FOREWORD

The success of the national car project has been the result The hard truth, however, is that embracing
of continued investment in, and importance placed on, conventional wisdom and ways would never have gotten
the field of research and development. This, I have to us to where we are today, especially in an industry that is
admit, has been the single most important element that constantly evolving and so highly competitive. As a
has allowed PROTON to make the successful newcomer in the automotive industry, PROTON does not
transformation from merely being a car assembler to a have the luxury of taking its time - we would be left even
full fledged and competitive car manufacturer capable of further behind the bigger players.
designing, engineering and building its own products. That however, doesn’t mean that we didn’t, or that it’s
Today, PROTON has become less dependent on others not important to learn how to, first walk – it is and we
as a car company, but more importantly, over the last 20 have, the only difference being we simply chose to
years, it has allowed Malaysians and Malaysian companies accelerate the learning process.
to be exposed to and to master cutting edge technology In this issue of GUTS, we go behind the scenes at
in the automotive industry. What we have essentially PROTON’s research and development facility where work is
inherited is more than just the know-how to build a car; going on at a feverish pace to introduce the next
we have the power of invention. It makes me proud to generation of Proton cars.
tell you that PROTON, as the result of the strategic
relationship it has built with Lotus, has also evolved to
become a consultancy in the position to offer automotive
technical and engineering expertise to third parties. TENGKU TAN SRI MAHALEEL TENGKU ARIFF
PROTON has accomplished so much over such a short GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
period of time, that we are often criticised for “trying to PROTON HOLDINGS BERHAD
learn how to run before learning how to walk.”

Group CEO : Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Designers : Terry Chang / Jimmy Ng
Ariff
Printer : Percetakan Kum Sdn Bhd
Editor-in-chief : Fauziyah Abu Hassan Lot 9, Jalan 51A/243 Petaling Jaya,
46100 Selangor, Malaysia.
Copy Editor : Harris Iskandar Taib (Hit Advertising Enquiries : Prosell (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Communications) 603-7955-8436
Editorial Team : Ruzita Ripin, Wan Faridah,
Bhupinder Singh, Marsitah Wariss, Published quarterly in Malaysia by :
Mohd. Asroll Mansor, Mohd. Norin The Corporate Communications Department,
Abu Bakar, Mohd. Rawi Omar,
PROTON HOLDINGS BERHAD,
Nazhrat Zain, Syam Hakimi Ismail,
Syed Anas Alhabshi, Yanti Nordin. HICOM Industrial Estate,Batu 3, P.O. Box 7100
40918 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Photographers : Abdul Halim Ahmad / Afaf Tel: 603- 5191-1055 Fax: 603-5191-1919
Najib Website: www.proton.com

Creative Consultants : Elaine Lee / Stef Lim

Prosell (M) Sdn. Bhd.
603-7955-8436
 CONTENTS

GUTS is a quarterly publication of

PROTON Holdings Berhad. It is
distributed exclusively to a select
group comprising of embassies,
ministries, airline companies, PROTON
customers, hotels and others in the
travel and tour trade both at home
and abroad.

COVER STORY - RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Daring To Turn Aspirations Into Reality 6-9

Leveraging The Lotus Advantage 10 - 13

Challenging And Daring To Change The Rules 14 - 17

Accelerating Technology To Build “WOW” Products 18 - 19

Engineering A PROTON Car From The Ground Up 20 - 21

The Brand New Face Of Proton Cars 22 - 25

Living On The Edge Of Your Seat 26 - 27

Good Is Never Good Enough 28 - 29

The Twilight Zone- Crash Testing 30 - 31

Accelerated Durability Testing 32 - 33

PROTON’s Durability Test Journey 33

The Killjoys Of PROTON 34 - 36

Electrical Systems Tests 37

Engineering Cutting-Edge Technology 38

Homologation 39

A Daring New Driving Experience 40 - 43

Get That Feeling 44 - 47

Aerodynamics 48 - 50

A New Breed Of Proton Cars - Born And Bred On The Track 52 - 55

UP-CLOSE
Seduced On The Road, Sold On The Track 56 - 59

NEWSFLASH
A Brand New Beginning In The UK 60 - 62

A Lotus Long-Haul Into Thailand 63 - 65

Fearless Underdogs - PROTON And The Canaries 66 - 67

Great Promise Ahead In Synergy Between PROTON,

Lotus & Norwich City FC 68 - 69

Generating New Interest For Proton Cars Down Under 70 - 71

Fuel Efficient Proton Gets Government Tick Of Approval 72 - 73

Elise Takes The United States Market By Storm 74 - 75

Victorious Satria Gti In London To Sydney Rally 76 - 77

V-Sixers On The Racing Line 77

WPC Excursion To Bagan Lalang 77

Journeying Into The Heart Of PROTON 78 - 81

The Extreme Side Of Owning A Proton Car 82 - 84

PROTON’s Pioneer EDP Group Graduates With Honours- 85

An International Stamp Of Approval For PROTON Tanjung Malim 86 - 87

Slashing Stamping Process Operation Costs With

Hyperform Technology 88

Dr. Mahathir Brought Up To Speed On PROTON’s Development 88

PROTON Launches Guts Corporate Magazine 89

NCFC Tour Of Malaysia 90 - 91

Safety On Two Wheels With PROTON 92 - 93

MOTORSPORTS
Giant-Killing GTI 94

Proton’s Karamjit Singh On Track For Another APRC Victory 95

Close Quarters Racing In Kumho Tyres Lotus Trophy 96

Proton signs On As Sponsor Of Australian Lotus Race 96

PERSONALITY
Malaysias Gutsiest Celebrity 98 - 101

CRUISING AROUND
Journeying Into The Heart Of Lake Kenyir 102 - 107
 DARING TO
TURN

”We may be a star but we are

not yet a superstar.”
Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff
Group Chief Executive Officer
PROTON Holdings Berhad
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Argue all you want, but it stands that the light bulb is still
the greatest invention in the world and the wheel has
enabled man to travel great distances even on the moon.
The world of transportation has come a long way
since the era of horse carts, Ford's Model-T and the
introduction of the five-speed transmission system. In
today's increasingly competitive car industry, car
manufacturers are becoming deeply obsessed with
having state-of-the-art technology built into their cars,
anything from a plethora of electronics and
computerised head-up displays, to manual performing
automatic transmissions and smart suspension systems.
The visionaries among us are already three steps
ahead, even studying the possibility of intelligent, self-
driven cars.
Today's inventors don't quite enjoy the fame Thomas
Edison did when he came up with the light bulb but
they're still pretty much as passionate as he was and are
always trying to outdo one another, especially in the car
industry. They're called automotive engineers and, like
Edison in his days, research and development continues
to play an integral role in the modern world, in line with
man's quest to develop the fastest, the most
environmentally friendly, and the most technically
advanced vehicle on four wheels.
Research and Development is the backbone of today's
car companies and similarly, the focus at PROTON has
always been to acquire the right technology and the
engineering know-how that will give it that capability of
looking into future motoring requirements.
"It is something you can never run away from if
empower Malaysians with this powerful knowledge."
PROTON is ever to be independent as a car manufacturer.
Being new to the car industry has its advantages and
This was an objective outlined in the very beginning of
disadvantages and, despite being in the business for 20
Malaysia's national car project," said PROTON Holdings years, PROTON is still the youngest car manufacturer in
Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri the world.
Mahaleel Tengku Ariff. "The good thing is that we can learn from the
"The bigger agenda, of course, is the acquisition of mistakes of others and this has tremendously accelerated
advanced technology in automotive engineering to our growth as a car manufacturer. The downside is that
we lack the experience and the advantages our

PROTON under the microscope... The company competitors have on us being pioneers in the business."
and brand will both be under close scrutiny as it The acquisition of Lotus in 1996 has boosted
moves ahead in the competitve automotive PROTON's learning curve and has since led to the roll-out
of the first entirely Malaysian designed car, the Waja, in
2000. Recently PROTON unveiled what is essentially only
its second car, the GEN.2. Lotus was also instrumental in
developing Proton's CAMPRO engine, the first Malaysian
engine to be commercially marketed.
Behind the scenes however, the company has been
working at a feverish pace, and is today at the point of
completing the development of its modular design
vehicle platform.

