Proton has unveiled their latest contender for this year’s Malaysian Touring Car Championship (MTCC) of the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) – the R3 Suprima S Race Car. On first impression, the new Proton R3’s liveries have made the new Supreme S Race car a striking car to feast your eyes at.
The R3 Suprima S race car will not be using the turbocharged CFE engine – instead it relied on the heavily reengineered Campro CPS engine, capable of producing 178 HP at 7,500 rpm and 224 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. A normally aspired engine was in favor of the turbocharger unit as the car is built for endurance purposes to suit the MSS and the Sepang 1K endurance (S1K) races. A five-speed, close-ratio manual gearbox were mated with the car. Also spotted are the Hankook Ventus Z221 semi-slick tyres with R3 15 inch rims. It may look a tad smaller compared to the stock 17 inch rim, as the car was built to follow the regulations of MTCC.
Inside the race car, a 6 point roll cage was installed, which is compulsory for touring car machines. The team has developed a lightweight bodyshell with chassis enhancements which made the bodyshell of this car is much stronger than a standard Suprima S. This machine is part of a three-way attack by Proton R3, complementing the existing Preve R3 and Satria Neo R3 in the quest for Proton’s supremacy at this year’s MSS and SK1. In 2013, it was mixed fortunes for the Proton R3 team – where the team was crowned with the driver’s and manufacturer’s title in the MSS, they couldn’t replicate the similar success in the SK1 when their best finished car, the Satria Neo R3, completed the race in fifth place while the Proton R3 retired from a mechanical issue.
The race car was launched yesterday during Proton’s sales carnival in Kuala Terengganu. It seems there an ongoing trend where Proton releases new variants of its car models as seen in their previous events in Shah Alam, Melaka and Penang. However, unlike the previous events, this race car is not for sale to the public. The car is set to make its debut in the first round of the MSS race series as part of the support race for the Formula One race in Sepang by end of March.
The specs of the Proton R3 Suprima S Touring Car as below.
Engine Type R3 Campro CPS 1597cc 16 valve
Engine Transmission F41 5 MT Close Ratio Gearbox
Power (bhp/rpm) 178 / 7500
Torque (Nm/rpm) 224 / 4000
Bodyshells R3 Lightweight Bodyshell + 6 Point Rollcage
Wheels R3 Lightweight 15 x 7 ET25 5H PCD 114.3
Tyres Hankook Ventus Z221 195 / 55R15 Semi Slick
Bodykit R3 Front Splitter & Side SkirtR3 Custom Brake Cooling Duct
