me cannot lah using the old number. Confirmed hilang forever boohoo...I lost my handphone on 19th... :bleep: :mad: ... I did post about GSM coverage in MY that's why...now using Digi line...

I PM you my new number lah.

Originally posted by TYW

in the gym i guess :jk:

Hehe...Midvalley got the best gym in Malaysia I heard.. The Sweat Club.

Originally posted by hypermount

Hehe...Midvalley got the best gym in Malaysia I heard.. The Sweat Club.

yea....also the most expensive......:D

Currently in Australia...the selling prices for WAJA is $19,900!

Originally posted by mams

Currently in Australia...the selling prices for WAJA is $19,900!

yea...they should do that in yr 2001! :D

You can't sell a Proton which is much more expensive than a similar Hyundai model or Honda Civic.....it simply doesn't make sense :crazy:

Originally posted by szehoong

yea....also the most expensive......:D

No la...Rm500 is not that expensive for some people. If not why everytime I happen to pass by its front door i can see a lot of people actually use it facility. But in terms of equipment, Fitness First is not that bad also what...but then again I belong to a different gym :D

Originally posted by ZaHiRnYa???

No la...Rm500 is not that expensive for some people. If not why everytime I happen to pass by its front door i can see a lot of people actually use it facility. But in terms of equipment, Fitness First is not that bad also what...but then again I belong to a different gym :D

hmmmm :sly: .......if I remember correctly ....last time much more expensive.......I recalled it being RM 1k for membership lah! :eek:

Anyway I am not a fan of indoor sports.........although I dun do sports nowadays ( that's why I am like so fat these days! :rant: :D ) .....but I've always prefer swimming, cycling and jogging over gym..... ;)

hmmmm.....

Discount Given To Proton Is A Sovereign Right, Says Rafidah


PUTRAJAYA, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The 50 percent discount in excise duty given to national car manufacturer Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) is Malaysia's sovereign right, said Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.

"This is our sovereign right, for the government to give such a discount or exemptions within the country. We are not playing around with duties," she said in response to questions from reporters here Tuesday.

Rafidah also stressed that the move was also consistent with the World Trade Organisation's rules.

"Whatever exemption given to Proton or other national car manufacturers will be continued until further decision made by the government. But for now, the government decides to continue with the discount," she said.

However, Rafidah advised Proton and other national car manufacturers to look further into export potential and strategise their efforts to enable them to compete in a wider marketplace.

"With or without the element of support, Proton and other national car manufacturers must have long term strategy to compete as a viable entity," she said when met after officiating the 2nd International Malaysia-Japan Plastics Conference here.

Rafidah reiterated that the government has long made the call for these manufacturers to be prepared for the full implementation of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) for automotive industry and by now when the tariff cutting has been brought one year forward, the industry should have factored in all the issues.

"They knew 10 years ago that AFTA would come into place, they should have been prepared," she stressed.

On the confusion faced by some industry players regarding the new tariff and excise duties announced by the government last Friday, Rafidah said "it was not so much of a confusion among the industry players, they just need some clarifications."

The minister said individual companies need to collaborate where they could have collective effort in enhancing competitiveness and reducing cost in facing the regional competition.

"They have to do whatever it takes domestically to face the competition," she said.

She added that with more manufacturers expected to enter the Asean market, car retailers in Malaysia could take this advantage to become distributors.

In addition, local importers and franchisees are advised to work with their principals from Korea and Japan in allowing them to make Malaysia as the regional base.

"Malaysia is an attractive market and even a market leader in Asean in passenger cars while Thailand is the leader in commercial vehicles. We should take the advantage of these strengths to move forward," she added.

-- BERNAMA

I'm taking Econs as my arts&humany subject this sem..very intresting..

They're 4 market models, pure competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic and oligopoly :D :D.

Proton certainly can't survive in free for all pure competition since they're a very small company, they don't have large capital..(wah thinking about free fall)

Big car companies can easily sell their products cheaply by absorbing losses as they can use up their capital. And it's wrong for a company to be killed off in this way so there're tariffs, tax and duties to preserve local industries...It's common in other countries.

Even if their products are world class surpassing even the quality of BMW cars, they can also gone kaput without all those tax barriers...what to do.. The only way is to let big foregn car makers to take up shares in proton if no barriers are implemented..

I long for a genuine local car industry...talk about local pride.

Originally posted by hypermount

I'm taking Econs as my arts&humany subject this sem..very intresting..

They're 4 market models, pure competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic and oligopoly :D :D.

Proton certainly can't survive in free for all pure competition since they're a very small company, they don't have large capital..(wah thinking about free fall)

Big car companies can easily sell their products cheaply by absorbing losses as they can use up their capital. And it's wrong for a company to be killed off in this way so there're tariffs, tax and duties to preserve local industries...It's common in other countries.

Even if their products are world class surpassing even the quality of BMW cars, they can also gone kaput without all those tax barriers...what to do.. The only way is to let big foregn car makers to take up shares in proton if no barriers are implemented..

I long for a genuine local car industry...talk about local pride.

IF Proton's quality is on par with their German counterparts, they wouldn't have to worry already. European marques doesn't have these protections and although Korea got em, its automotive industry are strong as they've got a strong home market.

Have you ever wondered why Proton failed to attract Malaysians? So many Malaysians are actually looking forward for cars of other makes and Protons are their 'no-choice-but-have-to-buy-because-it-is-cheap' cars. Why is that so? Why the Koreans kept buying Korean cars even after IMF regulation and the opening of the market?

Simple........Korean cars like Kia, SsangYong, Daewoo and Hyundai sells their best in their home market. Their cars have better quality control thus earning the confidence of buyers. How could Proton EARN the RESPECT of local buyers when they kept giving Msians low quality cars? They only sell better packaged models overseas! :rant:

If the likes of Perodua, Inokom and Naza could produce cars with better quality control, I do not see why Proton had to be slacking on that. It would be interesting to wait for the WRM as it is a new car - using a new engine and manufactured in a new plant....boy....this would be interesting! :D

Another Proton blunder would be its arrogance. Its management had been saying how great the company is. And then there is this 'hint' that Dr. Mahathir dropped a year ago that Proton could let go some stake to a foreign big automotive player. But it seems not happening. For the company to survive.....it either had to be part of a large company or forever relying like a crybaby on our government.

Yes....Proton is now too large to collapsed as too many people and industries are dependent on it. But in order to survived, it need to reinvent itself. I'd rather have a 'not-so-genuine' car company with foreign ownership that does great than one that is a 'pariah' car manufacturer. I wouldn't pride myself in something inferior that is 100% Malaysian. ;)

Would the British still be proud of their Aston-Martins although it is owned by Ford. Or how German could it be that now Bentley are owned by Volkswagen. Would someone say Rolls-Royce isn't British although it is now owned by BMW? Something for ya to ponder about........ ;)

HMMMM......G want to ban motorcycles from downtown KL.......
Now it is time to look for other alternatives.......;)

HIGH - TECH PROTON WITH TWO WHEELS

When Proton was set up, its mission was not just to make Malaysian cars but also to help in advancing other Malaysian industries technologically as the country progressed towards the Vision 2020 goal of being an industrialized nation. Towards this end, many of the technologies used in automobile development have been progressively transferred to other sectors of Malaysian industry and one area which has already benefited is in high-tech bicycles.


Since the late 1990s, Proton has been collaborating with EP Manufacturing (which supplies components to Proton and Perodua) in the development of high-tech bicycles, some of which are suitable for competition. The innovative technology employed has won the company’s products major design awards overseas and most also have British (BSI) and German (TUV) certifications.


Though EP Manufacturing’s core business is in the application of engineering plastic technologies, it has been steadily building up its bicycle business too and has penetrated even the US market where its EP-X bicycle line has been well received by enthusiasts.


Today, the company and its distributor Proton Edar, officially launched its new T-Bike series which comprises the T-Sprint high-performance road-racer and the T-Bolt mountain bike. The high-tech feature in these bikes is the use of state-of-the-art carbonfibre frames which make them extremely light.


While titanium is another exotic material used in specialized bikes, carbon epoxy fibre composite delivers the most shock-absorbent ride of any of the frame materials (the most common being high-tensile steel). Although it's not shock absorbing like a suspension, it diffuses the vibrations that are sent through it.


EP Manufacturing’s expertise in engineering plastics plus Proton’s advanced design capabilities have meant that the more advanced method of frame construction –monocoque – is used. Unlike the other fabricating technique used with carbonfibre which is lugged, either using aluminium lugs or special lugs also made of carbonfibre, a monocoque frame is molded in a single piece (like a passenger car's). Because the material is laid up by hand, the fibres can be directionally positioned to decrease vibration and increase torque stresses.


The only thing about this approach is that such frames are not quite as stiff as some steel and most aluminium frames. Nevertheless, enthusiasts consider them highly desirable because of their light weight and smoothness – and virtually no corrosion. In fact, carbonfibre frames are so lasting that the T-Bike frames come with a 5-year warranty against workmanship and material defects (not transferable to subsequent owners after first owner).


Due to the different surfaces and conditions each bike will encounter, there are some differences in design between the T-Sprint and T-Bolt. While the T-Sprint is used on smooth roads and requires less additional shock absorption, the T-Bolt has a shock absorbing front fork (alloy steerer) and a monoshock as well as a tough but light alloy swingarm. The T-Sprint’s framework is entirely of carbonfibre, apart from the handlebar and saddle support.


The crux of bicycle design is in the frame which is EP Manufacturing’s forte while the other components such as the gear sets, brakes, pedals, etc are taken from other companies which specialize in such things. As would be expected, the top names are found on the T-Bikes: Shimano, Alex, Tektro, Kalloy, Joytech, SRAM and Velo.


Prices for the T-Bolt start at RM2,700 while the T-Sprint costs RM3,750. For a limited period, Proton Edar will be selling them at special offer prices which are a few hundred ringgit lower. They are available at selected Proton Edar branches nationwide as well as certain bicycle dealers.


Speaking at the launch of the new bicycle, Proton Edar CEO Datuk Maruan Mohd Said said that the company’s venture into lifestyle products such as the T-Bikes is to encourage the development of Malaysian sports and support a healthy lifestyle among Malaysians. “We are confident that the youth of Malaysia will take this friendly encouragement to sharpen their skills and enhance our country’s image in the international sports scene,” he said.
:)

Great, I love iron horses.. carbon ones also. Any pix?

Not all their cars are bad quality lah...I know there're many complaints about Waja. the first generation Proton Sagas are still highly sought after in the second hand car market..like 1.5s that I own now. Many people chose Protons as the spare parts are cheap..poor guys can't afford to mantain a BMW right even if they can afford to buy one...most probably it's because they're controlling the local car market now.

Originally posted by hypermount

Not all their cars are bad quality lah...I know there're many complaints about Waja. the first generation Proton Sagas are still highly sought after in the second hand car market..like 1.5s that I own now. Many people chose Protons as the spare parts are cheap..poor guys can't afford to mantain a BMW right even if they can afford to buy one...most probably it's because they're controlling the local car market now.

I drove a Saga 1.5 for 4 years and trust me........it is sought after because it is CHEAP. :D

And servicing a Proton isn't exactly cheap as servicing a Sentra is somewhat cheaper than that of a Waja. Servicing and spare parts for Saga is no doubt cheap as parts are abundant but try newer Protons.

My own experience with a Proton (maybe I am unlucky lah) is that one thing fails after another. Central locking is legendary....then the dash speedometer always fails (even after changing to a new one)......then water pump rosak.......anbd the list goes on......not exactly up to my expectation even with new parts (the best thing is that the new parts failed as well). ;)

T-Sprint
http://www.savepic.com/freepicturehosting/is.php?i=56034&img=1133F59384120.jpg

T-Bolt
http://www.savepic.com/freepicturehosting/is.php?i=56035&img=1133F59393630.jpg

T-Bolt back suspension
http://www.savepic.com/freepicturehosting/is.php?i=56036&img=1133F59401510.jpg

Looks almost like a 'freeride' MTB.. just a little short suspension travel. Nice components from what I can see, it must be quite good value for money.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/1/16/business/7122820&sec=business

Three new Proton models soon
By YAP LENG KUEN and ALVIN TAY IN SHAH ALAM

THE Wira Replacement Model (WRM) fitted with the Campro (Camshaft Profile) engine developed by Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) is expected to be launched “any time now”, to be followed by the Satria Replacement Model (SRM) and Tiara Replacement Model (TRM) in the second half of the year.

The expected launch timetable was disclosed by Proton chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff at a briefing yesterday for local senior editors, who were later given a sneak preview of the three models in Shah Alam.

Both the 1.6-litre WRM and 1.3-litre SRM will be powered by Proton's latest Campro engine, which has unique design features like a modular engine design for common cylinders, pistons and camshafts. The smaller 1.2-litre TRM will be powered by a yet-to-be named engine.


Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel
Mahaleel said both the design and engineering of the Campro engines and all three new car models had been benchmarked against German cars in Europe.

“The Campro engine's development has enabled Proton to reduce its cost as the power train of a car accounts for 30% of its total production cost,” he said.

He added that with the three new models, the face of Proton would change significantly and the new generation cars would certainly have much better export potential.

Proton also has an advanced research programme in natural gas vehicles in collaboration with Lotus, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Petronas and a hybrid vehicle research programme with Lotus, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

An industry source close to Proton said the launch of new models as well as the company's years of cost-cutting exercises would inevitably result in its cars being competitively priced, possibly somewhere in the region of RM30,000 to RM50,000.

A motor industry analyst said Proton had to tread a fine line in marketing its cars this year in view of the higher excise duty announced by the government recently; This is because higher prices could dampen its sales but the higher excise duty would inevitably increase prices.

“The good news is that Proton has been on an aggressive cost-cutting programme and it uses more local content now, which means its new models will still be competitive...Proton will probably try its best to keep prices at current levels,” he said.

A research house said the new launches planned for this year would be “a case of make or break” for Proton, as it had to face tough market conditions.

“Proton is banking on new models to maintain its market share,” it said.

Analysts contacted by StarBiz are mostly maintaining “neutral” or “underweight” rating on the motor sector, although they expect demand for cars to be higher this year than in 2003.

The recent duty structure announcement would have dispelled consumers' “unrealistic” expectations of sharp falls in car prices, even though certain fine details on pricing were still lacking, they said.

“Demand for cars is expected to recover. Pent-up demand and the improved consumer sentiment will help to fuel car sales,” said an analyst with a local stockbroking firm.

Mayban Securities has forecast a 6.25% expansion in total industry volume (TIV) this year, while K&N Kenanga expects TIV to increase by 5% and RHB Research 6%.

Car sales dropped 8% to 374,272 units in the first 11 months of last year from 407,234 units in the equivalent period of 2002.

.********************************************

:eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :cool:

Nah...not interested. Only have my eyes on either Honda Jazz or Honda Life :D

Exciting times in store for Proton, says Mahaleel

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/1/17/business/7130518&sec=business
BY YAP LENG KUEN and ALVIN TAY in Shah Alam

FROM next month onwards, exciting times will be rolling in for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) from the technology it has acquired.

According to Proton chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff, the company can now build capacity as “internally, it is our engineers and vendors”.


Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel
In an exclusive interview with StarBiz on Thursday, he said: “We have developed four platforms with two engine families; that will then give us the capability to design and manufacture 15 to 20 products, which brings us a full cycle.

“And then if you care to see or wait for our products, you will find it very fresh, trendy and up among the best in the world.

“That's really when exciting times in terms of products will allow us to become very relevant. All it needs to find is the correct pricing, market, quality and service support.”

Proton would go on a sales and marketing campaign/roadshow from February onwards, he added.

On the current sales of Proton cars, Mahaleel said: “The new Proton Saga, with its new interior, looks great and demand is so strong that we can't meet demand. The whole interior has changed...the outside cleaned up with a fresh new look.”

He added that the new Saga was a very different car. “For example, the speedometer is a Lotus Elise meter. We should sell 6,000–7,000 units per month; demand is strong.”

Currently, production was only half of that, Mahaleel said.

He said the Wira Special Edition was also in short supply as demand had doubled from what had been forecast.


“We are struggling to keep up with demand. We are running at full throttle, and our vendors have not been able to keep up.

“Even the new Perdana V6 which used to sell at 100 units per month is now selling at 800–900 units per month; we have been losing six to seven months,'' Mahaleel said.

“Our production schedule has to be sorted. Vendors have to be tooled up, CKD (completely knocked down) packs have to be ordered,” he said, adding that supply had to more attuned to demand.

On the progress of Proton, he said, from 1996 the company had stepped up a gear with concentrated investments in research.

“We acquired Lotus, and from 2000 we launched the Waja and then we spread very quickly. When we did the Waja, we focused on one platform, one body and no engine. After that, we developed three other platforms; two engine families, one new plant, all the time with Afta (Asean Free Trade Area) on our mind,” he said.


On the matter of post-Afta, Mahaleel said: “In any competition, the most important point is how to acquire a customer... with quality, price competitiveness, styling, and how useful that product is to them.

“So on the first two, we have worked very hard; also on our cost. Only when you see the new product will you see whether we have been successful.

“The inside of the car is so unique that you have to feel you are not ashamed of using it.”

Let's us all hope (and pray) that Tengku Mahaleel lived up to his words! :D ......I really do hope to see some exciting Protons in months to come ;)

Abolish the Mitsubishi looks! Overseas people tend to make fun of it :rant:

Originally posted by baqthier

Abolish the Mitsubishi looks! Overseas people tend to make fun of it :rant:

well.......they started off with the Waja at least ;)

The new Saga actually aren't any resemblance to any Mitsi models but then again it is a 20-year old look :ohno: The reason is that the Aeroback design is an original of Proton and the front is the Iswara look which is also an original Proton design........so coupled with new skirtings and a new dashboard......it is a 'new' car......but again I would like to mention - it is a bloody old design! :rant:

Well......as a consulation, the dashboard is kewl though......very up-to-date! :okay:

Monday January 26, 8:48 AM
MALAYSIA PRESS: Proton Unit To Acquire Indonesia Plant

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd.'s (5304.KU) distribution unit Proton Edar Sdn. Bhd. is reviving a plan to acquire an auto assembly plant in Cikarang, Indonesia, to produce and distribute Proton cars in the region, the Edge reports citing unnamed sources.

Increasing pressure from the upcoming liberalization of the auto industry under the Asean Free Trade Area agreement beginning 2005 has prompted Proton Edar to revive the acquisition plan.

Proton officials weren't available for comment.

Proton officials are currently evaluating the plant estimated to be worth $20 million.

Proton Edar is proposing to buy the plant on a 95:5 joint venture basis with a prominent Indonesian businessman Ahmad Safiun, the newspaper said.

Proton first proposed to buy the plant in 2001. The plant, now dormant, was used to produce Chrysler cars for the Indonesian market.

Web site: http://www.theedge.com.my

This is the full article on the edge.......

Proton revives Indon plant venture
By Faizal Zakariah, 10.15am

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd distribution unit Proton Edar Sdn Bhd is reviving a plan to acquire an auto assembly plant in Cikarang, Indonesia, to produce and distribute Proton cars for the Indonesian and Asean markets, sources say.
They say increasing pressure under the Asean Free Trade Area regime has prompted Proton Edar unit PT Proton Edar Indonesia to reboot the acquisition plan.

A source tells FinancialDaily that a letter of intent for the proposed acquisition has been signed and Proton officials are currently evaluating the plant estimated to be valued at US$20 million (RM76 million).

It is believed that PT Proton Edar is proposing to buy the Cikarang plant on a 95:5 joint venture basis with a prominent Indonesian businessman in the auto industry, Ahmad Safiun.
The plant, currently dormant, used to produce Chrysler cars for the Indonesian market.

In 2001, Proton had initiated a proposal to buy the Cikarang plant — an hour’s drive southeast of Jakarta — via a 70:30 joint venture with the original owner PT Ningz Multiusaha. The plan did not materialise as the latter backed out due to capital constraints.
Proton chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff had said Proton will explore export markets in Iran, Syria, China and Indonesia. He said: “In Asean, we see Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam as strong markets for our new products.” He had also said Proton planned to sell lower volume of jazzier models at home, do joint ventures in the vehicle design, engineering and production and to assemble its cars overseas. Proton has plants in Iran and China.

The sources say PT Proton Edar Indonesia will complete the evaluation of the Cikarang plant in March. It is learnt that Proton plans to initially start the production of Waja and thereafter the Wira and Iswara models for taxis in Indonesia in August.
It is learnt that the plant is owned by PT Bank Lippo, Tbk — an Indonesian bank, which took over from Ningz Multiusaha after it was closed down a year into operation. It is learnt that the assembly lines will need to be modified to fit Proton’s requirements.

PT Proton Edar Indonesia targets to produce 8,000 and 13,000 of Proton cars in the first year and second year of operations respectively. The production will capture 2.5% of Indonesia’s passenger car market. The sources say the move is attributed to the already saturated Malaysian market and increasing competition from other makes.

On the Wira replacement model (WRM), sources say that Proton tentatively plans to launch it in the first week of next month. Dealers say the WRM would be opened for bookings as early as next week. Some dealers are offering to sell WRM with only a RM500 down-payment. They say Proton has not given them the specifications.

The dealers say the specifications and pricing will only be known a week before its launch. Early WRM buyers may have to place bookings without knowing its specifications.The dealers say WRM is to be tentatively priced up to RM50,000 depending on its specifications. The WRM will be available in 1.3 litre and 1.6 litre engines with new colour schemes.

Originally posted by szehoong

Let's us all hope (and pray) that Tengku Mahaleel lived up to his words! :D ......I really do hope to see some exciting Protons in months to come ;)
NST 27 January 2004
Proton to launch new car soon
By ZURAIMI ABDULLAH


PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) will launch a totally new car soon, says chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff.

The car, which will replace the Wira in Proton’s model segment, is expected to be competitively-priced and will be fitted with the company’s home-grown Campro engine.

Tengku Mahaleel said Proton is also introducing replacements for the Satria and Tiara models this year.

These cars will also be powered by the Campro engine, which is expected to save Proton up to RM200 million in royalty payments a year.

Proton had been losing its market share to competitors like South Korean marques Kia and Hyundai as well Honda and Toyota in particular.

Some analysts said Proton will be more competitive as a result of its efforts to increase parts localisation and the ongoing cost-down programme.

On the carmaker’s request to the Government to give it more incentives, Tengku Mahaleel said the issue cannot be discussed publicly as it is considered “very official”.

He declined to comment on whether Proton had signed an initial deal to buy a production facility in Indonesia for regional exports.

“We are expanding to West Asia, South-East Asia and China,” Tengku Mahaleel said.

Proton was reported to have teamed up with a businessman to revive its purchase of the facility in Cikarang, near Jakarta, for about US$20 million (US$1 = RM3.80).

The plant, now dormant, used to produce Chrysler vehicles for the Indonesian market.

Proton now has plants in China and Iran.

Yesterday, the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) executive director Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said he believes Proton will be able to fend off competition.

“Proton’s research and development works ... created over the years are second to none in this region. And with the new models, Proton has a very bright future,” he said after visiting Proton’s headquarters and main plant in Shah Alam yesterday.

Mustapa acknowledged that South Korean cars pose a serious threat to Proton, but added that the national carmaker will face the competition with dynamically-competent and well-priced vehicles.

“We (NEAC) have been talking to Proton about this matter for one-and-a-half years.

“In the course of highlighting challenges faced by Proton, Tengku Mahaleel has been explaining to us the capacity and quality of foreign cars and the strengths of the company itself.”

Tengku Mahaleel reaffirmed his optimism about Proton’s survival, noting that the company’s new products, new technology and better affordability will see it through.

GREAT NEWS!!

Source:United Press International

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040129-083031-4360r

............................................


Analysis: Proton seeks strategic alliance

By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop
UPI Business Correspondent
Published 1/29/2004 11:55 AM
View printer-friendly version


SINGAPORE, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Malaysia's top carmaker, Proton (Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd) has finally received the nod from shareholders for a restructuring exercise that should pave the way for a possible link-up with foreign parties.

Chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff has indicated the company is now in talks to form strategic alliances with several foreign carmakers, but declined to name them.

DaimlerChrysler has often been mentioned as a possible partner for Proton. It is already a major shareholder in Japan's Mitsubishi Motor, which itself owns 15.9 percent of Proton.

The German-U.S. auto giant has earmarked up to 100 million euros ($125 million) in Southeast Asia over the next two years to strengthen its presence, hoping to triple sales within 10 years. The company has already invested a similar sum over the last two years and has manufacturing and assembling facilities in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Another mentioned name is Ford, which still lacks enough production scale in Southeast Asia, according to some analysts. A tie up with Proton would give it better access to the passenger car market in the Asian region.

As the national car company, 49-percent owned by the government, Proton had been relatively shielded from competition that faced stiff tariffs. However, this has changed in the last two years as the country draws near implementing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Area.

At the start of this year, the passenger car import tariffs for fully-imported cars (previously at 140-300 percent) and locally assembled imported cars (previously 42-80 percent) were cut by the government to 25 percent, and a further 5 percent cut is due in 12 months to meet AFTA requirements.

As expected, lower import duties were offset by higher excise duties, while fully-imported cars are now subject to excise duty for the first time. Overall, this meant there was only a slight change to the tax burden of imported cars, but the tax burden for local manufacturers increased.

To fully comply with its 2005 AFTA obligations, the 50 percent excise duty discount given to national cars will have to go, as it is discriminatory.

According to data from the Malaysian Automotive Association, Proton sales plunged 27.5 percent in 2003 from a year earlier, while its market share was reduced from 60 percent to 49 percent, while local rival Perodua's market share rose slightly to 35 percent from 32 percent. Analysts attributed Proton's fall in market share to the fact that the company had introduced no new models, while consumers were delaying purchase hoping car prices would be cut after import tariffs are reduced. Japanese and Korean competitors have also been more aggressive in the last year, reducing their prices.

Proton is hoping to recapture market shares at home with the launch of three new models this year, powered by its own Campro engine produced at its brand new plant in Tanjung Malin that will enable it to cut its operational and production costs. OSK Research estimates it could cut cost by cost by 20 to 30 percent.

"The Wira Replacement Model (WRM) will be launched in two weeks. This is a key event for Proton because it will either make or break the company," notes Edward Ong, analyst at ING Financial Market. "The Wira made up 40 percent of unit sales in the first ten months of 2003 and is all the more important because the Iswara is being phased out," Ong adds.

Car analysts believe the introduction of this new model in the less-competitive price segment (also a segment dominated by the company), is a good product strategy. Even though a Korean car manufacturer is expected to launch a model in this segment, the price gap between the two competing models will be enough to make the new Wira more interesting.

But with the Malaysian Automotive Association forecasting vehicle sales growth of only 5 percent in 2004 to 425,000 units (after having fallen 6.9 percent last year), Proton needs to intensify its efforts on the export front and having the right foreign partnership would definitely help.

Proton already has plants in Iran and China, and it has recently revived plans to acquire a car assembly plant in Cikarang, Indonesia, where it would produce cars for the local market with a view of eventually capturing 2.5 percent of the local passenger car market.

Analysts said the company might also be looking to expand in Thailand and Vietnam, to take advantage of a flourishing consumer market.

Copyright © 2001-2004 United Press International

^^^ Proton is lagging 2 years behind.........Dr. Mahathir already hinted this in 2002 to Proton! :rant:

I really hope the WRM releasing in the next couple of weeks time would raise my eyebrows (I am sure it would) and hopefully it wouldn't faced the problems Waja is facing.......;)

And lets keep our fingers crossed as Proton would be produsing the next model using a new engine (CAMPRO)....in a new car model and in a new plant (Proton City at Tanjung Malim) :D

what are these prophetic words mean in the ad today????

"One of our new creations has four doors"

"The other, a front door"

"Which will impress you more"

Some radical design from proton :eek: :D???

Tomorow they will launch a new model...kinda excited about it.

Originally posted by hypermount

what are these prophetic words mean in the ad today????

"One of our new creations has four doors"

"The other, a front door"

"Which will impress you more"

Some radical design from proton :eek: :D???

Tomorow they will launch a new model...kinda excited about it.

hmmmmm.......probably the 'front door' meaning the NGV refilling.

There are rumours saying that one would be a NGV-petrol hybrid engine! :D

BTW they are launching it day after tomorrow lah (7th Feb 2004).....not tomorrow......;)

Malaysia's Proton Launches New 1.6-Liter Passenger Car!!

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. (5304.KU), or Proton, Friday launched the first of three new passenger car models that the automaker is expected to sell this year.

The 1.6-liter car, jointly developed with U.K.-based automaker Lotus, is equipped with a locally-designed Campro engine, Proton said.

The new car, called GEN-2, is the first of a new generation of Proton cars to roll out of the company's new facility in Tanjung Malim, northern Perak state.

The plant is 60% automated and five times larger than Proton's existing facility at Shah Alam, near Kuala Lumpur.

The new factory is expected to produce up to 150,000 units in its first year of operations. The plant is already in operation although it hasn't been officially launched.

Proton didn't say how much its new car costs but analysts expect a price tag between 45,000 ringgit ($1=MYR3.80) and MYR55,000.


todaylah!!!

Gen-2??

hmmm...can't wait for the new model!!!!!

Originally posted by hypermount

Malaysia's Proton Launches New 1.6-Liter Passenger Car!!



todaylah!!!

Gen-2??

Yea.....I saw it in the news just now.......then can you explain why they advertised 7th Feb 2004 in their high-profile ads? :ohno:

They should put there 6th lah since the model ( Gen-2 :? ) are 'launched' today......sigh......Proton....Proton .........

Originally posted by szehoong

hmmmmm.......probably the 'front door' meaning the NGV refilling.

There are rumours saying that one would be a NGV-petrol hybrid engine! :D

BTW they are launching it day after tomorrow lah (7th Feb 2004).....not tomorrow......;)



hmmm.....I think I know the front door thing liao.....with their ads today - "Walk into our new creation and drive out in another"

Could be the launching of their new plant - Proton City at Tg. Malim.

Then the ad says - "On 7th February, discover how we're daring to change"

???????? :? ???????????

I think it's on 7th lah...no news leh..

Ranap! they do look like SEAT! But great achievement!
http://202.157.189.199/userimages/emzine/1594/62344990.jpg

http://202.157.189.199/userimages/emzine/1594/62297900.jpg

Saw the car just now on my way to office today. They called the model as Gen.2 only. Not bad. The price will be :

1.6 Manual : RM52888.00
1.6 Automatic : RM55888.00

wow...but blue not nice...grey and metallic better.

This is one is the Satria Replacement model...better keep the name lah.

I want a saloon!!

Here's more pictures of 'Gen-2' :lol: .....I wonder are they inspired by those HK movies.......Gen-X and Gen-Y....hehehe :D

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm1.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm2.jpg

What a dissappointment.....no airbags and GLOVE COMPARTMENT!!! :rant:

But the dashboard looks kewl! .....I especially like the audio controls on the stering wheel .... ;)

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm3.jpg


Well......at least they use their own engine now! - the much awaited Campro!!! :D


http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm4.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm5.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/Gen-2/wrm6.jpg


.......presenting - Proton Gen-2 - the first 100% Malaysian car! :D

WRM's here!




By Louis Cheang




Finally, Proton has introduced its latest model. No, it is not the expected Wira replacement even though its internal codename is WRM (Wira Replacement Model). Rather, it is an entirely new model to add to the Proton range.

Called Gen.2 (for generation two), the new model strongly underlines the future direction for an entirely new generation of cars.

In explaining the new thinking at a recent media briefing, Proton chief Tengku Tan Sri Dr Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said: “We are Proton and we dare to challenge boundary thinking.

“The Gen.2 represents this new and changing face of Proton and Proton cars. It’s all about wanting to change, setting new standards and improving on where we have been over the last 18 years. ”

Mahaleel went on to say that, with new and diverse models to come, people will have a difficult time believing it’s a Proton car.

The change is also brought about as Proton moves away from being closely associated with Mitsubishi. This means that Proton will then have to generate the “Wow” factor in its products to clearly establish Proton as a competitive brand in its own right.

By naming the new model Gen.2, Proton is sending a clear message that it represents the second generation of Proton cars. In doing so also, Proton has deviated from giving new models names.

The change is not only with the car, but also where and how it will be made. Gen.2 will be produced at Proton’s new state-of-the-art facility at Tanjong Malim.

The sophisticated technology of the Gen.2 means it cannot be produced at the Shah Alam plant, which will continue to produce all the other older generation Proton models, ranging from the Wira, Satria, Arena through to the Iswara.




http://star-motoring.com/reviews/pics/gen2_paces.jpg






Like the Waja, Lotus presence is everywhere, from the design to research and development (R&D. This is a logical step as Lotus is a part of Proton and is a leading design and development centre as well as a sports car producer in its own right.

Proton says the concept of Gen.2 is a five-door aeroback with the emphasis on elegance, sophistication and sportiness packaged at no extra cost to the customer. It does, however, embody the transformation of Proton from a conventional manufacturer to a creator of exciting and passionate products.

Like the Waja, Gen.2 is essentially a Malaysian car designed from the ground up. The difference is that everything is done by Proton and Lotus and, thus, there are no royalties to be paid to other car manufacturers.

The media briefing three days before the official launch included a test drive at the test circuit at Proton’s Shah Alam facility.

Undoubtedly the "wow” factor can be clearly seen. It is trendy, appealing and catches the eye. Viewing it head-on the “face” is aggressive, dynamic and bold. This will also become its trademark and will be seen in all future models.

Overall, to portray an element that was uniquely Malaysian, the designers drew inspiration from the traditional Malay kite, the wau,and the handle of the Malay dagger, the kris, in shaping the front grille.

Tiger-like eyes are seen in the headlights which give the front a more intimidating appearance. The enveloping front bumper has been lowered for a more sporty presence while the harmoniously integrated clear fog lamps further enhance this.

Sporty characteristics extend to the rear with radically designed rear lights positioned on the high and contoured tail end of the car.

Like the exterior styling, the interior echoes the dynamic new look that has a bright breezy look that is simple and yet spacious. This is further enhanced with the rear seats folded flat down to give more cargo space.

The “Lotus inside” theme is translated into a classier and more modern design of the dashboard and cockpit that underlines a strong sporty and emotional presence says Proton.




http://star-motoring.com/reviews/pics/gen2_steer.jpg





Ergonomics play its part through the raised structures of the dashboard and positioning of the instruments and controls and dials that give the driver and front passenger a clear field of vision, reach and accessibility.

All these were achieved using SAFEWORK, the latest three-dimensional and virtual ergonomics software programme. With it Proton interior stylists were able to present new levels of sophistication through simplicity. For example, the use of circular instrument dials brings the elegance of a chronograph arrangement that further endorses the car’s sporty character. Dials for the air-con controls and hi-fi are vertically stacked within easy reach and recognition and to give a unique look.

By eliminating the bulky conventional dashboard, this gives way for a more curvaceous look that also creates a sensation of space. As a result there is more legroom and the combination of light natural colours for the seats and trimmings enhances the car’s more lively and spacious ambience.

Another clear hint of its sporty nature is the body-hugging front seats with integrated headrests. Completing the Lotus in-car experience is the very pronounced door trims incorporating thick and ergonomically-positioned door grabs.



Powering the Gen.2 is Campro, Malaysia's and Proton's first four-cylinder engine design.


http://star-motoring.com/reviews/pics/gen2_enjin.jpg





It is of the latest modular concept which means it is easy to change engine capacities without a redesign. Engine capacities for the Gen.2 are 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre. The car will be launched with only the 1.6l version available initially.

It is a fuel-injected 16-valve DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft) four-cylinder engine that generates 110bhp peaking at 6,000rpm while producing 142Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. Proton claims it takes only 10.5 seconds to do 0-100kph with a top speed of 190kph. It has been designed for improved durability and reliability and that’s why the oil change period is now up to 10,000km.

In the pipeline are higher performance through the use of VVT (Variable Valve Timing) and Cam Profile Switching (CPS) and power going up to 130bhp.

Campro has been tested over the last two years and has already completed 1.3 million kilometres of tests in countries ranging from Sweden to Australia. This is more than driving 25 times round the world.

Engine tests were conducted on both engine rigs and dynamometers as well as on the road with running prototypes accumulating more than 27,000 hours. While the main proving ground was in Malaysia, the engine was put through hot and cold onboard diagnostic tests in Australia. Hot and high altitude was done in Spain, high speed testing run at Millbrook In Britain and cold weather testing in Sweden.

For the moment it uses a five-speed manual transmission although a four-speed automatic will be available within the next few months.

The suspension was developed by Lotus to give a superior ride and handling that suits the sporty nature of the car. It uses the familiar MacPherson struts for the front and a multi-link set-up for the rear, all tweaked and refined by Lotus.

As a result, Proton says, Gen.2 has improved steering, cornering and handling capabilities putting it ahead of its competitors in terms of cornering speeds and high-speed stability.

"You can say that it’s a bit like how Windows continuously keeps on upgrading their software for the better. We like to think that the Proton Waja has ride and handling version 1.0 while Gen.2 has ride and handling version 2.0,” said Proton's head of Research and Development, Tunku Azizan Tunku Ahmad.

Though the test circuit at Proton’s Shah Alam plant was less than 3km, the high speed section was an oval with two banked section which allowed us to check out the Campro engine as well as handling and ride comfort. Gen.2 passed with flying colours, with the Campro showing that it is responsive, willing and smooth. This all served to whet our appetites. We can’t wait for the longer test drive session, which hopefully will come soon.








Specifications for 1.6 Manual




ENGINE

Type: S4PH, four-cylinder, water-cooled, transversely mounted

Capacity: 1,597cc

Bore & Stroke: 76.0 X 78.0

Fuel system: electronic multi-point injection

Compression ratio: 10.5

No of valves: 16

No of camshafts: 2

Maximum Power: 82kW (110bhp) @ 6,000rpm

Maximum Torque: 148Nm @ 4,000rpm




CHASSIS

Transmission: five-speed manual

Front suspension: MacPherson Strut with direct acting stabiliser bar

Rear suspension: Multi-Link with stabiliser bar

Steering: rack and pinion, hydraulic power assisted

Brakes: ventilated disc/disc

Wheels: alloy 6JJ X 15

Tyres; 195/55R15




DIMENSIONS

Overall length: 4,310mm

Overall width: 1,725mm

Overall height: 1,435mm

Wheelbase: 2,600mm

Kerb weight: 1,175kg


PRICE: RM52,888 (on-the-road, without insurance)

More pictures......


http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/0001_gen2.jpg

http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/0002_gen2.jpg




http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/002_gen2.jpg

It look actually rounder from atop...

WELL DONE!!

http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/003_gen2.jpg




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http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/v001_gen2.jpg

I like the center console! :)

I somehow find that the front lamps looked disturbingly similar to the BMW's 6 Series.........

http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/88/bmw6_005.jpg


http://www.star-motoring.com/specialgallery/89/006_gen2.jpg

:D

http://202.56.156.197/ProtonWorld/Proton/Malaysia/images/centre_image.jpg

Here's Proton's lastest campaign - The Tiger Campaign!

The ads are originally presented on the air, TV and newspapers.

It is divided into 5 series of ads but what I've posted are their online Flash version.........it takes a bit of reading ........ :D



Here's the first of the series......






http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/11thcountry.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/q2.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/q3.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/q4.jpg

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/PROTON/q5.jpg

Originally posted by szehoong

hmmm.....I think I know the front door thing liao.....with their ads today - "Walk into our new creation and drive out in another"

Could be the launching of their new plant - Proton City at Tg. Malim.

Then the ad says - "On 7th February, discover how we're daring to change"

???????? :? ???????????




Oh.......the 'new creation' with the 'front door' is actually their gleaming new showroom at Mutiara Damansara (next to Tesco)! :D

I guess we'll have to wait a lil before they actually launch the much awaited 'Proton City' at Tanjung Malim...... :(

The Gen.2 would be produced at Proton City so the place are actually in operations for months! ;)

*clap*clap*clap*

MUCH better effort then the Waja! Kudos!
I LIKE the interior! Looks classy! (never thought I live to say that about a Proton) Heck...and the price is right too!

can't wait till the foreign press gets a hold of it :)

nice car, but i dun like the back:baaa:

Originally posted by liping_t

*clap*clap*clap*

MUCH better effort then the Waja! Kudos!
I LIKE the interior! Looks classy! (never thought I live to say that about a Proton) Heck...and the price is right too!

can't wait till the foreign press gets a hold of it :)

hmmm......I somewhat liked the Waja......not to say I dislike this but comparing this and the Waja is like comparing between apples and oranges. ;)

Waja is from a different category - it slots right between Perdana and Wira/Gen.2 :D

I am not too sure if Proton would revamp its line-up but I guess Waja's position is to stay. Just take a look at the offerings on the Waja and you could confirm that it is actually a slightly more 'premium' model than the Wira/Gen.2. ;)

As for the price......well......I think it should be lower as we're paying the same price for Wira 10 years ago too.....Malaysian cars are super-expensive IMO. :(

Start of a ‘new and changing face’ for the national car




BY LEONG SHEN-LI



PETALING JAYA: Amidst great excitement and fanfare, Proton yesterday launched it latest model, the Proton Gen.2, in what it said would be the start of a “new and changing face” for the national car.

The sleek five-door aeroback was completely designed and built in Malaysia and is an absolute break from the carmaker’s previous designs.

It is also the first to be fitted with the Malaysian-designed Campro engine.

According to the information kit provided by Proton, the engine was jointly developed by Proton and Lotus Engineering and could accelerate from zero to 100kph in only 10.5 seconds.



http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/2/7/nation/CAYVGDSH.jpg

SLEEK AEROBACK: Abdullah, Najib and the other guests watching as the car is test-driven in Petaling Jaya yesterday. The car was completely designed and built in Malaysiaa and is an absolute break from the carmaker's previous designs.





It also uses seven per cent fewer components and parts compared to the current engine in the Proton Wira.

In terms of fuel consumption, the Proton Gen.2 uses 5.8 litres per 100km at a constant speed of 90kph.

Kicking off with the 1.6 litre manual transmission model and a price tag of RM52,888, Proton will launch the automatic transmission model later in the year.

The car is available in five metallic colours: dune, energy orange, metropolitan grey, super purple and angel blue.

The Gen.2 is the first Proton car to roll out from its plant in Tanjung Malim.

The car was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the new Proton Platinum Showroom in Mutiara Damansara.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Information Minister Tan Sri Khalil Yaakob, Deputy Transport Minister Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib and Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo.

Mock keys were presented to media representatives for them to test drive the new model.

Why incorporate hatchback design on the car? Because of it's 1.6 L engine ar?

This car is one million times prettier than Waja :eek: ...

Proton confident of strong GEN-2 sales

BY DANNY YAP


NATIONAL carmaker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) is confident of selling 50,000 to 80,000 units of its newly launched 1.6-litre Proton GEN-2 passenger car over the next 12 months.

Chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said the new model, powered by the Campro engine, would help boost the company's market share, which had been sliding in recent months due to stiff competition.

“We hope to capture at least a 50% share of the 1.6-litre passenger car market in the country within a respectable time,” he told reporters after the launch of the new model in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.






http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/2/7/business/gen2.jpg

GEN-2 launched








Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak were present at the launch.

The manual transmission version of the GEN-2 retails for RM52,888 on-the-road and is now open for booking at all Proton showrooms and outlets. The auto transmission version, priced at RM55,888, will be available in a month's time.

Mahaleel said the GEN-2 was the first of a new generation of Proton cars to roll out of the company's state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, which had the capacity to produce 150,000 units in its first year of operations.

“We believe the car will be a hit in the market, as it is competitively priced and unique looking,” he said, adding that it would appeal to people who liked a sleek and sporty car.

“So far, feedback from most dealers has been positive,” he added.

Proton had also received enquiries from interested parties overseas for its new models, but under their own brand, Mahaleel said. “This is really exciting and shows that our creativity and technical expertise in manufacturing cars are appreciated abroad,” he said.

Proton cars are sold in 15 countries and the company plans to export the GEN-2 to its traditional as well as new markets.

“We are looking to export to China, the Middle East and other Asean countries,” Mahaleel said, adding that Proton hoped to derive 20% of its revenue in the next financial year ending April 30, 2005, from GEN-2 exports.

The company also expected to roll out new derivatives of the GEN-2 within a year, he said. “We plan to roll out two more new models in the next 12 months, depending on demand,” he said.

A local car dealer said Proton's GEN-2 was impressive and had a prestigious look, yet remaining affordable.

“It's definitely a huge change in image compared with the previous Proton models,” he said, adding that the company had a good chance of increasing its market share with the GEN-2.

Originally posted by hypermount

Why incorporate hatchback design on the car? Because of it's 1.6 L engine ar?

I think they did some research and most people liked the Aeroback version of the Wira more? BTW......the Wiras are only available in the hatchback versions only and that goes the same with Saga. Since this is the WRM.........they would have to sway to the demands of the market. Probably when the market demands it, they would release the sedan version soon. :)

Probably their sedan now at that range would be just the Waja. ;)

Originally posted by hypermount

This car is one million times prettier than Waja :eek: ...


Well that depends on how you look at cars. This is a sportier car and when compared to a Waja which is more of a 'continental-look' conventional sedan, of course people with 'sportier' taste would have preferred Gen.2. I somewhat felt that both are incomparable as they are of different class :)

It is like comparing between an Alfa-Romeo 156 with a Volvo S60........how to compare? One is a sport sedan and the other a conventional 'family' sedan. :D

Anyway - 'Beauty Lies In the eyes of the beholder' ;)

World's First Test Drive Report of Proton Gen.2



Friday, February 06, 2004 By Chips





Testing a new model which a whole nation is talking about can be exciting and it’s been the same almost everytime I have tested a new Proton - right from very first one in 1985 which attracted so much attention wherever I drove. These days, though, the need for secrecy means that we journalists don’t get to drive the car in public right away and have to do it in the compound of the Proton factory complex in Shah Alam, Selangor – and we have to observe an embargo otherwise we get sued!

Anyway, Proton has a big test-track so we can’t really complain as many aspects of the new car can be assessed – and in safety too. The test-track has a large oval where a car can be driven at high speeds (120 km/h was specified for the steep banks on either end) and long straights to test braking and acceleration. There’s also a large circular skidpad to check out handling and a few other areas to test ride comfort.

This is where I met the Proton Gen.2 on February 4th 2004.

The first thing that caught my eye was the nice metallic colours on the testcars – Angel Blue and Metropolitan Grey. Even under the rather gloomy sky, the colours sparkled and enhanced the looks of the car. I think the six colour choices are most appropriate for the car and complement its sporty image.




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While the Gen.2’s styling is a departure from whatever Proton has had before (with the exception of the Juara, of course), it is not controversial like what Chris Bangle has done to change the direction of BMW styling philosophy. It is a change that is refreshing and certainly the right direction for Proton’s new range of models.

The proportions of the car are well balanced and the way the body panels interface is nice too. The line that runs from the nose to the fastback tail is also a nice smooth curve that does not get too high (it’s 45 mm lower than a Corolla).

Both the front and rear lighting units are eye-catching, the rear ones more so. They wrap around the bodywork and have integrated reflectors, making it unnecessary to have extra holes for smaller reflectors on the bumper. For sure, you are not going to mistake the Gen.2 for any other car with those unique lights!

From the outside, the cabin looks fairly spacious and when you get in, it is actually very much so. Though the wheelbase is the same as the Waja, there is something about the Gen.2’s cabin that makes it feel spacious. The critical hip point is at just the right height (slightly raised) and allows most people to slip into the seat smoothly. However, I must say that the shape of the rear doors is not so ‘friendly’: as you open them, their somewhat triangular shape means you have to move slightly out of the way as the door swings open. This does not happen if the door has less of a projection.

The inside door handles have a circular design and I am not sure if they are practical. They seemed to work okay but at the same time, they felt flimsy and I wonder if they may break after some time. In the Waja, I found that the grab handle to close the door was somehow positioned rather forward which made closing the door a bit less convenient but this is not so awkward in the Gen.2.

Sporty is clearly the theme of the interior, especially the front half of the cabin. The front seats resemble racing seats with accentuated side supports. However, the sides are not so extended that they restrict body movement which typically occurs when you are driving in town. The fixed head restraint is no issue at all and is set at a height which should be suitable for most people.




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When I first started looking at the pictures of the dashboard, I thought it was rather Spartan but once it was explained that the design concept was a minimalist type, as what you would find in a Lotus sportscar, then it was very clear why it looked that way. A sportscar driver wants to enjoy the drive and is usually not too bothered by the cockpit so the Gen.2 dashboard has that sort of thinking.

Look longer and you will find that all the necessary stuff is actually present so it is a credit to the interior designers that they managed to have that clean, functional look and yet also provide all the things found in a sedan. The integrated audio system gives a neat look but it also means that owners will not be able to readily put in their preferred system if they wish to. They’ll probably have to remove that whole panel to install their own super-duper set and then the looks will be spoilt…

From the user-friendliness point of view, though, I don’t think the space-age layout of the audio panel is all that good. The buttons are too small and if you look at the original equipment audio units in most cars, buttons are big and for a valid reason: they should be easy to identify and operate while driving. That said, there are also buttons on the steering wheel which allow the driver to make adjustments more easily.

The three large knobs below the centre panel are more practical and they are for the air-conditioning system. It’s a bit unusual the way they are set on a narrow vertical panel as in most cars, that area would have a recess or something.

Storage space is something I always look out for in a car because I tend to have many things with me. The absence of a glove compartment is not that bad though there should at least be a place where valuables can be locked away. The handphone can go into the single cupholder which is between the front seats or (according to a Proton guy), there is a spot to the right of the steering wheel where you can magnetically mount a phone (the circular pad). There are also pockets in the doors (not particularly large) and a console box between the seats. If you have sunglasses, there’s a space to stow them and behind the vanity mirror on the passenger’s side, there’s a namecardholder.

The handbrake lever will probably get varied comments but I think it is just the designer’s way of making the Gen.2 unique and at least it is not an impractical sort of design! The ball-topped shift lever is also okay to hold and I hope that the shifter for the automatic will be more conventional than the awkward one in the Waja.

The instrument panel looks good and both meters are well shrouded. Within the speedometer is the fuel gauge while the tachometer has a small coolant temperature gauges, also at the base. In between is the useful information display (rare in this class of cars) but one thing I found a bit messy was the location of warning lights. Some are in the tachometer and some are in the space between the meters – why can’t everything be clustered in one spot so the driver just has to focus there?

Rear accommodation is pretty good with generous legroom and a comfortable angle for the backrests, with excellent thigh support. Though the roofline seems low, there is actually enough headroom at the back for most Malaysians and sideways too, the elbow room is pretty good.

The only thing I felt about the rear area was that it was lacking in some way, almost like the car was conceived as a 2+2 with rear occupants expected to be the exception rather than the rule. There are no pockets for magazines behind the front seats nor cupholders. Perhaps the more expensive high-line version will have these but there is no indication in the manual issued.

The overall impression I had of the Gen.2 cabin was that the materials are of a high quality, even in the base version. The texture of the plastics and the feel of the fabric on the seats all convey a sense of quality that is not so evident in the Waja. The plastics especially don’t have that cheap shiny look and everything has a good fit. Personally, I don’t like light-coloured interior trim because it gets dirty easily and stains show, but I also recognize that it makes for a nicer atmosphere inside.

The boot space is reasonably large and should be enough for most people. Though the backrests fold down individually (60:40 division) to extend the length of the boot floor, I don’t think a lot of people here use the feature much. But in Europe, I am sure it will be more appreciated and the good thing is that the designers bothered to make the seat flip up so that the backrest lies completely flat. However, I wish they would provide some sort of holder to keep the head restraint when it is removed.




Driving the Gen.2


This is probably the part that you really want to read about! To be honest, it wasn’t my very first experience with the CAMPRO engine as some time back, Tengku Mahaleel had asked me to try a Waja which was fitted with the engine. Of course, I was not allowed to write about it then and the main purpose was for me to give feedback to the engineers. At that time, the engine was still being tuned but it impressed me tremendously with its top end capability. Low-end performance was not so good and I told the engineers that. They said that they would tweak it some more and improve the torque curve, assuring me that the production CAMPRO would be nicer to drive.

So when I met the Azhari Che Hassan, the youthful-looking leader of the team that got RM500 million to develop the engine, my first question to him at the test track was: “ Have you got it right?” His confident answer was that they had and that he hoped I would be able to feel the change.

Yes, they did get it right, as I discovered when I took the Gen.2 out. There is good torque at the low end but if you look at the unusual torque curve, it does dip a bit at the start but in normal driving, you would probably get past that spot fast enough and then from about 2500 rpm, you already have 85% of peak torque which gives pretty brisk acceleration. You do need to work the gears to exploit that kind of steep torque curve but I think that the sort of person who drives a Gen.2 will probably enjoy doing it!

The engine is smooth in most speed ranges but I thought it did not have enough refinement during cruising – NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) could be lower, I felt. the engines were new (less than 400 kms) so they may not have given the best account of themselves. The throttle response deserves mention as there is a drive-by wire linkage from the pedal. In some cars (more are having it), the feel is on the light side but in the Gen.2, it was fine.

The claimed performance figures could not be verified but I would consider them realistic. As for fuel consumption, you can check for yourself whether or not it is as economical as 5.8 litres per 100 kms (equal to 17.1 kms/litre or almost 49 mpg) at a constant 90 km/h because the Gen.2 comes with a built-in tripcomputer to tell you average fuel consumption. If you don’t match it (meaning the figure you get is higher), it may be because the Gen.2 makes you drive less economically!

There’s nothing special about the Mitsubishi-supplied manual gearbox and like all Japanese transmissions, the shift quality is slick, though I thought the positions were not distinct enough and quick shifting may not always be smoothly executed.

The steering wheel, which looks nice and sporty, also has a good feel to it but a thicker rim would be nicer. I’m not sure if my fingers are short but I found that I had to stretch them a bit to reach the stalks for the signals and wipers; incidentally, like the Waja and most European cars, the signals are operated by the left stalk. I also found the tilt adjustment limited (and very stiff to adjust) and seemingly biased towards a low position. Personally, I find a high position more practical for daily driving where you need leverage but I know younger drivers prefer to have it low down like in a racing car.

Steering response can be considered good and in some high-speed swerving, the car changed directions obediently and quickly. The steering ratio is just right for parking and I daresay the Gen.2 is an easy car to maneuver… but rearward vision is not all that great with the thick C-pillar and narrow rear windscreen. This is the unfortunate thing about the sleek shape and reminded of the same issues when I tested the Honda Insight (which also has a similar backside).

In the handling department, I have to commend the engineers for their excellent effort in chassis tuning. The suspension is essentially the same as the Waja – even the wheelbase is the same – but the Gen.2 has a far greater degree of controllability and precision. This confirms Proton’s claim of the new model beating the Waja, specifically in wheel control, body control (minimal roll in spite of tallness) and comfort.

““You could say we took the best parts of the Waja’s handling and refined them for the Gen.2,” remarked Chin Swee Ming, the lady who heads Vehicle Program B which involved the development of this new model.




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It’s all the more impressive because the Gen.2 is an aeroback (which also stands higher than the Waja) as such a design usually has less stiffness at the back, with implications on handling. This presents a greater challenge to the suspension tuners who have to find other ways to compensate although the body is inherently stiff and that helps. The more compact body (than the Waja) would also be another advantage as it would reduce the yaw rate to some extent.

Without a doubt, the lessons learnt from Lotus Engineering have been well absorbed by our engineers and fully utilized. In the Gen.2, it is clear that they did not just tweak the Waja suspension but also worked on the structural elements as well.

“Think of the Waja’s ride and handling as ‘version 1’ and the Gen.2’s as ‘version 2’. You can say it’s a bit like Microsoft Windows which is continuously upgraded for the better,” said Tengku Azizan, Head of Proton’s R&D division, who was happy to hear that the journalists noted the significant difference.

Such good handling usually carries a sacrifice in ride comfort and although Proton claims the Gen.2 is better than the Waja in this area, I do not think so. They have sophisticated measuring equipment and evaluate using scientifically quantifiable international standards so I am sure they know what they are talking about but subjectively, I felt the Waja’s ride is nicer (or maybe, as someone suggested, I am just getting old!). This is not to say the Gen.2’s ride is harsh but it is on the stiff side and some shocks do come through rather sharply. The 55-series tyres also have short sidewalls that don’t help.

The units we had were all the basic entry-level versions so they did not have ABS but still had 4-wheel disc brakes which are 1 inch larger in diameter than those in the Wira. Having discs at the rear has always been something that has impressed me about Proton specs since the Wira days as the class rivals did not have it. In the Gen.2, the TRW-supplied systems (same as for Waja) worked effectively and had progressive feel.

Driving around the track, I gave attention to the overall noise levels in the car and have to say that the insulation is class-average. Some mechanical noises still come through and I suspect that these may have been due to the fact that the units were pre-production units. Similar issues are also apparent when I test the early production units of new models from other companies during media previews. So let’s see what a production unit feels like.

I am sure the new factory in Tanjung Malim, with its high level of automation, will turn out cars of high quality. But the question which many people will want to know is whether it can be consistently high. In one of the testcars, the power window motor on the driver’s door was noisy and when I tried another car, it was smooth and quiet. Another testcar had vibration coming through the accelerator pedal at all speeds but this was not evident in a second car I drove. Again, I must stress that we were driving pre-production units so final judgement cannot be made on overall build quality of the Gen.2. Perhaps Proton should consider providing journalists with long-term testcars to be able to see how the durability is over a year of usage, along with the experience of after-sales services.

It’s unfortunate that Proton’s image in as far as build quality is concerned has been tarnished in recent years, not necessarily because of its own plant and workers but because some suppliers have not been diligent enough in delivering parts of consistently high quality. This is something I kept stressing to Tengku Mahaleel: people don’t blame the company that made the headlights which have water going in, they blame Proton. So the suppliers need to buck up because no matter how many millions Proton spends on advanced manufacturing facilities, the frequent failure of a power window system made by someone else will prevent it from being able to live up to the promise of producing cars of global quality.

Proton’s image can be likened to Skoda in some ways: older Malaysians may remember what their old range was like and the sort of quality they had. Today, Skoda is making cars that are based on VWs and are of a pretty high quality. Yet, when you mention ‘Skoda’ to many people, there is the perception that the car can’t be of high quality.

So consumers remember such things and Proton has now to work very hard to change this perception, especially among Malaysians. Buying a Proton should not be like ‘Russian roulette’ where you may be the unlucky one. The build quality and reliability of every Proton should be consistent and high.

The Gen.2 is a well conceived car and from the engineering point of view, it is world-class, the same thing I have been saying about the Waja too. Assuming the price is right, this is a car which can beat the Koreans whose strategy is just to offer cars at low prices. Proton, on the other hand, is not only offering a car that is affordable but it also has the added value of superior engineering.

If you look at the past 5 or 6 years of Proton’s ‘journey’ as a climb up a hill, the arrival of the Gen.2 can be likened to having reached the crest and from here on, they no longer need to be in defensive mode but can go on the offensive without any ‘parental help’. At the risk of sounding like The Terminator… It is Time!

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Proton Gen.2




Friday, February 06, 2004 By Chips




Brand new model powered by a brand new engine coming from a brand new factory. This is definitely one of the most significant milestones in Proton’s history and an achievement which can be said to be on a higher level than the launch of the Waja. In fact, the Waja was probably more of a ‘dry run’ for Proton’s capabilities and with the new Gen.2, Proton is clearly ready to go to battle.

The development of the Gen.2 began in August 2000, around the time the Waja was launched. While Malaysians were excited over the arrival of an entirely new Proton model, the Gen.2 team in Vehicle Program B put together their proposals and presented four full-scale clay models to the management. From the outset, the plan was to have a 5-door model and over 12 months, the chosen design was refined by a team headed by Damien Chia, a Malaysian designer who was challenged by Proton’s CEO to break away from ‘boundary thinking’.

It must have been a dream come true for Damien because he could depart from convention and propose a new styling direction for Proton, just as Chris Bangle has done with BMW styling. With the Gen.2, the stylists took a fresh approach to how surfaces would look and chose deeper concave lines and shoulders for a masculine and aggressive look. That the Gen.2 would be a sporty sort of car meant they could have a narrower focus in the styling since it would be targeted at a specific group of younger buyers.

“It’s a car that has been specifically designed to appeal to young families, in line with Proton’s long-term objective of creating cars to meet with the pre-requisites and expectations of specific target groups,” explained Damien, who is confident that the looks will evoke emotion in buyers.

“What we essentially set out to do was to break from the tradition of building one ‘safe design’ for everyone,” he added. This means that Proton will be niche-oriented and in doing so, be able to provide more appealing products to different segments of the market.




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EXTERIOR


The present Proton corporate face can be traced by to the Iswara of the early 1990s and in some ways, it is retained but re-interpreted for a new decade. Not forgetting the Malaysian roots of Proton, the stylists drew inspiration from the wau (the Malay kite) and also the handle of the keris when they shaped the front grille. This is the new face of Proton and it is bold as well as distinctive.

“You’ll see this face evolving in appearance, size and presence, depending on the target market of individual products,” said Damien.

Little details count and a lot of attention was given to all areas of the car. For example, the door handles were the subject of many hours of work to produce a classier sort of design which was also functional.

Dimensionally, the Gen.2 is about the size of the Wira Aeroback (which it does not replace, contrary to what has been expected) and it is among the wider cars in its class at 1725 mm. The sleek shape, which has been compared to the Renault Megane but also looks a bit like the Honda Insight, has a Cd of 0.33 and can drop to 0.30 with a spoiler.

The development period for the Gen.2 was speedier than the Waja – 1 million man-hours versus 1.7 million man-hours – because a lot of experience had been gained in developing the earlier model but more importantly, the same versatile platform was adopted. This meant that more time could be spent on the body as the platform was already done and what was needed in that area was tuning.

When it came to body structure, the aim was to achieve the same sort of stiffness as German products (BMW was mentioned). Extensive use of computer aids was made and the result is a bodyshell which is claimed to be very stiff – double that of any present Proton - and able to offer optimum occupant protection. It meets international crash standards and the effectiveness of the design was confirmed by actual crash tests of 15 prototypes in Australia.

The quest for stiffness has meant that the Gen.2 is not a light car and at 1175 kgs, it is 10 kgs lighter than the bigger Waja, and heavier than its rivals. The aeroback design has also contributed to the weight as the large glass sheet at the back is heavy.





THE CAMPRO ENGINE


But the engineers were not discouraged by the weight factor because they would be having a brand new engine under the bonnet and one which was Proton’s own. This is the CAMPRO engine which was the subject of a RM500 million program and involved 200 engineers. The engine program was run concurrently with the Gen.2 program and prototypes were driven over more than 27,000 hours in Sweden, Spain, Australia and of course, Malaysia.

The first representative of the CAMPRO family is coded ‘54PH’ and is a 1597 cc 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve unit. This long-stroke engine has a cast iron block and has been designed as a modular unit, which means variants can be developed using similar parts such as pistons and blocks, thereby lowering costs. In fact, by having its own engine, Proton is believed to have cut its engine costs by 44%, an important saving to make it more competitive.

The 54PH engine, which is just 581 mm long, delivers 82 kW/110 bhp of power at 6000 rpm and 148 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm on a compression ratio of 10:1. Careful tuning has given it linear torque progression to complement the high-revving character. On paper, it looks like a class leader with a specific power output of 70 bhp/litre of displacement and as Azhari Che Hassan, the leader of the CAMPRO team pointed out, this has been achieved without using a variable valve timing mechanism. So imagine what could be obtained when they offer a future engine with such additional features?

“Actually we have completed development of a more powerful version and it won’t be long before it will join the line-up,” he revealed, adding that it will have the Lotus-developed Cam Profile Switching technology (that is where the CAMPRO name was derived from) which is said to be conceptually like a variable valve timing system. A source said that the power output from the same displacement could be increased by 18% at least.

Performance is one thing but to the average motorists, maintenance costs are also important. In this respect, the engine has been designed for oil change intervals every 10,000 kms, instead of the usual 5,000 kms. Over the longer term, its service life is claimed to be good for 250,000 kms and no major overhaul should be needed for 10 years under normal usage.

Proton’s own engine management system is used and this is the EMS700. It incorporates a diagnostic tool which will enable quicker trouble-shooting and as it is Proton’s own component, there will be the possibility of customizing programming to suit market needs. This is something which Proton has not been able to do with the older models as the engine management system has come from Mitsubishi Motors as a ‘sealed box’ and to ask for reprogramming has been expensive.

Proton did not forget about the environment in developing the CAMPRO engine and it not only meets prevailing Malaysian emission control standards which are at Step-2 but can easily meet the tougher Step-3 and Step-4 requirements which are already applied in Europe. A clean and economical NGV version using gas is also under development and will be offered in the near future, but there are no plans for a turbodiesel.

The Gen.2 will come with manual 5-speed and automatic 4-speed transmissions, the latter to be available only in about two months time. Little is know about these units but they come from Mitsubishi Motors. According to Tengku Mahaleel, making its own transmissions would be too costly for Proton as very high volumes are needed. As there are many specialists in transmissions around the world, it is more cost-effective to buy from them. The extra cost in buying this item from others is not significant but the savings on the engine are: up to 40% savings or RM150 million annually.



CHASSIS

In chassis design, Proton can proudly proclaim itself to be above average, thanks to having Lotus Engineering. The Gen.2 benefits from a chassis that has already been in use for some three years and proven to be a competent platform. It is the same as the Waja’s and even shares the same wheelbase but extensive reworking and tuning has been done so it is not merely a Waja chassis with a different body.

The front suspension uses those universal MacPherson struts with coil springs and shock absorbers, both sides tied by a direct-acting stabilizer bar. Unlike the Waja front suspension, the Gen.2’s has a new dual-path mounting concept to separate the load path of the spring from the load path of the shock absorber. This has meant that instead of a single rubber bushing to support the car and isolate noise, there are now two separate elements to give better impact absorption and eliminating damper lag in extreme conditions.

The rear suspension layout is described as a multi-link arrangement and basically has a transverse link to each wheel coming off a strong subframe under the rear-end. The multiple links hold the wheels in a specific geometry by acting or reacting against different forces during cornering. It looks simple but there’s actually a complex relationship to be managed and Proton’s engineers have enough understanding to make it all work very effectively.

Each wheel has a 15-inch disc brake as standard, and the provision of disc brakes on the rear wheels is something which goes back to the Wira days. The front ones are ventilated while the rear are solid. Factory ABS is available but only on the high-line version which will cost more and be available later on. The ABS includes EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) which ensures that braking is always balanced between front and rear, whatever the load carried.




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INTERIOR

Simplicity, stylishness and sportiness were the elements Proton’s interior designers, led by Head of Design (2) Zafruddin Shamsuddin, set out to achieve when they began to create the Gen.2’s cabin. The theme was ‘Lotus Inside’ and this meant that they had to incorporate ‘Lotus DNA’ – essentially a sporty ambience – inside.

It is for this reason that the cabin of the Gen.2 looks light years ahead of the old Proton generation of cars. It starts from the front – the dashboard – where minimalism is apparent and function takes precedence over form. Everything is neatly clustered with audio system and ventilation controls running down the middle section. Circular meters, set deeply, bring the elegance of a chronograph presentation which is typical of sportscars, Installed as standard on all versions is a simple tripcomputer which provides information on average fuel consumption (in litres per 100 kms), distance to empty tank and journey time (from firing up the engine).

Employing SAFEWORK, the latest in 3D and virtual ergonomics software, the interior designers were able to take things to the next level of sophistication. The dashboard itself has been made less bulky, freeing more space for the occupants. However, in the process, the glovebox has been omitted though a wide shelf is available on both sides of the dashboard.

Storage space is best described as ‘modest’ even though Proton says it is generous. There are small pockets in the front doors, a console box between the front seats and a cupholder (which will probably be used for coins), a namecard holder behind the vanity mirror on the sunvisor and a sunglass holder. If there is any area of the cabin which leaves something more to be desired, it would be storage.

To emphasise the sporty nature of the car, the seats have been given a one-piece racing style with a fixed headrest (in the old days, such seats were called ‘tombstone seats’!). They have been designed for good ergonomics and provide support in all the important areas when the owner drives the Gen.2 in the manner it begs to be driven – a spirited manner!

In the basic version (the only one you can get for now), the Gen.2 has seatbelts with pre-tensioners to limit forward movement of the body during a collision. No airbags are offered but this doesn’t mean they are not available. On the extra-cost high-line version, dual SRS airbags will be available so it is a matter of paying more for the extra level of safety, if a buyer requires it.

Measuring 1858 mm in length, the cabin is 33 mm longer than that of the Wira. The use of the Waja wheelbase has meant that people inside enjoy more legroom. According to Zafruddin, the interior space complies with internationally recognized ergonomic standards for cabins, based on global posture statistics. 95% of occupants of average size and up to 1.88 metres (6ft 2 ins) tall will be comfortable in the front seats; 80% of occupants of average size, up to 1.75 metres (5ft 9ins) will be happy in the rear seats and 50% of occupants of average size, up to 1.65 metres (5ft 5ins) will feel comfortable in the middle of the rear seats. As can be seen, the heights are more than the average Malaysian so it is definitely spacious.

The boot volume is 415 litres which is some 22% more than what is available in the Wira Aeroback and the same as the Waja. The boot floor can be extended for longer objects as the backrests (divided in 60:40 ratio) can be folded down and will be completely flat because the seats flip forward. There is some storage space around the boot and under the floor is a compact space-saver spare tyre which is meant only for emergency use.



SECURITY

The Proton Wira has been a very popular model and a best-seller and also No. 1 in the stolen car list. It is inevitable that the most popular models will be much sought-after by thieves and intent on preventing the Gen.2 from gaining this unwanted ‘honour’, Proton has made the new model harder to steal. An engine immobilizer complements the security system which meets the stringent Thatcham criteria. Additionally, the CAPTOR vehicle tracking system is also incorporated so that a stolen vehicle has a higher chance of being recovered. Additional features of the system include a fuel-cut and carjack panic switch.





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BUILD QUALITY

Proton has world-class capabilities in design and engineering and no one will argue about that fact. However, the problem that has dragged Proton down, especially in the eyes of the Malaysian public, has been build quality. It hasn’t been performance or design, just the inconsistent quality of the cars being delivered.

In some ways, some of the quality issues are due to the use of older manufacturing processes that date back to the 1980s when the factory was built. Some of the suppliers are also to blame because they make the components and when something like a power window fails, people don’t necessarily blame the supplier (whom they may not even know about) but they blame Proton.

Tengku Mahaleel does not deny that Proton’s cars have faults, a position which differs from that which he had when he launched the Waja. At that time, he believed that the switch to modular assembly would bring about a quantum leap in build quality, besides cutting costs, and in theory, it should have. Well, it would seem that a lot of lessons have been learnt and this time round, he is more guarded in how he talks about quality, even acknowledging that there could be faults in the early builds. This is not unusual and even the best manufacturers will have some problems with early builds of new models.

But what is different this time is that there is a brand new factory to build the Gen.2 and this facility has been designed with the latest processes that will bring about higher and more consistent build quality, greater efficiency and higher productivity.

Automation, with some 180 robots, is 60% compared to 30% at the Shah Alam plant. Complementing this increased level of automation is a 3-stage line inspection process for quality assurance. The first is static evaluation on fitting and appearance of exterior and interior areas of each car as it comes off the line. This is followed by a dynamic evaluation on the function and driveability, after which there is a final inspection before the cars are deemed ready and fit for delivery to customers.

“Even then, our process to ensure that a high-quality car reaches the customer does not end,” he said. “Besides the usual Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) procedure at every dealer, we have formulated a 120-point form which a customer will go through with the salesman at the time of delivery. Only when the customer is satisfied should he or she sign this form.”

Responding to problems more quickly has also been promised and the job of resolving problems is being given to regional heads. No longer should there be delays due to the lengthy process of referring everything to the head office. Special technical teams have also been established which will be sent to any dealer who has cars with difficult problems.

Incidentally, besides the extra-long factory warranty, the Gen.2 also comes with a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty, thanks to the use of galvanized steel in many areas and advanced anti-corrosion treatments at the new factory. Of course, customers will be required to periodically present their cars to an authorized service centre for inspection in order to keep the warranty valid.



THE FINAL WORD

The Gen.2 is clearly a car that is very different from past mainstream Protons, with the exception of the Waja. It is the first of a family of cars which will number at least 20 during this decade (another two are due this year and they will be even more exciting). No longer having to clone models of other manufacturers and no longer having to depend on others for the ‘heart’ of the car, Proton is ready to face the competition on a level playing field.

“Suffice to say that with our new and diverse range of models to come, people will have difficulty believing they are Protons. If there was a problem in the perception people had of Proton cars in the past, it was that our products were essentially evolved from Mitsubishi products. As we move away from such an association with Mitsubishi products, we will need that ‘wow factor’ in our own products to clearly establish Proton as a brand in its own right,” said Tengku Mahaleel. “With the new Gen.2, we are out to do not only that but also make a lasting impression.”

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They call these girls models?? Where are our hot women? :rant:

http://delivery.gettyimages.com/comp/2936569.jpg?x=x&dasite=MS_GINS&ef=2&ev=1&dareq=8AD66665ABE7C88BE590E41DBBB802DD

WOW!!

It managed to make me say wow 3 times :D..

Seriously the interior is superb!

great interiors!! can fight with mercedes:D

Originally posted by TYW

great interiors!! can fight with mercedes:D


:bash: You're a great joker man! :lol: :D

Originally posted by szehoong

hmmm......I somewhat liked the Waja......not to say I dislike this but comparing this and the Waja is like comparing between apples and oranges. ;)

Waja is from a different category - it slots right between Perdana and Wira/Gen.2 :D

I am not too sure if Proton would revamp its line-up but I guess Waja's position is to stay. Just take a look at the offerings on the Waja and you could confirm that it is actually a slightly more 'premium' model than the Wira/Gen.2. ;)

As for the price......well......I think it should be lower as we're paying the same price for Wira 10 years ago too.....Malaysian cars are super-expensive IMO. :(

I think comparison is still possible :) For example, the comparison in a later message you used an Alfa Romeo and a Volvo as an anology. I think I can still compare the 2 cars, in a different way. I can evaluate their styling within their category and determine which is the more masterful company in terms of dedication to design.

in the same way, I think comparison with the Waja is possible.

My grudge with the Waja is the nose, too pointy near the badge. The front headlamps resemble the Volkswagen Passat...but the nose spoils it. Otherwise, I have issues with the interior. Cheap plastic and bad ergonomics, esp the air-con console (too much oriented towards the driver)

As for the Gen-2 (funny name choice BTW), the interior shows much better design effort. From pictures, the choice of material also appears to be of higher quality. The external design lines (esp the back) are more in keeping with current trends. Somewhat reminiscent of the Chrylser Intrepid. The front end could be more aggresive looking though IMHO. It lookssomewhat dimmunitive for a car trying to sell itself on sporty looks. It needs to carry an image more like the Mazda-6 (dun mess with me sorta look).

Can't comment about price....actually, in the States, 55,000RM (around 13,000USD) would be about right for a car in the Gen-2 category. Only thing cheaper would be a Kia or Hyundai Accent, and even those go for around 11-12000 USD.

Proton should phase out their 'updated proton saga' mischief and concentrate their production capacity on models that can upgrade their image. Only in this way can they achieve volume enough to sell their cars cheaper.....

Originally posted by baqthier

They call these girls models?? Where are our hot women? :rant:

http://delivery.gettyimages.com/comp/2936569.jpg?x=x&dasite=MS_GINS&ef=2&ev=1&dareq=8AD66665ABE7C88BE590E41DBBB802DD

eek! what a Human Resources disaster! They look like Secondary School girls!!!!! *faint*

hey..saw pics of KLIMS too...SAME PROBLEM!

*faint again*

Mo chance to get it in shortest time possible..

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. (5304.KU), or Proton, has received over 5,000 orders for the Gen-2 car model launched Friday, the national Bernama news agency reported Tuesday.

"We knew we had a good product on our hands, but we were not expecting the response to be tremendously positive and overwhelming. This is indeed a pleasant surprise," Bernama quoted Proton Chief Executive Tengku Mahaleel Ariff as saying.


The Gen-2 model is a 1.6-liter car equipped with the national car maker's first locally-designed engine, the Campro. Older models of Proton cars have engines designed by Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211.TO).

Proton forecasts sales of 50,000 to 80,000 units of the Gen-2 model this year.

Proton said it plans to launch two more new models this year as it struggles to recover sales lost to foreign competitors in 2003. Last year, Proton car sales fell 27.3% on-year, losing out to foreign competitors who put new models in the market.

Originally posted by liping_t

I think comparison is still possible :) For example, the comparison in a later message you used an Alfa Romeo and a Volvo as an anology. I think I can still compare the 2 cars, in a different way. I can evaluate their styling within their category and determine which is the more masterful company in terms of dedication to design.

in the same way, I think comparison with the Waja is possible.


Okay the analogy I've presented aren't strong enough. How would I say if we were to compare between the Volvo S60 and S40? Yes....they are from a different category but from the same company - just like Waja and Gen.2. Of course we all could evaluate its styling but given Waja as Proton's first attempt at a completely new design 4 years ago, I think comparing Gen.2 would be an unfair advantage as they actually 'learned from their mistake from Waja'. :)

Originally posted by liping_t


My grudge with the Waja is the nose, too pointy near the badge. The front headlamps resemble the Volkswagen Passat...but the nose spoils it. Otherwise, I have issues with the interior. Cheap plastic and bad ergonomics, esp the air-con console (too much oriented towards the driver)

As for the Gen-2 (funny name choice BTW), the interior shows much better design effort. From pictures, the choice of material also appears to be of higher quality. The external design lines (esp the back) are more in keeping with current trends. Somewhat reminiscent of the Chrylser Intrepid. The front end could be more aggresive looking though IMHO. It lookssomewhat dimmunitive for a car trying to sell itself on sporty looks. It needs to carry an image more like the Mazda-6 (dun mess with me sorta look).


Well....can't comment about the nose.......some people like it and some don't. Anyway Proton wanted the 'Alfa-Romeo' look for the past 4 years - just look at the Perdana! :D ....actually my only grudge is the Perdana .......its interior is good but the 'Lexus GX300' lights at the back and the Alfa 146 nose spoils the 'elegant' lines of the car.

Actually I found that Hyundai and Kia's plastic almost the same quality as Waja's but you're right about the 'driver-oriented' air-cons.......:D.........other than that, Waja suffers from problems like engine problems and central-locking (common on all Protons). ;)

ANyway, future Protons wouldn't look like Waja anymore as their design is heading the Gen.2 direction. Proton would be coming up with its complete line-up within the next 2 years and models like Saga would be out by then. :D

Anyway kudos to its interior! I went to Proton showroom yesterday and I am really taken aback by its quality of its interior - definitely a welcome change from the plasticky Wiras! :colgate:

However its door handles (interior ones) needs improving and its roofline at the back is kinda short. Mat sallehs would have probloem sitting at the back! :D

Chan wants more safety features in cars



BY LEONG SHEN-LI





KAJANG: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy will meet local car manufacturers to find out why several basic road safety features have not been included in Malaysian cars.

“I am not happy with our car manufacturers. Even though I had asked them to install more safety features, nothing seems to have happened,” he said.

Chan added that he could not understand why Malaysian cars manufactured for the international market had safety features such as air bags but these were not available in cars sold locally.

“I will meet up with these manufacturers next week and I hope to find out why such features have not been included in their cars,” he said, when speaking to reporters after launching the advanced superstructure coach built by Badanbas Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Nadicorp Holdings Sdn Bhd.

An advanced superstructure coach is one that meets a high international safety standard. Some of the safety features include chairs which are attached to the bus' body frame instead of floorboards, and single-piece frames instead of individual pieces that are welded together.

On whether the installation of air bags and other safety features would be made compulsory, Chan said he would have to meet with the manufacturers first before making a decision.

“They should take the initiative to install these features,” he said, adding that the installation of air bags in cars should not be difficult as there were local manufacturers for them.

He added that if it was a question of cost, people should be willing to pay a little more for the sake of safety.

Chan also said that he would make a proposal to the Cabinet to make the use of seatbelts mandatory for the front four passengers and the driver of express buses.

“The front passengers and the driver are totally unprotected during an accident while passengers sitting in the other seats are cushioned,” he said, adding that this would apply to all new coaches as well as those which were already on the road.

He added that the number of accidents involving buses had increased from 9,258 in 2002 to 9,697 last year, while the number of deaths increased from 45 in 2002 to 67 last year.

He also congratulated Badanbas for adopting high safety standards, on its own initiative, for the buses it manufactured.

Nadicorp Holdings executive chairman Datuk Nadzmi Salleh said Badanbas had included safety features in its buses because the group also operates express and stage bus services.

On the mandatory use of seat belts in buses, Nadzmi said the most important thing was a strong structure for a bus.

“If the structure of a bus is not strong, then I’m afraid the use of seat belts would not really help,” he added.

Single Proton network suggested



By HONG BOON HOW




THE government hopes a single and well co-ordinated network to distribute Proton cars can be established soon to enable consumers to get easy access to Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd's latest model, the Gen.2, which was launched last week.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said the rivalry between the two distributors of Proton cars – Proton Edar Sdn Bhd and Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) – had resulted in “unhealthy” moves such as price undercutting for existing Proton models and overlapping in areas of coverage.

“Perodua (Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd) does not have this problem as it has only a single distribution network to sell its cars,” Rafidah pointed out.



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International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz (second from left) witnessing the MOU signed among the members of Federation of Motor Traders' Association (FEMATA). With her are (from left) Proton Edar Dealers Association of Malaysia president Wan Ahmad Sepwan Wan Abd Rahman, Femata chairman Ismail Din and Perodua Dealers Association of Malaysia president Wan Shalihudin Wan Ibrahim.






“Although the government does not want to interfere with the decisions of the private sector, we hope that they will be able to work things out in the interest of national car sales,” she said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between three members of the Federation of Motor Traders Association (Femata) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The three are EON Dealers Association of Malaysia, Proton Edar Dealers Association of Malaysia, and Perodua Dealers Association of Malaysia.

Femata chairman Ismail Din said the federation represented more than 400 car outlets and had a collective interest in enhancing the national car industry.

The federation's objectives are to strengthen car dealers' presence in the automotive industry, enhance the entire industry and improve the dealers' business practice with emphasis on satisfying customer needs and business ethics.

Rafidah said although Proton Edar and EON were set up to sell Proton cars, it was the former, a Proton subsidiary, that had been given the rights to sell Gen.2.

The sporty-looking 1.6-litre Gen.2 hatchback was launched last Thursday. The car, which is being sold at RM52,888 for the manual transmission and RM55,888 for the automatic version, has drawn huge consumer interest.



Rafidah also said Proton Edar and EON could rationalise their sales networks and work with each other in providing better service to consumers and reduce duplication of outlets.

“The close proximity of Proton Edar and EON outlets in certain locations has led to an unhealthy fight for survival, as these locations do not have sufficient market size to sustain both Proton Edar and EON outlets,” she said.

She suggested that a merger or some other form of co-operation be established by Proton Edar and EON at the outlet level to ensure consumers' easy access to Proton cars.

[b]More than 2.1 million Proton vehicles have been sold since the first Proton Saga saloon rolled out in 1985. EON has sold 1.6 million Proton cars to date.

Proton Edar, which has 196 sales outlets, sold 83,000 Proton cars last year, while EON, with a network of 180 outlets, sold 72,000.

Rafidah also said her ministry had received a few letters claiming that there was a shortage of steel billets in the country.

“We are investigating the claims and have also alerted the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry on the matter,” she said.

Rafidah said the alleged shortage could be due to hoarding or poor distribution network for steel billets.

EON still in the dark over Gen.2 distributorship



By Sidek Kamiso



EDARAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) has been put on the “waiting list” along with the rest of Malaysian car buyers eager to take delivery of Proton's latest model, the Gen.2.

An official from EON confirmed the situation, but did not elaborate on the action by Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton). Buyers face a three- to six-month wait for delivery of the Gen.2, which Proton unveiled last Friday. Gen.2 is fitted with the locally-produced Campro engine.

“We have anticipated such a situation and consequently informed our dealers,” the EON official said, adding that the situation was not expected to last long.

Some EON dealers were at a loss to explain the situation to their customers, having received many enquiries since the Gen.2 launch. Callers were told to call Proton or its wholly-owned distribution unit, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, for more information.


“It is unusual. Most people call us because we are traditionally associated with Proton, and they were disappointed when told that we could not take bookings or didn't have the car in our showroom, “ said an EON car dealer in Petaling Jaya.

A check at an EON dealership along Jalan Kemajuan, Petaling Jaya, showed it to be relatively quiet, unlike a Proton Edar dealership a few blocks away, which was packed with potential buyers and people curious to get a glimpse of the new car.

An analyst with a local brokerage said expectations of an overwhelming response to Gen.2 could have prompted Proton to make the car available only at selected dealerships. “It makes sense to limit the number of dealers taking orders for the new car,” she said.

In a recent interview, Proton chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said he was aware of the long delays buyers faced in the past in taking delivery of some models, such as the Wira special edition, and the new Saga and Perdana V6.

This was in view of limited production capacity. “We were struggling to keep up with demand. Our vendors were not been able to keep up,” he said, in reference to the good demand for the earlier models.

Meanwhile, EON share price climbed to a three-month high, following market talk that the company could be undertaking a capital distribution exercise in the form of EON Capital Bhd shares.

Hwang-DBS Securities Bhd in a report said EON shareholders were expected to receive a windfall, in view of a possible plan by EON to distribute part of its stake in the financial services unit, EON Capital, to EON shareholders by May. Consequently, Hwang-DBS Securities raised its ratings on EON to “buy” from “fully valued”.

According to Hwang-DBS, the capital distribution should be worth RM7.25 per share, based on EON's current share price of about RM4.98.

It added that EON Capital shares were also currently undervalued at RM5.90, based on the industry average price to net tangible assets (NTA) multiple of 1.7 times.

EON closed at RM8.80, adding 15 sen, on volume of 504,000 shares traded. EON Capital and Proton remained unchanged at RM5 and RM9.15, respectively.

Originally posted by szehoong

Eeee......I dun like Ford Falcon!........actually I dun like Holden either but where else can you get Holden except Australia and New Zealand? I was saying I prefer Holden to Proton if I am in Australia.......I wouldn't wanna buy another Proton in other countries!!! :D

Holdens are sold under different badges in different countries. The Middle East and South America get rebadged Holden Commodores.

The 2litre Daewoe engine is Holden made too.

The Holden Monaro is rebadged as the GTO in the USA.

Originally posted by liping_t

of the new proton model (autoworld.com.my is full of em)....looks like proton is teasing the M'sian public.....if it really looks anything like the pics say, it's beautiful :)
Hopefully the interior doesn't dissapoint (ie.Waja, plastic too cheap looking)

And oh, what's this ford holden you guys are talkin abt, never saw it before? Sorta looks like a mustang! I checked the US website for ford, don't have the car either.....is it peculiar to Asia???

The Ford Falcon has been produced in Australia since the 1960's. There have been many iterations of it. 2 doors, 4 doors, utes etc. It's had 351 v8's. The EA falcoln from the early 90's was a complete redesign. The latest BA is quite a shift too. It's unique in that it is a straight 6 DOHC 180+kw engine rear wheel drive.

The Commodore has some German influence in it from Opel. The early 90's also saw a big shift in it's design. The car was resized and made a lot larger. It used an ancient Buick V6 that has been refined as far as possible. On the V8 side of things, it is a Chev 350 OHV engine. Maximum output on the HSV models is 300KW (400BHP). The Monaro is a 2 door coupe version highly modified and now sold as a GTO in the US.

This year Holden is making a major upgrade to the V(x) ( ie VN - VY) series. Whole new body design and engine design. Finally moving to Quad cam and also Quadcam V8's. The engine plant is almost online now. They are keeping with a rear wheel drive philosophy. Holden also recently released a 4WD version of the Commodore.

Officials of Proton meet Cabinet over distributorship




By SIDEK KAMISO



Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) officials led by chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Dr Mahaleel Tengku Ariff met with members of the Cabinet yesterday to seek clarification on a suggestion that Proton have a single distribution channel for its cars.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz had suggested on Monday that Proton have a well-coordinated channel to distribute its cars.

Currently, Proton cars are distributed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, and Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON).

Rivalry between the two companies came to a head when Proton chose to initially distribute the Gen.2, its latest model, solely through Proton Edar outlets.

When contacted, a Proton official confirmed a meeting took place, but declined to elaborate.

Sources close to the national car company said that Proton had first scheduled the meeting to showcase the Gen.2 to the ministers attending the cabinet meeting yesterday.

“But in view of the recent development over the distribution of Proton cars, top (Proton) officials took the opportunity to present their case on the distribution of the national car,” the source said.

It is understood that EON officials had met cabinet ministers last week on its distributorship.

According to the sources, the meetings could set the direction for the distributorship of the national car.

That's right, Falcon and Commodore are uniquely Australian cars..

Other cars how ar...I thought at first Honda city is pretty but then I really it's side profile is so fugly...I guess all the cheapest new cars are so small because of their 1.5L engines.

The Ford Holden does remind me of the Ford Mustang sold here in the US....

To change the subject...I'm now eagerly awaiting the SRM which apparently should be out in June! News from the grapevine is that it won't be a replica of the Gen.2, it will be an almost completely new car!! Exciting!!

yea.....Proton's design are going on a different direction - which is good. This year we would be seeing two new models (if Proton keep up its promise) - the SRM (Satria Replacement Model) and the TRM (Tiara Replacement Model). ;)

However what I wanted to see most is the Perdana replacement. I wonder if they are capable of designing and producing a good 2 litre car! :D

What i really can't wait to hear from Proton is A new Satria GTI!I think it is too old to sell that car nowadays.Many OZ Mags has the same oppinion too!I'm sure it will look really good:) Has nyone seen the real New Wira?

In addition,im also looking forward for a new Perdana la!But i think it will take sometime coz the facelift model came out mid last year rite?Actually Perdana's handling is not so bad.

as expected...they're going to collaborate to make cars?

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's car maker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. (5304.KU), or Proton, Wednesday said it has signed a letter of intent to cooperate with U.K. Phoenix Venture Holdings Ltd.

"The letter of intent envisages Proton and Phoenix working together to pursue exploratory or feasibility studies concerning potential collaborations," Proton said in a brief statement to the Malaysia Securities Exchange.

Proton said England-based Phoenix is primarily involved in the business of engineering, research and development, manufacturing and the selling of motor vehicles and related products.

Phoenix owns U.K. car company MG Rover Group Ltd. (U.RVR)

Proton didn't provide any other details of the letter of intent.

Originally posted by D_Y2k.2^

Has nyone seen the real New Wira?

the new wira? No eh....the so-called WRM (Wira Replacement Model) was a misnomer....you're no doubt refering to the Gen.2? Personally...I think they should've kept the name as Wira to maintain brand identity. More logical.

Originally posted by liping_t

the new wira? No eh....the so-called WRM (Wira Replacement Model) was a misnomer....you're no doubt refering to the Gen.2? Personally...I think they should've kept the name as Wira to maintain brand identity. More logical.

Well.....that's what I think they would but apparently they are now gonna change the entire identity thingy and Proton would introduce an entire new range with new names. ;)

Mahaleel: EON will have to wait for GEN.2




EDARAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) will not be getting supplies of Proton's latest model, GEN.2, anytime soon, judging from comments yesterday by Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) chief executive officer (CEO) Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff.

“They can order. They can wait,” he said, and laughed, when asked to comment on EON's statement on Monday that it had placed orders with Proton Edar for the 1.6-litre hatchback and was awaiting supply.

Mahaleel had during the launch of the GEN.2 early this month said that the car would only be available at Proton Edar, Proton's wholly-owned subsidiary, for the present.

“If EON follows our principle and philosophy, there will be no problem at all. They have to sell a single brand in a single showroom,” he had said then.

Mahaleel told newsmen in Kuala Lumpur after a mini forum on the Asean Pioneer Projects Scheme that EON could always get Proton cars as long as it met this condition (selling a single brand in a single showroom).






http://thestar.com.my/archives/2004/2/18/business/p4Mahaleel.jpg

Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel







The condition was in a memorandum of agreement EON and Proton signed in March last year when EON was appointed super dealer.

“Do you think Mercedes will allow Proton cars in a Mercedes showroom?” Mahaleel asked.

EON currently sells earlier Proton models comprising the Iswara, Wira, Waja and Perdana and also distributes Audi and Chevrolet models.

When it was pointed out that EON had separate companies to sell different marques, he said: “But the salesman is selling five or six brands.” – Bernama

EON said to fulfil conditions in distribution pact




EDARAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) sells single brand cars through separate showrooms and service centres, and in this sense, considers itself as having fulfilled one of the conditions in the distribution agreement with Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton).

“EON is a small company and should not be attacked like that. It is incorrect to say that EON does not sell single brands in single showrooms,'' a source told StarBiz, in reference to Proton CEO Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff's comments that EON did not sell single brands in single showrooms.

“When the waiting list is too long, the normal thing is to cut down the waiting period and speed up production,'' the source added, referring to brisk orders of other models after they were launched.

EON has 179 sales branches and dealers, 37 service centres, 179 franchise service dealers and 92 parts dealers. EON had placed orders for the GEN.2 model and was awaiting the supply of new cars.

Proton and EON are in a stalemate over a distribution agreement and the matter is now with the government

I must say I'm impressed with the team's performance currently. Norwich is now leading the DIVISION ONE league!! I know they have a good stadium and training facilities (I'm addicted to CM :D ), it was they're were just disappeared from premiership act few years ago, that's why im asking.

Well done to the team...they're going to tour the country this coming July.l

Proton refutes report on RM120 mil compensation for Renault

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd has refuted a news report that it may have to compensate Renault up to RM120 million for discontinuing the sale of the 1.8L Waja.

"The article's claims that Proton will have to compensate Renault up to RM120 million for discontinuing the Proton Waja 1.8(L) is completely baseless," Proton head of corporate communications head Fauziyah Abu Hassan said in a statement yesterday.

She said the Waja 1.8L, which is fitted with a Renault engine, would continue to be sold.

Fauziyah was responding to a business daily commentary that the discontinued Waja 1.8L may eventually cost Proton RM120 million in compensation to Renault, which is contracted

Proton refutes report on RM120 mil compensation for Renault

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd has refuted a news report that it may have to compensate Renault up to RM120 million for discontinuing the sale of the 1.8L Waja.

"The article's claims that Proton will have to compensate Renault up to RM120 million for discontinuing the Proton Waja 1.8(L) is completely baseless," Proton head of corporate communications head Fauziyah Abu Hassan said in a statement yesterday.

She said the Waja 1.8L, which is fitted with a Renault engine, would continue to be sold.

Fauziyah was responding to a business daily commentary that the discontinued Waja 1.8L may eventually cost Proton RM120 million in compensation to Renault, which is contracted to supply engines.

She also refuted that there were currently thousands of Proton Juara in stock. "The current stock of the Proton Juara is not in the thousands as set out in the article and is therefore inaccurate," Fauziyah.

"By virtue of becoming a dealer, EON (Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd) is not required to contribute to product development. The claim that there is disagreement between Proton and EON on this matter is incorrect," said Fauziyah.

She clarified that Proton distribution arm, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, and EON sold 88,891 units and 67,674 units, accounting for 57% and 43% respectively of all Proton car sales last year.


How about campro 1.8L?

Mitsubishi in Talk to Sell Proton Stake to Khazanah (Update3)

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. are in talks to sell their combined 15.8 percent of Malaysia's biggest carmaker back to the nation, a government agency said, a stake worth an estimated $218 million.

Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the Malaysian government's investment unit, ``is in discussion with Mitsubishi'' to buy the stake of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd, or Proton, the agency's Managing Director Anwar Aji said in a telephone interview in Hanoi, Vietnam. He did not provide details. A sale would increase Khazanah's stake in Proton to about 48 percent.

The sale may allow another international automaker, such as General Motors Corp., to come in as a strategic partner, said investors such as Nik Azhar Nik Abdullah, which may ease concerns that Proton isn't introducing new models fast enough to stem a decline in its market share.

``This might be a precursor for a new joint venture partner for Proton,'' said Nik Azhar, who helps manage the equivalent of $894 million, including Proton shares, at Commerce Asset Fund Managers Sdn. in Kuala Lumpur.

Mitsubishi Corp. and its unit Mitsubishi Motors each own 43.6 million shares, or 7.9 percent of Proton, with a combined market value of 827.7 million ringgit ($218 million).

The sale would end Mitsubishi Corp.'s 19-year association as strategic technology partner in Malaysia's national car project. Proton's earlier models such as the Wira were derived from Mitsubishi Motors' Lancer compact cars.

Proton makes one of every two cars on Malaysian roads, a market share that's dropped to 49 percent from 60 percent as customers have been flocking to buy models made by Toyota Motor Corp. and other assemblers.

Proton's sales in Malaysia, Southeast Asia's second-largest market after Thailand, fell 28 percent in 2003 to 155,420 units. The carmaker has about 25,000 unsold cars in February, about 11 percent of what it produced last year. Proton said on Feb. 9 it may have to slash prices to sell these cars, about double its normal backlog.

Proton's Chief Executive Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff didn't return calls for comment. In Tokyo, Mitsubishi Motors' spokesman Takeshi Kazama said a decision has not been reached yet on the sale of the Proton stake. He declined to elaborate.

In Kuala Lumpur, Proton's shares fell 1.6 percent to 9.45 ringgit ($2.48) at 11:03 a.m. Malaysia time.

Mitsubishi's Restructuring

For Mitsubishi Motors, 37 percent owned by DaimlerChrysler AG, the plan to sell its Proton stake is part of its restructuring to stem record losses and repay debt. Japan's fourth-largest carmaker owes 1.14 trillion yen ($10.6 billion) in debt and will widen its loss sixfold to 72 billion yen in the year ending March.

The Japanese carmaker will release a new business plan on April 30, aiming for a ``lasting recovery'' and to build a ``solid financial foundation,'' the company said in a statement yesterday.

Mitsubishi Motors said yesterday it would appoint Yoichiro Okazaki, a director in the Mitsubishi Group, as Chairman to lead its recovery. The automaker's President and Chief Executive Officer Rolf Eckrodt, who told Bloomberg at the 2001 Geneva automobile show that he would resign if Mitsubishi Motors couldn't improve its profit, yesterday denied press reports that he was ready to step down.

He would stay back to ensure the company was brought ``on track,'' he said. In addition, Mitsubishi Motors plans to set up its own sales network in Southeast Asia, as well as using Proton's dealers.

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, shares of Mitsubishi Motors rose 1.6 percent to 250 yen at 11:00 a.m., after falling as much as 2.8 percent. Mitsubishi Corp.'s shares rose 0.1 percent to 1,070 yen.

Weird dream...I dreamed about me checking out Gen.2 in Proton Edar showroom...haha...U c I really wanted the car so badly.

Originally posted by hypermount

Weird dream...I dreamed about me checking out Gen.2 in Proton Edar showroom...haha...U c I really wanted the car so badly.

Why dun you really go and check it out then? :?

Proton Edar aims to sell 100,000 cars this year


By P.W. Thong



PROTON Edar Sdn Bhd, the wholly-owned auto distribution arm of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton), aims to sell up to 100,000 Proton cars this year.

The forecast would be 8% to 10% higher than the 90,000 units sold last year, its chief executive officer Datuk Maruan Mohd Said said yesterday.

While he did not disclose the forecast sales figures for the newly-launched 1.6-litre Proton GEN-2 passenger car, Maruan said response had been good, with Proton Edar receiving bookings for over 7,800 units since its launch on Feb 6.

He also said the company hoped to capture a sizeable share of the auto financing market via Proton Commerce Sdn Bhd, a new 50:50 joint venture with Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Bhd's finance arm, Bumiputra-Commerce Finance Bhd.




http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/2/26/business/p3protoni.jpg

Datuk Maruan Mohd Said





Speaking to reporters at the unveiling of the logo of Proton Commerce, Maruan said he expected Proton Commerce to capture hire-purchase financing for about 50,000 cars, half of Proton Edar's forecast car sales, this year.

Proton Commerce, which was set up to market hire-purchase loans to Proton car buyers, had lined up three attractive auto financing packages – EzDown, EzRate and EzAccess – for various Proton makes, he said.

Maruan said Proton Commerce had received “very good response” to the packages so far.

EzDown offers an entry-level package designed to reduce the initial payment required to purchase selected Proton car models. It offers hire purchase financing of up to 90% at an interest rate of 3.99% and tenure of up to 9 years.

EzRate, which is only applicable to certain models, offers an interest rate of 2.99% for loans of up to four years. For loan tenures of between four and nine years, the interest rate would be 3.65%.

As for EzAccess, an interest rate of 3.88% is offered for a 90% loan with tenure of up to nine years on selected models.

Proton Commerce chief executive officer Winston Jeyaprakesh said all three hire purchase products were available at Proton Edar's 190 branches and dealers nationwide.

EON will comply with Proton



BY KATHY FONG IN SHAH ALAM




EDARAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) will “totally comply” with Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd's (Proton) requirements once its super dealer agreement (SDA) is signed, chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong said.

He said that once the SDA issue was settled, there would be total compliance by EON.

“We will follow the new corporate identity, and everything. But let's get the agreement signed first,'' Saleh said when asked would EON set up its Proton vehicle showrooms according to the requirements of the national carmaker.

He was speaking to the press after witnessing the signing of a strategic alliance agreement in Shah Alam yesterday between AmFinance Bhd and Puspakom to introduce compulsory Puspakom inspections for all used cars prior to the approval of financing facilities by AmFinance.

Saleh said the cost to dealers to put up the new corporate identity at showrooms was not small.





http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/2/27/business/p5eon.jpg

AmFinance Bhd managing director Mohamed Azmi Mahmood (left) exchanges document with Puspakom chairman Datuk Abu Samah Bachik (right). AmBank Group chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim (second from left), deputy minister of transport Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib (centre) and DRB-Hicom Group chairman Tan Sri Saleh Sulong look on.






He also said despite being the super dealer for Proton, EON had not been able to get its supply of the newly-launched Proton GEN. 2.

Proton chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff had recently said that EON would have no problem at all if it followed Proton's principle and philosophy. “They have to sell a single brand in a single showroom,” he was quoted as saying.

The national carmaker has made its newly-launched model available only to its wholly-owned subsidiary Proton Edar Sdn Bhd.

Saleh said as a Proton super dealer, EON should have been given the distributorship of Proton GEN.2.

“Whatever Proton gives to Proton Edar, EON should also get,'' he said.

According to Saleh, EON has already placed its order for the supply of 'one plus three months' and Proton has accepted the orders.

“We are waiting for delivery. They haven’t given any indication when they (Proton) can get the stocks.

“By right, we should have gotten our stock. Give them a bit of time, maybe they need to sort out certain things,'' he said.

EON's compliance of requirements set down by Proton appears to be a hurdle for both parties as far as the SDA is concerned. The issue over the distribution of GEN. 2 has certainly highlighted the differences between both parties.

The talks between EON and Proton over the SDA have dragged on for nearly a year since both companies signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in March 31 last year. And negotiations now appear to have reached an impasse.

Nonetheless, Saleh is optimistic that the SDA will be sealed in “less than three months''.

The MOA will broaden the range of Proton models currently handled by EON and EON will be allocated at least 100,000 Proton vehicles annually. But the MOA also stipulates that the supply of vehicles is subject to Proton's production plan and schedule. It is also based on the minimum annual orders agreed on.

Proton Edar to allocate 100,000 cars a year to EON under accord



PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, concluded yesterday a dealership pact with Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) with the signing of a six-year super dealer agreement (SDA) in Shah Alam yesterday.

Director Datuk Maruan Mohd Said signed on behalf of Proton Edar while EON was represented by managing director Datuk Adzmi Abdul Wahab.

“The spirit is very good. EON is now recognised as the super dealer for Proton Edar,” Maruan said yesterday after Proton donated several vehicles to the Malaysian Nurses' Association and Kajang Special Children's Centre in Shah Alam yesterday.



http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/3/3/business/p3protoni.jpg

Datuk Maruan Mohd Said






He said the thrust of the agreement was that Proton Edar would allocate at least 100,000 cars to EON annually, and EON should be committed to sell these cars.

The agreement would provide Proton with a ready network of 374 outlets, the national carmaker said in a faxed statement.

“The agreement should be good for both Proton and EON.

“Proton will get more outlets to sell its GEN.2 cars while EON will not have to worry about declining business anymore,” said an analyst with a local stockbroking firm.

Proton is counting on its new GEN.2 model to bolster demand.

Sales of Proton cars were affected last year as prospective buyers delayed their purchases in anticipation of lower prices under the Asean Free Trade Area.

“The move strengthens the relationship between the two companies as Proton faces the challenges of a more liberalised market,” Proton chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said in the statement.

The term of the SDA is from April 1, 2003 to Dec 31, 2009, and EON's appointment is on a non-exclusive basis.

EON may maintain its existing network of sales branches and dealers dedicated to the sale of Proton vehicles.

EON is also allowed to distribute other marques under separate legal entities and on separate premises with dedicated sales organisations.

The statement said EON was required to maintain a network of service centres for after-sales service of Proton vehicles.

At the close of trading on the MSEB yesterday, EON was up 25 sen to RM9.55 on volume of 527,800 shares, while Proton was unchanged at RM9.90 with 806,600 shares traded.

Mitsubishi exits Proton
By Yap Lih Huey & Faizal Zakariah, 8.40am

Japan’s fourth largest automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp has begun to sever its 20-year relationship with Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) following the sale of its entire 7.93% stake in the national car manufacturer.

Mitsubishi Motors is expected to rake in between RM390 million and RM413 million for its 43.5 million Proton shares.

Yesterday, Commerce International Merchant Bankers Bhd (CIMB) placed out to institutional investors, and has received good response for the shares.

A CIMB dealer tells FinancialDaily that the Proton block has been oversubscribed, and snapped up by mostly foreign institutional investors. The book-building exercise is open only to non-US investors with the offer price at between RM8.95 and RM9.50 per share.

Late yesterday, people from both Mitsubishi Motors and CIMB’s equity market and derivatives division were discussing the share allocation and the fixing of the pricing for the sale.

“The contracting between the seller and buyer will happen tomorrow (referring to today),” the dealer says.

Another institutional dealer from a bank-backed financial house said as at noon yesterday, the bidding price was hovering at RM9.10 to RM9.20. “We heard Mitsubishi wanted RM9.40,” he says.

He says the bidders are mostly foreign institutional investors. “We saw a number of new faces and long-lost clients like the London and Hong Kong boys,” he adds.

The sale represented Mitsubishi Motors’ 7.93% equity in Proton, half of the 15.8% combined stake owned by its parent company Mitsubishi Corp. Mitsubishi Motors’ sale is due to its global restructuring exercise to put a stop to its ailing financials.

A source close to Proton says Mitsubishi Motors had indicated to Proton last month of its intention to sell its stake in the national car company. Early this month, the Japanese carmaker approached Khazanah Nasional Bhd to take up its stake in Proton but the latter declined the offer. Khazanah has a 32% stake in Proton.

“Mitsubishi’s decision to pull out is not solely because of Proton per say. It is part of Mitsubishi’s global restructuring strategy to streamline its operations and investments,” says Chong Tzy Yee, fund manager of Avenue Equity Extra fund at Avenue Asset Management Sdn Bhd, who manages RM1.8 billion in assets including a meaningful stake in Proton shares.

Chong says there is also less business synergy between Proton and Mitsubishi presently. “The transfer of technology, know-how and research and development from Mitsubishi to Proton has been rather slow-coming since the national car project was started some 20 years ago.

“The timing of the sale was quite good. The foreign boys are looking at the local market and they are coming in with fresh money,” he says.

Proton shares closed 20 sen lower yesterday at RM9.60 with a volume of 131,700.

Proton confirms stake sale by Mitsubishi




PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) has confirmed reports that Mitsubishi Motors Corp has sold its 7.93% stake in Proton.

“Proton would like to acknowledge the cordial and productive relationship it has had with Mitsubishi since its inception,” Proton said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The company said it was particularly indebted to Mitsubishi during the pioneering period for the knowhow brought to the new venture and the transfer of technology, which helped Proton develop its own technical capabilities.

These had now reached a stage of full independence, beginning with the introduction of the Waja in 2000 and continuing with the February launch of the GEN.2, which used an engine entirely developed by Proton in Malaysia, Proton said.

The GEN.2 is the first of a series of models to reflect the new face and identity of Proton, produced at the carmaker's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tanjung Malim.

“Proton looks forward to a continuing relationship with Mitsubishi, collaborating on product development, engineering and manufacturing,” the company said.

“Proton wishes Mitsubishi well in its business expansion and its contribution to the development of the local automotive sector.” – Bernama

Opps double posts :D

Time for Mitsubishi to let go



BY YAU JIN RIN




MITSUBISHI Motors Corp's (MMC) sale of its 7.9 per cent stake, or 44 million shares, in Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) probably confirms the end of an association that had lasted more than 20 years, but few people will disagree that the joint venture had been profitable for both parties.

Heavy Industries Corp of Malaysia (HICOM), MMC and Mitsubishi Corp (which is also holding a 7.9 per cent stake in Proton) set up Proton in 1983. This was the country's first step into the auto manufacturing industry.

Proton had been relying on MMC for conceptual and technological input from then until 2000, when Proton designed the Waja model independently. This year, Proton launched the Gen.2, which features a Proton-developed engine, symbolising total independence from its original partner, MMC.

MMC sources quoted by Bloomberg said the Japanese car maker even made a financial gain from the sale of the Proton shares, raking in a profit of some 8 billion yen or US$72 million.

However, many believe that Proton, or rather, the entire automobile manufacturing industry in the country, has turned out to be the bigger winner. “If MMC had not landed in financial trouble, it will probably stay on as a passive investor of Proton, even if it is not required to contribute technical input for the latest Proton models,” says an auto analyst.

According to the same Bloomberg report, “MMC, Japan's only unprofitable carmaker, is disposing assets to stem losses and reduce debt of more than 1.14 trillion yen.”








http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/3/13/bizweek/bw_8gen2.jpg

The Gen2 ... symbolises Proton's coming of age






Now that MMC is out of the picture, Proton will have to chart its own course. “It is important to note that the split was not acrimonious,” says GK Goh equities analyst Azrul Azwar Latif. He adds: “You can liken it to a married couple who have realised that each have different goals and aspirations, and have decided to part ways. In most circumstances, a split will turn out to be a better option, rather than to cling on to each other and suffer in silence.”

Proton probably does not have any qualms about going its own way, as its track record has shown that it prefers to do so. An example of Proton's single-mindedness is reflected in the dealership episode with Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON).

Proton Edar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proton (until the recent signing of the superdealership agreement between Proton and EON), has been distributing Proton vehicles at the expense of EON, and much of Proton Edar's dealership growth occurred over the last two years.

In a report, HSBC Research (Malaysia) analyst David Ng says Proton will probably meet a more formidable opponent in the soon to be implemented Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta), which the Government is “serious about implementing.”

The report further states: “We believe the final tariff changes, to bring Malaysia in line with Afta, will be made by year-end. To honour the spirit of Afta, we expect any unfair advantages for Proton (and other national carmakers) to be removed.”

Proton has been preparing itself for the onslaught of foreign competition, as a consequence of Afta, for some time now. Its new initiatives include offering vehicle-related services and an overseas market repositioning.

Comments Ng of HSBC: “While we view such moves positively, we would argue that generating material earnings from them would take time – a luxury that the company cannot afford.”

With such a major obstacle coming Proton's way, it is understandable that MMC has chosen this time to unload its shares. Moreover, the Japanese company has got major financial difficulties to cope with, and the sale of the shares is part of a larger plan to solve these problems.

But what about the other block of 44 million shares held by Mitsubishi Corp? Will it sell these shares too?

Helen Tan of TA Securities Research comments: “Although we are positive on Proton's prospects even after the advent of Afta, we are urging investors to take profit on Proton shares due to the share overhang situation at the moment.

“Although we understand that most of the placement shares has been taken up by the large local institutional investors, the strike price was probably below market, at about RM9.10.

“Based on this, we will advise our clients to take profit, and probably buy back at levels closer to RM9.10. After all, we have a target price of RM10.60, based on 8.6 times earnings per share of 123.3 sen for the financial year ended March 31, 2005 (FY05).”

A huge task ahead for GEN.2



Comment by Hasni Mohd Nasir



PROTON'S launch of the GEN.2 early last month is more than a major engineering breakthrough for the national car manufacturer. It also marks the start of a long and arduous journey to prove its credibility in the international arena.

The GEN.2, fitted with Proton's own Campro engine using Lotus technology, ends nearly 20 years of dependence on Mitsubishi engines, which the first generation of Proton cars were fitted with.

With a styling leaning more to that of a Continental outfit, the GEN.2 received overwhelming response from the Malaysian public, and sales are set to hit the 8,000 mark very soon.

“Proton has already won half the battle with the introduction of GEN.2. They can win big here (with the GEN.2), but the real test is out there,” said an industry observer.

StarBiz took the GEN.2 for a short drive and found public interest and support for the car to be overwhelming, a reception almost similar to the first Saga launched back in 1985.







http://thestar.com.my/archives/2004/3/15/business/p3Gen.jpg

GEN.2








The public just loved the sporty design, a refreshing change from the box-like cars they has become familiar with in the entire 20 years of Proton's existence.

But where the Saga – and subsequently the Wira – were purchased mainly as a first car, the GEN.2 was purchased as a second or third car. The buyers put their money just on the car's good looks and trust in the first Malaysian-made engine.

But with sales in the local market stagnating (total industry volume is expected to stay at around 430,000 level in the next few years), Proton has to look beyond Malaysian shores to improve its sales figures, and the GEN.2 is the perfect candidate to help it achieve the objective.

At home, Proton has to fight the war on two fronts, the stagnating sales and fierce competition from South Korean marques like the Hyundai and Kia which have steadily encroached into Proton's territory.

And it is addressing these problems with some counter measures.

Proton's next agenda, a company official said, would be to focus on brand building and marketing to spur demand for the national makes overseas.

Perhaps, Proton can just emulate the strategies used by its South Korean competitors to break into new markets.

In Malaysia, Hyundai and Kia both found strong local partners to assemble and distribute their cars, a move that qualified them for special status car companies – and with some incentives to boot.

The local partners, the Berjaya and Naza groups, are strong corporate entities that have proven track records.

Hyundai also secured the help of Oriental group, which through subsidiary Kah Motor Companies Sdn Bhd helped to sell thousands of Honda cars to Malaysian customers before the distributorship rights were given to the DRB-Hicom group.

The Oriental touch is evident in Hyundai, where sales are expected to quadruple to 12,000 units from 3,000 recorded last year.

Kia is another success story in Malaysia. By associating itself with the upmarket image of the Naza group, Kia makes managed to secure a good rating from Malaysian buyers after overcoming initial resistance.

As a result, South Korean cars, initially thought to be inferior to other makes, such as Japanese and Continental, is now being similarly regarded as the others.

And back to the GEN.2. The car should be able to steer the buyers back to Proton with its stylish design, classy interior and superb handling.

It should lead Proton to the next stage of revolution - conquering the world.

EON gets 3 months to renovate showrooms



PERUSAHAAN Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) has given Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) three months to renovate its showrooms to give Proton cars exclusivity.

This is based on the dealership agreement signed by both companies, which led to the appointment of EON as a super dealer of Proton cars.

The national car distributor is Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Proton.

DRB-HICOM Bhd chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong said the renovation cost had not been worked out yet but could be “quite hefty” while the grace period given to EON to comply with the requirement was three months.

“The showrooms would be named but signages would have to comply with one of the important terms of the agreement, which is the corporate identity of Proton cars,” Saleh told reporters yesterday after Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali officiated two parcels of land for residential and commercial properties at Proton City near Tanjong Malim.

“If we are to meet the requirements of the agreement, one important aspect is the exclusivity of Proton cars in EON showrooms,” he said.

Saleh said other marques like Audi, Volkswagen and Hyundai Atoz, would be displayed at a separate showroom.

He said the renovation cost would be borne by the dealers.

“We reckon the volume from sales of Proton cars will justify the expenditure,” he said.

EON has targeted to sell at least 100,000 units, which is the minimum number Proton Edar will give EON a year, under the agreement.

As for the newly-launched GEN.2, Saleh said that so far, Proton had received orders for 10,000 units but had not delivered any yet.

“When we took the orders during the launch last month, consumers were given three months' waiting period,” Saleh said.

“It is already one-and-a-half months. We are still fine-tuning the car and even Proton Edar has not distributed it yet.”

Proton operations director Datuk Kisai Rahmat said since the new model's launch, part of the preparations to meet demand was to ensure that the proper logistics would be in place to support customer service when the car hit the road.

“It's a brand new factory, a brand new car with a brand new engine, so we need some time to prepare the GEN.2,” he said. – Bernama

RM200mil development in Proton City



PROTON City Development Corp Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Bhd, will develop 70ha of residential and commercial properties costing RM200mil in Proton City near Tanjong Malim.

Located north-east of Proton City, parcels 19 and 20 would be completed in 2007, DRB-HICOM chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong said at the launch of the project officiated by Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli yesterday.

The area will house 1,550 mixed residential and 36 commercial units. Proton City is spread over 1,600ha with an initial development investment of RM2.5mil. – Bernama

Khazanah buys another 4.2% stake in Proton




By SIDEK KAMISO
Khazanah Nasional Bhd has bought an additional 23.9 million shares, or 4.2% equity interest, in Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton), a move that will trigger a mandatory general offer (MGO) for the remaining shares it does not own in the national carmaker.

A Proton filing with MSEB on Tuesday said that Khazanah purchased the stake on March 11 from an undisclosed vendor for an undisclosed price.

Proton shares were traded between RM9.65 and RM9.70 that day. Yesterday, Proton gained 10 sen to RM9.30 on volume of 468,000 shares.

On March 8, Mitsubishi Motors Corp offered to sell its entire stake of 44 million shares, or 7.9%, in Proton through a book-building exercise. The shares were taken up the same day.


Under the Malaysian Code on Takeovers and Mergers, an existing shareholder will trigger an MGO if the total stake held in a company exceeds 33% of its paid-up capital.

Khazanah chief executive officer Datuk Anwar Aji did not return calls from StarBiz, but it is understood that the government investment arm would apply for a waiver from having to make an MGO.





http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/3/18/business/p1_proton.jpg






Analysts are puzzled by Khazanah's purchase, given the fact the national asset management company had earlier turned down an offer from Mitsubishi Motors for its entire 7.9% stake in Proton.

“It will spur more speculation, especially after Khazanah refused the offer in the first place,” the head of research of a local stockbroking house said.

The purchase increased the government investment arm's stake in Proton to 34.8% from 30.5%, the filing said.

Mitsubishi Motors has been Proton's technology partner for more than 19 years.

Last week, Khazanah denied suggestions that it intended to buy the Proton shares from Mitsubishi Motors, but conceded that a purchase could trigger an MGO.

An analyst said there could have been very few buyers for the stake that Mitsubishi Motors wanted to dispose of, and so Khazanah had to step in.

The additional stake would make little difference to Khazanah as it already had management control of Proton, the analyst said.

However, he said, the larger stake would make it easier for Khazanah to find a new technology partner for the carmaker after the departure of Mitsubishi Motors.

Currently, Mitsubishi Motors' parent company, Mitsubishi Corp, still holds a 7.9% stake in Proton, which it has not decided whether to sell.

Proton has progressively reduced its dependence on Mitsubishi after having worked closely with the Japanese carmaker since its incorporation in 1983.

Since 2000, Proton has come up with its own designs, such as the Waja, and in February, it launched the Proton GEN.2, which it completely designed.

Proton's launch of the GEN.2 is more than a major engineering breakthrough for the national car manufacturer. It also marks the start of a long and arduous journey to prove its credibility in the international arena.

The GEN.2 is fitted with Proton's own Campro engine using Lotus technology – a move to cut costs as previous models using Mitsubishi engines required royalty payments.

Data from Proton showed that it paid over RM1.2bil to Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Corp in the year ended March 31, 2003.

Proton eyes Mitsubishi plant

A MALAYSIAN lifeline could finally remove any threat to the long-term
future of the Mitsubishi car-making operation in Australia.

Proton, the country's national car maker, says a manufacturing base in
Adelaide could be worked into its global expansion strategy beyond 2005.
It has more than $1 billion in a fighting fund and has aggressive plans
to put up to 20 all-new models on the road over the next 10 years.

It has just unveiled the compact Gen2 -- a Corolla-sized hatchback -- in
Malaysia and will reach Proton showrooms in July.

Proton admits to monitoring the threats to Mitsubishi Motors Australia.

These have largely been coming from the financial instability of
Mitsubishi's Japanese parent and an investigation by the giant
DaimlerChrysler conglomerate, which now controls the company.

It has not moved yet, but Proton's chief says he will be keen to talk if
the forthcoming DaimlerChrysler report on the Mitsubishi operation -- due
at the end of April -- includes any bad news for Adelaide.

"It may be worth looking at assembly in Australia. It may be worthwhile,"
Proton chief executive Tengku Mahaleel said.

"As an opportunity, yes, we are very open to it. If there is an
opportunity, I don't mind taking a study team to look at it. I have not
looked at it. But if the Government would like to work with us, I am very
open."

Mr Mahaleel told Australian journalists in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that
his company had looked at Australia once before, only rejecting a move
towards local assembly because Proton didn't have a suitable car.

But that is about to change, and change fast.

Proton is planning one of the world's biggest new-product programs and is
also looking at boosting sales into 10 target countries including Iran,
India, China, Indonesia and the Middle East.

It wants to become a small-car powerhouse, as well as a major player in
Asia, and Mr Mahaleel knows that success in Australia will win sales,
profit and credibility.

He hinted that local production could benefit Proton, as well as
establish an export base in Australia.

"As a local assembler I can sell to the Government. I can get your cash
research grant, and do product development," Mr Mahaleel said.

Proton has strong long-term links to Mitsubishi, which provided its
products and manufacturing technology during the country's start-up phase
in Malaysia. It is now moving away from its reliance on the Japanese car
maker, but is still close.

"Mitsubishi, they are our alliance. When they are in trouble, or need our
assistance . . . I don't have a hang-up on that," Mr Mahaleel said.

He admits that Mitsubishi and Australia are barely on the radar as he
drives his company forward, but that it could change rapidly if
DaimlerChrysler makes any adverse decisions on its Adelaide operation.

Mr Mahaleel has been a regular visitor to Australia in recent years and
talks openly of using the country, and its consumers, as a test market.

A spokesman for Mitsubishi Australia said there had been no contact with
Proton.

Mitsubishi's future is expected to be announced on April 30.

EPF buys 3.7 mil Proton shares

EPF buys 3.7 mil Proton shares
March 25, 2004 : 12.02 PM
By Joseph Chin


The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Board raised its stake in Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd to 10.96% after it acquired 3.22 million shares on March 9.

According to filings with the MSEB, the EPF bought the shares in the open market, a day after Mitsubishi Motors Corp (MMC) placed out 43.5 million Proton shares or its entire 7.93% stake.

After the acquisition, the EPF's shareholding was increased to 60.29 million shares.

Proton closed five sen higher at RM9.65 on that day.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/65E488B936242238CA256E670028A213

Proton races up to speed with R3 Select a vehicle category Passenger Sports Off-roaders Luxury Commercial
Gen.2: Proton's new small car will be the first to benefit from R3 performance and cosmetic updates.

New motorsport division plans go-fast kits for new range of Malaysian cars

By BRUCE NEWTON 2 April 2004


MALAYSIA’S emerging national car-maker Proton will launch a new go-fast brand called R3 in Australia around the end of the year.

R3 stands for race, rally and research and, as its name suggests, it will use motorsport to develop high-performance parts for street use which will be sold in kit form.

Proton is determined to sell itself worldwide as a dynamic brand and sees motorsport as the way to do it.

R3 will be launched in Malaysia in August and will be run by Tengku Djan (Tengku means Prince), a trained chassis engineer who has worked at Lotus Engineering and Porsche and has extensive racing experience.

First up in Australia will be tuning and cosmetic kits for the Gen.2 small car, which is due to be launched here in September.

"The way it works is the car will be purchased as a Gen.2 and will then be fitted with an R3 kit in various levels," said Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari.

"Those kits go as far as interior design changes, suspension changes, power output changes – a whole heap of things."

One thing that almost certainly won’t be offered is forced induction for the new Campro family of engines.

"I don’t think they would ever go down that route because of reliability concerns and the cost of doing that would not justify the return," Mr Startari said.

R3 kits will also be offered for other Proton models as its new generation range comes on stream.

In February the second generation Satria will be launched in Australia - and it will definitely get the R3 treatment.

It is unclear if the next debuts after that - the TRM mini-car and a significantly facelifted Waja, which should also get a new name – will have R3 kits.

Mr Startari would not commit to definite pricing on R3 kits, only saying they would be "competitive".

R3 will be Proton’s racing brand with ambitions to contest Australian production car racing, including the Bathurst 24-hour with an outright contender based on a new Lotus-developed aluminium chassis and V6 engine.

R3 is also said to have a Gen.2-based rally car under construction. Both are expected to be revealed at the company’s Malaysian launch.

The Bathurst 24-hour contender is expected on sale here around September 2005, when Proton launches its new retail identity in Australia.

First drive: Gen.2 is best Proton yet Stylish: The Proton Gen.2 is a good looking and lithe small car. Only the engine really lets it down.

Proton will launch its new small five-door hatch in Australia in September

By BRUCE NEWTON 25 March 2004


PROTON will start its regeneration in Australia in September when the Gen.2 small hatchback arrives on the local scene.

To be launched here just four months after it goes on sale in its home Malaysian market, Gen.2 is the most convincing car Proton has ever built.

Now the cynics might suggest it hasn’t got much to beat, such has been the mediocre standard of previous Protons, those cars pretty much based on reproductions of old Mitsubishis.

And the cynics would be right. But that hasn’t stopped this car giving indication to some real promise of design and engineering ability at Proton.

It needs to be better because the huge tariff walls that have protected Proton for two decades are crashing down as part of a free trade agreement that is opening the Malaysian market up to wholesale attack by South Korea and Japan’s massive automotive industry.

Gen.2 is just the start of a vital new model campaign by Proton. There will be a new three-door Satria in Australia in the new year, closely followed by a five-door entry level car. Beyond that there are plans for performance cars, large cars, cross-overs and SUVs, most of which will eventually make it to Australia.

The first thing that must be said about Gen.2 is it will probably have a new name in Australia – there are a couple of other options ahead of it. But certain not to reappear is the current car’s Persona name.

Gen.2 has great significance in Malaysia where it flags the second step in Proton’s development of homegrown vehicles, following on from the Waja.

You remember Waja don’t you? The dramatically over-priced four-door sedan that up to its launch in 2001 was the most independent (of Mitsubishi) car Proton had yet developed, including its own front-wheel drive platform and unique styling developed with subsidiary Lotus Engineering.

This car takes up where the Waja left off, replacing the wheezy old Mitsubishi 1.6-litre engine with a new double overhead camshaft 16-valve unit developed with Lotus called Campro, which produces 82kW at 6000rpm and 148Nm at 4000.

But there is still Mitsubishi influence in the drivetrain with both the five-speed manual and four-speed auto straight from Waja.

The styling is all-original and very impressive. Gen.2 is a thoroughly convincing exterior execution of a light and lively hatch. From the scalloped headlights through to the rounded C-pillar and concave rear-end, there is barely a bum note struck.

It measures up at 4310mm overall, is 1725mm wide, 1435mm high, has a wheelbase of 2600mm and weighs in at 1175kg.

Inside, the styling is even better. Where the exterior is orthodox if effective, the interior has some lovely original touches including separated instruments, a unique audio head unit, vertically stacked air-conditioning controls, soft-touch micro switches and pistol grip handbrake.

The absence of a lockable glovebox is a curious decision, the baby cupholder won’t fit man-size Aussie drinks and there are only small door pockets in the front and none in the rear. But there is a 415-litre cargo capacity and fold-down rear seats.

Gen.2 will be offered here in two specifications, with both models including ABS anti-lock brakes, four wheel discs, dual front airbags and seatbelt pretensioners.

There will also be alloy wheels, air-conditioning, power windows, remote keyless entry, central locking, alarm and Blaupunkt CD/AM/FM audio.

The higher specification model will include climate control air-conditioning, four airbags, cruise control and a rear spoiler.

And pricing? Expect it to kick off somewhere between $18,500 and $19,500 in entry level manual form, under-cutting the $19,990 versions of key small cars like the top-selling Toyota Corolla, Nissan Pulsar sedan and Mitsubishi Lancer sedan.

But those cars all have, according to GoAuto Info Tools, distinct power and torque advantages over the Proton, from bigger 1.8 and 2.0-litre engines the buying public have shown they expect these days in small cars. The Corolla heads the pack with 100kW/171Nm, the Lancer produces 92kW/173Nm and the Pulsar 90kW/163Nm.

While those big players sell in the thousands per month, Proton Cars Australia is forecasting just 500 sales in the first six months Gen.2 is on sale.

It’s a reflection of just how far back PCA is in perception and sales. Last year the company sold just 1320 cars here through its small dealer network, even that an improvement on 2002’s dismal 873 sales.

But with the influx of new models following Gen.2 into Australia and plans for an expanded dealer line-up, the expectation from PCA is that it will sell 5000 cars in Australia in 2006 and eventually the aim is 10,000 sales per annum.


DRIVE IMPRESSIONS:
WHEN the Waja was launched in 2001, the car’s silly pricing and Proton’s ridiculous claim to be Asia’s BMW took the spotlight. That meant the advances in design and engineering the car also presented were virtually ignored.

Its relatively simple MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear-end, combined with rack and pinion power steering, made for a taut, trim and disciplined drive that put many other small cars to shame. The Lotus influence was obvious.

So it is no surprise that Gen.2, with the same fundamental underpinnings, delivers a similarly controlled experience, if our first impressions on some challenging Malaysian roads are indicative.

Gen.2 rides all but the biggest bumps and corrugations well, the damping only losing its composure at the extremes of travel.

It doesn’t roll excessively at speed, negotiating tight corners without drama, the front-end pushing out into predictable understeer as the limit is approached.

And just as it behaves itself well, the Gen.2 also looks great on the road from virtually any angle – a tribute to young Malaysian stylist Damian Chia, who led the design team in Kuala Lumpur, and his Lotus colleagues.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Company engineers said there was still throttle-engine compatibility tuning to be performed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, while there has been a dramatic change under the bonnet, there’s still no dramatic improvement in performance. As we experienced it, the Campro engine is severely lacking in low and mid-range torque and only adequate in top-end power terms. There’s a noticeable step at 4000rpm but no noticeable increase in urgency.

Proton claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.5 seconds and that seems optimistic. A fuel average of 5.8L/100km? Ditto. Good news is it complies with Euro Step 4 emission standards.

Alerted to our concerns, company engineers said there was still throttle-engine compatibility tuning to be performed and some ECU re-fettling before the car’s Malaysian debut in May. We hope it makes a substantial difference.

As it is, Campro is smooth and enthusiastic enough, but asthmatic, so much so that quick passes became slow and debatable and hill climbs a throttle-flattening chore. Thankfully, the manual gearchange and clutch combination was the best we’ve sampled in a Proton – and they certainly got a workout keeping the engine on song.

In 2005 the engine will be boosted with the introduction of Cam Profile Switching (CPS), which will push power beyond 100kW. That, or a 1.8 or 2.0 Campro, can’t come soon enough.

Right now, the performance of the engine is the obvious sore thumb for this car.

The interior is as comfortable as it is good looking, with big armchairs up front and plenty of legroom in the back, although lateral headroom is compromised by the curved rear roof.

What about quality, an area where Proton has been notably lacking in the past? Well, the pre-production cars we drove weren’t brilliant in terms of fit and finish and squeaks and rattles.

But the quality of the materials is certainly improved and a tour of Proton’s new highly-automated Tanjung Malim plant where Gen.2 is being built certainly shows there is the potential for a vastly improved product.

Which would only be appropriate for a car that has taken Proton to new heights in so many other ways. For all the cynicism, saying this is Proton’s best car ever really does mean something.

Upgrading Proton image in car showrooms



KUALA LUMPUR: Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) is currently fine-tuning an option package to address the concerns of dealers regarding renovation costs.

“The outcome will be announced soon,” Proton said in a statement yesterday.

Proton had introduced a new house look for showrooms to coincide with the launch of the Gen.2 on Feb 6, 2004. The launch of the Gen 2 was seen as the opening of a new chapter of quality in the Malaysian automotive industry.

The Gen.2 has been well received by Malaysian car buyers with over 11,200 orders placed to-date, said Proton, which now believes that it makes economic sense to upgrade car showrooms nationwide in response to a more sophisticated clientele.

The national car manufacturer also stressed that the new showroom would be a visible manifestation of the changes taking place at Proton and that it was necessary in promoting the face of the future.

Proton Edar expects its dealers to fully implement the new look by April 2005. - Bernama

What a interesting thread~

Please anyone let us know some basic information of Proton..

especially, Revenues, profits, market cap(by US$) and Number of employees

Proton..I've heard about this company on Korean TV news.

Dr M's role in Proton purely advisory
By Tong Yee Siong


Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will strictly have an advisory role in national car maker Proton Holdings Bhd without any executive powers, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He said the appointment was something which he had wanted to do "some time ago" and the letter of appointment had been given to Dr Mahathir.

"Tun (Dr Mahathir) himself has said that he is only to advise, not to interfere in the work of Proton executives.

"The board has the final say certainly (in decision-making). Tun (Dr Mahathir) knows it," Abdullah told a press conference after unveiling a new code of ethics for Barisan Nasional members of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He said Dr Mahathir’s experience and advice would be valuable as he was instrumental in the founding of Proton back in 1983.

“Tun (Dr Mahathir) had a role in its inception, in the conceptualisation of the project. He had also been following its development while he was the prime minister.

“I think that kind of experience is valuable. It can be tapped in a way to get some of his ideas and advice on what needs to be done.”

In an interview with Reuters last week, Dr Mahathir said he had been made Proton adviser. He reportedly said his main task was to help Proton to be more competitive and to find a suitable foreign partner.

In its latest issue, The Edge weekly said the designation may be adviser but Dr Mahathir may “prove to be a difficult person to override at Proton”.

“It will be difficult to find anyone who would not be reluctant to cross swords with the company’s founding father,” a source had said.

On Friday, after a three-week suspension for a corporate reorganisation, Proton closed 70 sen or 7.1% lower at RM9.15. The share price improved marginally to RM9.20 at the close yesterday.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/4/23/nation/7832217&sec=nation

From The Star

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2004/4/23/nation/p3jersey.JPG

:)

Proton revs up its presence in top flight of English football
BY K.Y. PUNG

PETALING JAYA: Proton will have a higher profile in English football next season following the promotion of Norwich City Football Club to the top flight English Premier League.

Proton chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said the company was pleased that Norwich City had gained promotion after nine years.

?The performance of the team this season has been tremendous and Proton is indeed proud that we have been able to contribute to its success through our sponsorship.

?When Proton began its three-year sponsorship programme of Norwich City (in 2003), we were confident of its potential to succeed and we look forward to a continued successful partnership as we proceed to the highest level of English football next season and beyond,? he said yesterday.

The Norwich City team will wear jerseys with the Proton emblem during their home games.
Norwich City, nicknamed The Canaries, won promotion to the Premier League on Wednesday without kicking a ball after First Division rivals Sunderland slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

Norwich City, which was relegated from the money-spinning top flight of English football in 1995, leads the First Division standings with 85 points.

West Bromwich Albion is second on 83 points while Sunderland are a distant third on 71.

With just four games left in the 24-team First Division, Norwich City has confirmed one of the two automatic promotion slots to the English Premier League.

?Given the popularity of the English Premier League, it is very strategic that the Proton and Lotus logos will be seen around the world by millions of football fans, which is in line with our expansion as a global brand.

?We are also looking forward to seeing the players here in July, when they come for a tour of Malaysia during Norwich City?s first-ever visit to South- East Asia,? Tengku Mahaleel said.

The Norwich City team wears jerseys with the Proton emblem in their home games and the Lotus logo when playing away.

A statement from Proton said Norwich players would be touring Malaysia from July 10 to 18. They are down for a game against the Malaysian team at the Bukit Jalil Stadium and also scheduled to play against a state team.

While in Malaysia, the team will also conduct coaching sessions at local schools besides touring Proton?s manufacturing facilities in Shah Alam and Tanjung Malim.

The sponsorship of the football club followed Proton?s takeover of renowned British engineering firm, Lotus, which is based in Norwich City, in 1997.

Which brand is the jersey? It looks cheaper than Umbro :S

From TheStar
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/5/11/business/7955932&sec=business

Proton in no rush for foreign partner

BY SIDEK KAMISO

PROTON Holdings Bhd will not be rushed into signing up with any foreign partner, but will carefully weigh its options to ensure that the prospective suitor will bring benefit to the national carmaker, said adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

?Proton is viable, and we are not desperate to get a foreign partner like some Japanese or British carmakers,? Dr Mahathir said, naming Mitsubishi, which signed up with a foreign partner because of financial difficulties.

Some companies had rushed into securing partnerships with foreign parties, and these had eventually resulted in failure, Dr Mahathir told reporters yesterday after launching Proton?s new consumer magazine, GUTS.

Elaborating on the criteria for Proton?s future partner, Dr Mahathir said the national car company would not take up a minority role in the joint-venture company. And, the partner must also have the engineering capability, marketing network and other characters that would help in the future development of Proton.

?If we take a minority share, they (the foreign partners) will not understand what we will plan for Proton and eventually Proton will disappear,? he said.

He added that Proton was not driven by the additional funds that would be available from partnerships with foreign parties because it was financially viable and had been profitable.

More importantly, the future partner must understand Proton?s aspiration and help contribute to development of the national car, he said.

?They must understand that we didn?t set up Proton because we wanted a national car. We wanted the engineering capability,? he added.

Dr Mahathir said Proton needed more time to pick its partner because the automobile industry had changed considerably, bringing more challenges for Proton in the future.

For instance, from a single line manufacturer, now carmakers outsource their components. Thus, Proton has to consider the impact of its partnerships on its suppliers before signing up with anyone.

Despite the delay in Proton signing up with a foreign partner, Dr Mahathir said it would be a matter of time before a deal was concluded.

Dr Mahathir also took a swipe at Proton detractors who had little faith in the development of the national car and always belittled efforts made by the company.

?People say all kinds of things about Proton, but the fact is Proton has been a success story for a government-owned company,? he said, pointing out that although Proton had some government loans, it had excess cash of some RM2.6bil, which could be used to develop its research and development capability.

He said Proton now sold cars to other countries, which reflected its capability. But it was not easy to market the car, which had only been 20 years in development.

?If people don?t want to buy, they won't. You can?t rush people into buying your product,? he said.

Commenting on United States carmakers? unhappiness with the high taxes in the Malaysian market, Dr Mahathir said European carmakers did not have any problems with it.

?The German and French are here, and (US carmakers) should compete with them,? he said, adding that automakers should not expect a government to remove taxes because it was the main source of income for governments.

anyone have any pics of the new TRM, or SRM models? I recently spotted a site showing pics of a Gen.2 sedan model. I'll try n locate...

Hey guys,this months OZ car magazine 'Motor' announced that the new Proton Coupe will be on sale next year.It was stated that the car will look like Vauxhall+Elise=Proton Coupe!:D

As for TRM the magazine managed to shoot some pics of the prototype version:) not bad ler...

hmmmm......Darren......you got scanner? Maybe you could scan those for us as I;ve not seen any 'scoop' pictures nor renderings for TRM and 'Proton Coupe' before ;)

interesting news huh |:P

Proton bid for MV Agusta includes luxury car plan By BRUCE NEWTON 5 June 2004


THREE of the most famous names in world motorcycling could be-come automotive manufacturers.

MV Agusta, Cagiva and Husqvarna make up MV Agusta Motor SpA, which is currently under controlled administration.

But cash-rich Malaysian national car-maker Proton has made a formal binding offer on the Varese (Italy)-based company and expects a positive reply within six weeks.

Proton’s vision is that the MV Agusta name would be suitable for high-end luxury performance cars, Cagiva would suit sports models while Husqvarna would become a maker of off-roaders.

"We want to take those names across from the bike world into the car world," said Proton CEO Tengku Mahaleel this week while in Australia for a board meeting of the wholly-owned local distributor, Proton Cars Australia.

"We would consider the MV Agusta as the premium Mafioso car to compete with cars like Maserati," he said.

"If you look at Cagiva it’s also a high price but not as high as MV and more like a hatchback or something like that.

"Then look at Husqvarna, Proton would never be known as a four-wheel drive off-roader so Husqvarna is a natural choice to create an off-roader." Proton also wants to tap into MV Agusta group’s styling ability, technical expertise and well-developed distribution network.

The MV Agusta Group is solely owned by Claudio Castiglione and has been in financial difficulty for some time.

Proton signed a letter of understanding with MV Agusta last October that enabled an inspection of the company’s books and last week made the binding offer for 55 per cent of the shares.

If the bid is successful, it would mean a substantial addition to Proton’s current new model plans, which amount to around 20 new models off four new platforms over the next few years.

That includes high-performance models to be built by UK-based subsidiary Lotus based on a new highly-adustable all-alloy architecture.

It is this architecture on which a luxury MV Agusta car would be based, probably mated to a new modular V8 engine also currently under development.

"Getting the people at MV to style an extreme car would be so interesting," Tengku Mahaleel said. "And there are some unique technologies they are developing which we are aware of, which are very, very interesting."

But Tengku Mahaleel said the three companies would continue in the motor-cycle business as well.

MV is famed in the bike world as the company for which the great Giacomo Agostini won 13 world road-racing titles. Recently it has gained fame for its F4 roadbikes, with inline four-cylinder engines designed by Ferrari.

Husqvarna has Swedish origins and is a maker of outstanding off-road motorcycles. The brand is actually owned by Electrolux and leased to the MV Agusta Group.

But it is Cagiva that could be the cash cow for Proton because it is very well known in Asia and could become a big player in that region’s booming scooter and small motorcycle market.

"Scooters are the fastest growing segment in the east and Cagiva can easily make a scooter," Tengku Mahaleel said. "The Cagiva brand name is very, very strong in the east and to bring production if possible to the east would give them huge volume."

Proton is already involved in motorcycling through its sponsorship of American Kenny Roberts’ MotoGP team. But that arrangement is due to end this season.


Supply problem in MG Rover deal
TENGKU Mahaleel played down the prospects of a deal with MG Rover taking place.

The two companies announced they were discussing mutual product opportunities earlier this year.

He said this week that overcoming supply issues was proving difficult.

"MG Rover is not an alliance, they want to buy things from us, that is purchase and sell. There is a few severe challenges on the basis of our discussion."

He also rejected any chance of discussions with GM Daewoo Auto Technology leading to a deal.


Keeping a watchful eye on Mitsubishi
THE Tengku has also played down but not ruled out becoming involved with Mitsubishi Australia’s operations, and has admitted interest in the company’s Adelaide engine foundry which will close in October next year.

Tengku Mahaleel revealed Proton’s interest in becoming a local assembler in March when the latest round of question marks over the future of Mitsubishi Motors Australia first surfaced.

"Buy the foundry? Yes we can look at it, because the engines and stuff for the future we are making for the future need aluminium, and if Australia has advantages why not?" Tengku Mahaleel said this week.

"But until that comes on to the table very openly, I would not be able to assess it."

What a interesting thread~

Please anyone let us know some basic information of Proton..

especially, Revenues, profits, market cap(by US$) and Number of employees

Anyone dunno meh the states. There's a small Korean luxury sport car maker called Proto also.Hopefully Proton will be like the Korean marques.

From Thestar

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/6/12/business/8199106&sec=business

Proton aims to double Gen.2 output by October

PROTON Holdings Bhd, which makes one of two cars produced in Malaysia, aims to double the monthly production of its GEN.2 sedans by October to clear a delivery backlog and reverse the record profit drop in its last financial year, analysts said.

Proton, with 13,900 orders for the GEN.2, would boost production by as many as 2,500 a month to more than 4,000 units, chief executive Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff told analysts in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

The company expects to sell as many as 55,000 units a year, according to OSK Research and ING Securities. About 4,000 GEN.2s have been delivered since the model's debut in February.

Proton, under threat from Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co, must take advantage of Malaysia's fastest economic growth in four years that boosted vehicle sales for the third month in April. It also had to hasten supplies to prevent customers from buying more affordable rival models, investors such as Geoffrey Ng said.

?October is still a long way to go,'' said Ng, who helps manage the equivalent of US$368mil at Pacific Mutual Fund Bhd, including Proton shares. ?No buyer will wait for five months when there are so many other models.''

Proton also planned to introduce two new models by March next year, said ING Securities analyst Edward Ong, who attended the briefing. Mahaleel could not be reached for comment.

The company expected to sell as many as 80,000 GEN.2s in the year ending April 30, 2005, Mahaleel had said at an event to introduce the model.

Proton wanted to boost overseas orders by buying a controlling stake in MV Agusta SpA, a motorcycle maker based in Schiranna, Italy, to use the Italian company's brand, analysts cited Mahaleel as saying. It is also seeking an overseas partner to help it gain market share abroad, Mahaleel reportedly said, without elaborating.

Proton said last month it planned to make an offer for an unspecified stake in MV Agusta, which makes the MV Agusta, Cagiva and Husqvarna brand of motorcycles. ? Bloomberg

wah!! proton city iz in tj malim rite!!! my penpal is from there:D :D :D can get some information from herloh!!!!:D

anyway that Ford pic u post is Car Ofda Year in Aus~ i like that one hehe:D

szehoong> is Audi veri expensive in Malaysia???

Maybe this is the site for it.Interesting... :)
http://www.jpt.com.my/experiences_proton_city.asp


PROTON PLANT TANJUNG MALIM, PERAK - 2003
http://www.rb.com.my/FlashSite/CorporateInfo/CompletedProject.asp?intConstructionID=47


http://www.rb.com.my/WebOffice/Construction/ConstructionImages/Project47.jpg

The construction and completion of this project would cater a new automotive assembly plant for the “Proton City Project” at Proton City, Tanjung Malim. It comprises of building works, equipment foundation and pit works and site development works.

Ah!Sze!Sorry!Didnt look at this threat for ages!:(
I didnt buy the agazine so didnt manage to scn and post the page:( It's predicted that the car is gonna cost within 150-200k

Ah!Sze!Sorry!Didnt look at this threat for ages!:(
I didnt buy the agazine so didnt manage to scn and post the page:( It's predicted that the car is gonna cost within 150-200k


Oh I see ....that model eh? I think I also saw it in some Intl car magazine........those are just renderings lah......nothing concrete yet. ;)

Anyway Proton need to built up its branding before any of such supercars attempt should be made :D

PETALING JAYA: Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) hopes to complete as early as this year, the building of its fourth design platform, a high-technology and one of the most unique platforms in the world, its chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Dr Mahaleel Tengku Ariff said Thursday.

Called the modular platform, the new platform would allow multiple configuration of the car’s engine, he told a press conference after giving a keynote address to senior Proton executives, vendors and technology partners here during the company’s seminar on products, quality and cost management.

“You can put a front engine or a mid-engine on this platform, you can make a front-wheel-drive or a rear-wheel-drive on this platform and you can make this platform the size of a (BMW’s) three series on seven series,” he said.

The platform, combined with the new Campro engine family would enable the national car maker to create high-end car, such as a high-performance sportscar, an off-roader and a luxurious sedan.

“With this fourth platform we are almost complete in the context of the products,” he said explaining that in the last three years, Proton built three platforms.

The first platform has been used for designing the Waja and Gen.2 models while the other two are for medium-size car and small-size car platforms, he said.

Mahaleel disclosed that with all the four platforms, Proton could produce a minimum of 20 types of vehicles.

He also said that Proton was working on another platform that could enable the designing of a car with a possible on-the-road price of around US$5,000 (RM19,000), which would then serve the mass market.

“The structure is totally different. We think we have almost found a solution to do this. We are now checking for patent and copyright,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Gen.2 will see its monthly production being raised to its highest ever this month with up to 3,800 units assembled, Mahaleel said.

“We will probably ship out between 3,500 and 3,800 Gen.2s which is almost double of what we have been producing over the last two months,” he said.

It was reported last week that the model, powered by the 1.6 litre Proton-developed Campro engine, has an order of 13,900 units.

He said like any car, Gen.2’s production was stabilising within its first three months.

Mahaleel said rumours that the Campro engine was not performing or was facing problems were not true.

“We only have one problem and that is our Australian supplier was not able to meet demand. We are asking them to try to deliver at least 3,000 units of cylinder heads,” he said.

To keep up with demand, Mahaleel said Perodua and a Korean engine maker have been awarded with contracts to supply cylinder heads for the Campro engines. - Bernama

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The orange Gen.2 I bet is the nicest looking car ever :eek:

Proton to form joint venture in Indonesia


PROTON Holdings Bhd said unit Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) has agreed to form a 51:49 joint venture in Indonesia with Tracoma Holdings Bhd.

Proton Holdings said the joint venture was being formed to undertake contract assembly of motor vehicles in Indonesia for Proton and other automotive manufacturers.

The joint-venture company would be known as PT Proton Tracoma Motors, the holding company said, adding that its incorporation was subject to the relevant approvals being obtained from the Indonesian government.

Proton Holdings said it aimed to increase Proton car sales in Indonesia and other Asean countries.

The joint venture will have an initial authorised capital of US$8mil and an initial paid-up capital of US$2.5mil.

Also, the two companies would inject a further US$19.5mil into the joint venture to raise its issued capital to US$22mil. – AFX-Asia