8 | GUTS
 "The uniqueness of a modular platform is that we can
have many configurations on a single base, anything
from a front, mid and rear engine car to a front or rear
wheel drive system. The same platform can also spin off
small cars to larger vehicles like an MPV," said Tengku
Mahaleel.
With four vehicle platforms in hand PROTON will be
in a position to produce at least 20 new models.
Engineers are already working on a new engine
family to complement the CAMPRO with capacity
ranging from 2.2 litre to 3.5 litre. The CAMPRO itself was
designed to be able to incorporate other applications for
instance cam profile switching (CPS) technology, variable
valve timing and the use of natural gas.
"PROTON has moved on to the next phase required of
a car manufacturer and that is to be in possession of
design and engineering capabilities, and instrumental
criteria if the company is to remain a competitive player
in the industry. In many ways we're still playing catch up
with the big boys, but considering this is an era that was
only started eight years ago, we've come far in a short
space of time. Our goal is very clear, and that is to have
a PROTON car running in every country around the
world. This is something only time will prove," said
Tengku Mahaleel.
PROTON expects to invest close to RM5 billion over
the next five years building its research and development
capabilities further.

Hands on... Tengku Mahaleel believes investment in

R&D will be the key to PROTON’s continued success.

GUTS | 9
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

LEVERAGING THE
LOTUS ADVANTAGE
The acquisition of Lotus in 1996 has placed PROTON in the
forefront of acquiring cutting edge technology from one
of the world's most renowned and respected automotive
engineering consultancy in the world.

Lotus founder Colin Chapman was an extraordinary force sported massive tall wings on the car. Yet, as immediate as
to be reckoned with in the early years of Formula One the next following grand prix, almost every car on the grid
racing, from experimenting with the monocoque chassis had wings and as we know today, ground effects or
and aerodynamics in a car to repositioning the engine to aerodynamics contribute greatly to a team's success and in
the rear in an era that was dominated by front engine being competitive in Formula One.
powered cars. It didn't take long for the rest of the world to know
He even became the laughing stock of Formula One Chapman as a man for challenging conventional thinking,
when he appeared at one grand prix with a racing car that a legacy that continues to live on with the Lotus name.

10 | GUTS
GUTS | 11
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

At the last count, one in 10 engines built have Lotus Lotus Engineering Malaysia provides workstations for
input and expertise in them and if not for non-disclosure digital processes in computer aided design and computer
commitments, you'd be surprised to know the fleet of aided engineering with additional dedicated facilities
different models of cars that have been engineered or available and in use, housing engineers and support staff
refined by Lotus. on-site at PROTON's research and development division in
An internationally recognised automotive engineering Shah Alam.
consultant, Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive The company's role today has also been extended to
and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's assisting original equipment -manufacturers and tier one
car manufacturers and tier one automotive suppliers from suppliers to become globally competitive.
initial concept and project design through development "The strategic development of Lotus Engineering
to testing, manufacturing and full production prototype Malaysia is to continue to service the design and
build. development requirements of PROTON projects whilst
One of three subsidiary companies under the Group developing new opportunities in the ASEAN, Australian
Lotus umbrella - with the two others being Lotus Cars and and Indian regions," said the company's Sales and
Lotus Manufacturing - it has technical centres in the Engagement Manager Karl deSouza.
United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia and China. "Through networking with global engineering
Based at the Technology Park in Bukit Jalil, Lotus capabilities of Lotus, Lotus Engineering Malaysia will drive
Engineering Malaysia is currently into its fourth year of the philosophy to sell locally, deliver globally."
operation and plays the role of a supplier development Its contribution to Malaysia's national car project has
centre for knowledge and technology transfer. been in the area of PROTON being able to produce cars
It was set-up primarily to support the PROTON strategy with exceptional ride and handling characteristics, the
of becoming a totally independent and competitive car development of vehicle platforms, design and engineering
manufacturer by way of providing design, development, capabilities and the roll-out of the first Malaysian engine
engineering and manufacturing expertise as well as to to be commercialised, the CAMPRO.
employ, train and transfer technology to local employees
and suppliers.

12 | GUTS
 Also a recent major breakthrough was when the successful roll-out of the GEN.2.
company announced it has been awarded a consultancy "We could never have come this far so soon on our own
project with a major car manufacturer based in China. without the proper know-how, expertise, technology and
Lotus Engineering Malaysia's mission in essence is to capabilities. Compared to the more established car
become a centre of design excellence for body in white manufacturers we are still behind but we are not that far
and interior systems and to act as a regional hub of the behind."
Lotus global network pulling technologies from Group Tengku Mahaleel said a key area Lotus Engineering
Lotus, their suppliers, global partners and associations Malaysia will be focusing on today is in offering its services
with technology institutes.
This is accomplished by continuing to invest in
developing local engineering capabilities to offer highly
experienced, cost effective global resource. LOTUS ENGINEERING KEY STRENGTHS
"The company's aim is to establish a lower cost base by
recruiting local expertise, then transferring technology, z Engineering for the whole vehicle/whole
training and skill development through exposure to Lotus' process
technologies. z Styling, packaging and integration
"These are the engineers who will help build Malaysia z Lightweight technologies
as a world leading research and development automotive
z Powertrain engineering
centre which will both work in partnership and
complement the existing mature manufacturing base in z Body and chassis engineering

Asia." z Composites technology

PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Chief Executive z Research and technologies
Officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff underlines z Vehicle dynamics and refinement
the strategic acquisition of Lotus saying it has served as a
z Testing and homologation
vital launching pad for the company in its quest to
become an independent and full-fledged car z Vehicle and powertrain for low volume

manufacturer. production or niche markets

If anything, the acquisition has helped to z Rapid time to market process

tremendously accelerate PROTON's learning process in the z Engineering design for quality
car manufacturing industry.
"It was a very bold step (the acquisition) but one that
was necessary to get PROTON to where it is today," he
said as PROTON prepares to launch a series of a new
generation of made-in-Malaysia vehicles following the

GUTS | 13
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

CHALLENGING
AND DARING TO
CHANGE THE
RULES
Research and Development takes on
an even more integral role today in
helping to pave the way forward for
PROTON as it embarks on a new era
to become an internationally
accepted and respected car
manufacturer. Engineering a new
era for PROTON means daring to
change the rules of the game and
overcoming the challenges ahead.

Q: What are the pertinent changes that have taken place

at PROTON's Research and Development facility?
A: When it comes to building cars, previously the R&D
department handled everything. Today, we've
divided this up into four vehicle programmes. There's
programme A for small and mid-sized cars,
programme B for sub-compact cars like the GEN.2 for
example and programme C for large and executive
class cars, while programme D will be responsible for
niche market products. This was done to address
ownership of a particular vehicle being designed,
employing a cradle to the grave concept. Essentially it
Man on a mission... Tengku Azizan’s the man in
means that that particular team will be responsible
charge of charting the road ahead for PROTON.
for the car from the design to the production stage
and in addressing consumer and market feedback at
the after sales service level. Each vehicle programme
operates independently with an average of 120 to
150 personnel from product planners and stylists to
packaging experts and prototype engineers. They are
responsible for everything from selecting the
component suppliers to tackling after sales service
requirements. The R&D Division, plays a supporting
role as a service provider to these four programmes in
terms of providing testing facilities, advance
prototyping, powertrain and engineering services.

14 | GUTS
 Q: How is this beneficial?
A: The objective and priority is to reduce development
time for a particular product, especially in a market
environment that is increasingly competitive with
new models being introduced so frequently. It allows
faster decision making, and has helped PROTON to
expedite introducing new products into the market.
For example, we used to take 48 months to develop a
new car in our infancy stages. Today, we're at 38
months. With the GEN.2, we completed everything
within 27 and a half months. The target now is to
bring down the development time to about 20
months. If you look at companies like Toyota, for
example, their development time is between 14 and
Deep in thought... PROTON’s objective is to 18 months. Vehicle ownership will also help to reduce
reduce development time to increase its any inefficiency that may be caused in the process
competitivesness in the market. leading to the completion of the new product. It will
also enable PROTON to react more quickly to market
requirements, demands, changes and trends. Let's just
say it's healthy competition within the company, in
that you now have four teams competing and
learning from one another's strengths and
weaknesses.

Q: What are some of the challenges PROTON's R&D

Division faces today?
A: I can sum that up into five major challenges. The first
is of course fierce competition in the market with so
many new competitors coming into the scene, the
speed of introducing new models and the
implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement
(AFTA) in 2005. The second is cost that involves the
combination of localisation and global sourcing of
parts and components, as well as investing in more
automation at the production level. Then you have
product branding. This is where the new generation
of Proton cars will be aimed at instilling higher brand
value, better quality as well as more style and
performance. The fourth is what we call corporate
branding technology, and this has to do with
designing, engineering, materials, safety and
emissions. The fifth, and most difficult to predict, is
the international legislation governing the car
manufacturing industry because, as you know, rules
and regulations pertaining to safety and the
environment frequently change. All this however,
doesn't take us away from the ultimate goal of
making cars that are beyond consumers' expectations.

GUTS | 15
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Q: How do you intend to achieve this?

A: We rely on four core drivers to meet with
this objective and that is to design and
build vehicles that people will desire to
own. The first is to have superior driving
dynamics with Lotus ride and handling.
We are also employing the Lotus
philosophy of performance by lightweight
in terms of chassis technology and, of
course, the newer generation of Proton
cars will also have greater visibility in
terms of Lotus styling. Performance will
also be derived from the CAMPRO engine
and the technology that can be
incorporated into the base model design.

Q: What does it take to build a car?

A: It's very difficult and subjective to build the
right car. This is something that starts
from the concept stage and when you
decide who your targeted buyers will be.
The difficulty is always in the process chain
because it involves many people to come
up with a suitable product. Just to give
you an example, today our ride and
handling department will probably ask
the respective vehicle programmes how
they want the suspension and driving
dynamics of the car to be tuned. This is
something we never had in the past.
When we designed and built the CAMPRO
engine for instance, we were very clear in
our objectives in that we wanted an
engine that could incorporate the latest
technology. It needed to be an engine
that could last 10 years or at least
250,000km before an overhaul is required,
one that is high on performance, low on
emissions etc. There are other
contributing factors in building a car, for
instance the availability of information,
the efficiency of a particular process and
even in dealing with component suppliers.
Automotive technology has evolved so
much and so quickly that it has also
become a challenge to ensure that all the
people involved in the development
process of the vehicle communicate with Challenging times ahead... Staying ahead in the game
each other and integrate their efforts. depends on getting the right product into the market at

16 | GUTS
Q: The availability of new PROTON models and Q: Can you elaborate more on some of the
the speed in which it hits the market have technological gains?
always been a point of concern, why? A: From being a car assembler, PROTON has today
A: To develop a new model costs an average of evolved into a full fledged car manufacturer.
RM500 to RM600 million. Unless we can The four vehicle programmes I mentioned
produce millions of cars to be sold we have to earlier, for example, will be built on four new
be selective in the type of products we intend platforms that will enable us to produce
to introduce into the market. This however, is anything from small cars to SUVs and sports
not an excuse for us not to do it and we have cars. PROTON is also in collaboration with
to manage it carefully. Having said that, you Lotus to develop a new engine family that is
have to realise that the GEN.2, for example, is between 2.2 litre and 3.5 litre in capacity with
essentially only the second ever car designed variations in four, six or even eight cylinders.
and built by PROTON after the Waja. The Bear in mind that the expertise possessed by
capability and expertise PROTON has today Lotus also enables PROTON to engineer and
will enable it to spin off at least 20 new build other modes of transportation such as
generation models on four vehicle platforms light aircrafts, watercrafts and military
and that in itself is an incredible achievement vehicles. The recent proposed acquisition of
for a company that has only been around for Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta
20 years and spent the last 16 years as an Motor Spa for example, will also contribute
assembler. Mind you, most of the competition immensely to PROTON in terms of styling and
is twice as old as we are. designing, and it also presents us with the
opportunity to learn about small and high
Q: What would you say is PROTON R&D's most performance engines.
valuable contribution?
A: The technology that we have acquired and Q: Can you share with us some of the targets
brought back into the country and the local PROTON R&D has set for itself?
automotive industry as well as the confidence A: We've been given a target time of five years to
and expertise that we have instilled in local be on par with Lotus in terms of ride and
engineers. Many don't realise the current handling and vehicle dynamics. Considering
importance and extensiveness of the facilities Lotus took nearly 50 years to perfect what
that PROTON has built up over the years. In they are today known for around the world,
the past, processes like styling, engineering makes it sound like an unimaginable task, but
design and data formulation were it's not impossible. You have to think
undertaken in countries like Japan, but today positively, and we have to challenge ourselves
most of the processes are conducted locally, to learn and press forward to succeed. If you
and by Malaysian engineers. I am not were to ask any engineer, the single most
ashamed to say that we have taken three important element to success is passion and
years to learn skills such as surface design and this is what keeps us at PROTON going. When
clay modelling with guidance from Lotus. you have passion, anything is possible and you
Today, this is all carried out by local personnel. can make things happen.
It takes an average of four weeks to build a
one-to-one scale model of a car and in one
project we even did it in two weeks working
around the clock. I would say our biggest asset
and contribution is our people. It is they who
make things happen. The facilities make it
possible. The ultimate goal of investing in
R&D is to give PROTON its independence if it
is to be acknowledged as a car manufacturer
and become competitive internationally.

GUTS | 17
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY
TO BUILD “WOW” PRODUCTS

The six key areas that form

the foundation of PROTON's
Research and Development Division

Power train Engineering was responsible for designing and

building the Campro, the first Malaysian engine to be

Each area plays a very important role and is a vital piece Vehicle safety and proving comes under the
of the jig-saw puzzle designed to transform PROTON into jurisdiction of Homologation and Testing, responsible for
a competitive and world class car manufacturer. putting prototypes through rigorous testing,
Each is a custodian of the company's closely guarded domestically and internationally. It is broken down into
secrets and is essentially what makes or breaks a product. seven key departments:
PROTON's Research and Development Division relies - The Component, Material, Strength and Safety
on six core and comprehensive areas: Powertrain (CMSS) Laboratory
Engineering, Homologation and Testing, Vehicle - Emissions Development Laboratory
Platforms, Prototype Centre, Engineering Development - Noise Laboratory
and Services, and Engineering Research. - Engine Development Testing Laboratory
Powertrain Engineering is responsible for the - Mileage Accumulation Chassis Dynamometer
development of independently designed engines and (MACD) Laboratory
transmissions, and engine management systems. It - Chassis Development Laboratory
designed and built the first Malaysian engine to be - Test Track
commercialised, the 1600cc CAMPRO, currently fitted
into the GEN.2 and the base for powering PROTON's new
generation of vehicles.

18 | GUTS
 Vehicle Platforms today assume the task of
developing new models for PROTON and is divided into
four independently run vehicle programmes. Programme
A oversees the development of small and mid-sized cars,
programme B sub-compact cars like the GEN.2,
programme C large and executive class cars, and
programme D niche market products.
Taking on a cradle to the grave concept, these four
teams cover product strategic planning, styling,
engineering design and supplier development
programmes. Each individual vehicle programme is also
responsible for the car from the design to production
stage, and in addressing consumer and market feedback
at the after sales service level.
Leading edge facilities and high precision tools
meanwhile, allow PROTON's Prototype Centre to
expedite the development of prototype models. Clay
modelling allow designers and engineers to evaluate,
assess and conduct preliminary feasibility studies on
three-dimensional designs and scale models.
The availability of rapid prototyping technology
enables engineers to conduct extremely fast prototype
samples cutting on valuable lead and development time.
Running models are then developed at the prototype
shop that enables real life testing to be conducted on the
proposed new vehicle.
Engineering Development and Services plays a
regulatory and management role, with part of its
function to research, plan and develop technological
advances in R&D in the areas of vehicle architecture,
styling visualisation and digital mock-up. It is also a
reference point for the four vehicle programmes,
maintaining a product engineering parts database and
managing data communication related to engineering
Homologation and Testing houses
designs. a state-of-the-art noise laboratory
Engineering Research was established to spearhead
PROTON's entry into cutting-edge automotive
technology. It is involved in advanced powertrain and
vehicle research in the fields of natural gas powered
vehicles, hybrid powertrains, active suspension systems,
multiplexed communicators and advanced composites.

Rapid prototyping facilities allow for

components to be designed and built for

GUTS | 19
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ENGINEERING A PROTON
CAR FROM THE GROUND

New ideas, daring concepts and dressed to kill

designs are the theme for PROTON’s new
generation of cars.

The fine art of designing, engineering and building a car responsible for building the thousands of new
at PROTON today is left to the creativity, commitment, components in the car. Today, even after receiving in
discretion and good judgement of four vehicle excess of 13,000 orders for the sporty five-door
programme teams that are shaping a brand new image hatchback, the team continues to have dedicated
for Malaysia's leading car manufacturer. personnel on standby to address any after sales service
The development process of the Proton Waja was a enquiries.
major learning curve for PROTON, Malaysian designers Embracing what it calls "a cradle to grave" approach
and engineers in the intricate art of making a car. in building the new generation of Proton cars, it's a
It pooled all the resources available at PROTON's simple formula that PROTON Holdings Berhad Group
Research and Development Facility and involved almost Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku
everyone down the line by the time the car was Ariff believes will make the company more competitive,
introduced into the market in 2000. more efficient and more forward-looking as a car
The new Proton GEN.2 however, did not. