Proton announces Grand Prix Vip contest

To celebrate Proton’s collaboration with the Lotus Renault Grand Prix (LRGP) which is competing in the current season of the FIA Formula One World Championship, Malaysian car manufacturer has launched the ‘Grand Prix VIP Challenge’ - a global online competition to give away an all-expenses paid trip for two to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo between 25th and 27th November 2011.

With iconic sports car manufacturer Lotus, wholly-owned by Proton, being the title sponsor of the competing team, the competition is open to motorists who service a Proton between now and 15th October 2011.


In addition to the star prize, Proton is also giving away two iPad 2 plus 50 other attractive prizes each month between 15th July 2011 and 15th October 2011 for its existing and potential customers worldwide who participate in its global online contest.

To enter, motoring fans simply need to visit www.proton.com/grandprix and answer five random questions in the fastest time about Proton, Lotus or LRGP in order to become eligible to win the montly prizes. With over 90 dealerships based throughout the UK, customers who service their Proton during this period with an official dealer will receive a scratchcard that will award them with additional chances of winning, by improving their previous score.

The contest is being run in 21 countries: Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Mauritius, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

“Our association with Lotus Renault Grand Prix (LRGP) provides us with a unique way of sharing our excitement with our existing and potential customers. Above all, it allows us to express our gratitude for the continued and growing support as well as acceptance the brand has received worldwide,” said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Seri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

LRGP is currently fifth in the Constructor Standings.

Log on now to www.proton.com/grandprix, for your chance to witness the adrenalin-packed action of Formula One racing at the final round of the 2011 championship in Brazil.

| Proton

Proton Shows Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Lookalike Concept of Inspira with 240HP Turbo Engine

The 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show at the Putra World Trade Centre in Malaysia saw local automaker and owner of Lotus, Proton, revealing a host of concept models including a sport prototype of the recently launched Inspira called the Jebat. Needless to say, it's clearly inspired from the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X.

As you may remember, the Inspira is a rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer sedan and is the result of an OEM collaboration between the Malaysian automaker and Mitsubishi Japan. However, we're not so sure if Mitsubishi had this in mind when it was signing the agreement with Proton.

In any case, the Jebat study, which could very well lead to a similar production model, features a wide body kit with blistered wheel arches and splashes of matte black paint all around the car. Power is provided by a turbocharged 4-cylinder MiVEC engine producing 237HP (177kW) at 6,000 rpm and 343Nm of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.

No word if the pseudo-EVO (that does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) comes with the real EVOs four-wheel drive system, but Proton has announced that the Jebat completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 5.6 seconds and tops out at 232 km/h or 144 mph.

Via: Proton and CBT

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Proton Rebadges Mitsubishi Lancer and Calls it Inspira. Too bad it isn't an EVO..

Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker and owners of Lotus, has taken the wraps of its latest model. No, you aren't looking at a cheesy Photoshop and this isn't an April Fools joke come six months late: this is the firm's new mid-sized Inspira sedan.

For those of you fooled by the *cough* deceptive *cough* restyling Proton has done, the Inspira (from the Bahasa Malaysia word 'Inspirasi' which means 'Inspiration') is based on the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer.

Priced at a tentative RM79,888 (US$25,654), deliveries of the Inspira will start in November. For some comparison, in Malaysia a base model Mazda3 sells for roughly RM30,000 (US$10,000) more.

Managing Director Dato' Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir is very happy with the new model:

"We maintain our stance in making valuable products more affordable for Malaysians. The car's distinctive sporty personality has been further enhanced by us with the injection of the renowned Lotus DNA of excellent ride & handling, while localisation of parts has enabled us to introduce the Inspira at an affordable price. With these combined, what we have here is what we believe to be another right car, at the right price and at the right time by PROTON."

The Inspira gets all the goodies the Lancer gets including a choice of a 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines, adaptive CVT with paddle shifters, cruise control, dusk-sending headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, climate control air conditioning and (presumably) 5 star ANCAP safety.

The Inspira is the first tangible result of the new strategic alliance between Proton and Mitsubishi, though the two companies have had close ties for years. In the mid to late '90s, Proton brought three cars to Australia that were little more than rebadges of current generation Mitsubishi models. Suffice to say, only the most cash strapped of buyers saw the Wira, Satria and M21 as anything but knockoff Mitsubishis.

Carscoop will have more details and pictures as they come through.

By Tristan Hankins

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