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Volkswagen to Build Cars in Malaysia, will Start with the Passat from 2011

Tuesday, December 21, 2010 Labels: Proton, Reports, VW

The Volkswagen Group on Tuesday signed an agreement with Malaysia's DRB Hicom auto group for local vehicle assembly as the Wolfsburg-based automaker seeks to expand its operations in Southeast Asia under the Strategy 2018 growth program. The announcement came after VW abandoned alliance talks with Malaysian state-owned carmaker Proton earlier this year for undisclosed reasons.

Lotus CEO Says Concept City Car will Enter Production in "October 2013"

Friday, December 17, 2010 Labels: Concepts, Electric Vehicles, Hybrids, Italdesign, Lotus, Lotus Concepts, Proton, Proton Concepts, Reports

It appears that Aston Martin won't be the only British sports car maker to have a controversial small city car in its range. Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar told Car magazine that the Concept City Car, which was previewed at the recent Paris Motor Show alongside five sports car studies, has been approved for production. The comapny's CEO said the car will be manufactured in cooperation with Lotus parent company Proton and an undisclosed third party.

"Our city car has been confirmed and will be launched in October 2013," Mr. Bahar told the British magazine. "We are doing this together with Proton and another OEM [original equipment manufacturer, or car maker]. We will build three versions: one for the Asian market, one for Europe and a sportier one."

The Lotus flavored Concept City Car is based on one of the three Giugiaro-penned Proton EMAS design studies, which were first shown in Geneva earlier this year.

Lotus Renault GP is the New Kid on the 2011 Formula 1 Block

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 Labels: Lotus, Proton, Racing, Renault, Reports

Lotus announced today that it’s taking over the “Renault F1 Team” and creating a new team named “Lotus Renault GP” that will compete in the 2011 Formula 1 season and onwards. This is not the first time that the two companies have worked together in Formula 1, as in the 1980s, Lotus used turbocharged engines sourced from the French carmaker.

Proton Rebadges Lotus Europa to Create Lekir Sports Concept

Friday, December 3, 2010 Labels: Concepts, Lotus, Lotus Elise, Proton, Proton Concepts, Replica

Taking center stage at Proton's 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show booth alongside the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO-esque Jebat study, is yet one more concept model based on another manufacturer's vehicle, the Lekir. This time, Proton looked into its own car bin and in particular, Lotus, which it acquired back in 1994, as the Lekir is essentially a rebagded Europa coupe. Mind you, it's not the first time we've seen the Europa wearing different logos as Dodge displayed an EV concept of the model at the 2009 Detroit Show.

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

Labels: Concepts, Lancia, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Concepts, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, New Cars, Proton

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.

New Proton Inspira: The Malaysian Lancer Officially Launched

Saturday, November 13, 2010 Labels: Galleries, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Lancer, New Cars, Proton

Proton has officially unveiled its Mitsubishi Lancer-derived Inspira mid-sizer, after its soft launch to the public and media in late October. Since then Proton has received over 1,800 bookings from customers around Malaysia in anticipation of its market launch this month.

The new model is the result of an OEM collaboration (the word "rebadge" sounds nastier...) between PROTON and Mitsubishi Japan, the latter providing the mechanical and design basis and the former tweaking the model for the Malaysian market.

Among those changes are the signature Proton grille and -according to the Malaysian company- the incorporation of Lotus DNA in the Inspira's ride and handling.

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

Sunday, October 24, 2010 Labels: Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Lancer, New Cars, Proton, Replica

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.

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