Proton officially launches R3 Satria Neo
Having announced its impending arrival a month ago, Proton has now officially launched the Proton R3 Satria Neo, exclusively built by the company’s R3 Motorsports Division. Spiritual successor to the old Proton Satria R3, the new R3 Satria Neo is priced at RM79,797 with insurance and sports a distinctive paint job with a Fire Red body and black roof.
Powering it is Proton’s 1.6-litre S4PH Campro CPS engine tweaked with R3’s Stage Two upgrades – re-profiled camshafts, 4-2-1 stainless steel exhaust, aluminium adjustable cam pulleys, and carbon fibre air-intake with K&N air filter. Outputs are identical to the previously released Satria Neo R3 Lotus Racing Edition, which makes 145hp @ 7,000rpm and 168Nm @ 5,000rpm.
A close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission sends drive to the front wheels. Proton claims this setup to be good enough to propel the R3 Satria Neo to 100kph from rest in 9.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 205kph.
The four corners are where most of R3’s magic are worked on. New springs reduce ride height by 10mm and the suspension geometry has been reworked to give improved grip and steering precision. The 16″ lightweight alloys are shod with softer compound 205/45 Bridgestone Potenza RE001R tyres. Braking is also enhanced by the use of performance pads that are said to remain fade free up to 400 degree Celsius.
In terms of equipment, Proton has also included kit such as ABS, EBD, dual airbags, and most surprisingly a 2-DIN audio head unit with built-in GPS in the R3 Satria Neo. Display units of the R3 Satria Neo are available at Proton’s Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam and Platinum showrooms at Mutiara Damansara, Juru and Plentong. Bookings are accepted at all 23 Proton Edar sales branches (not authorized dealers) throughout Peninsula Malaysia with a fee of RM2,000. Delivery will take place within four weeks of obtaining loan approval.
Pictures: Official Proton release.
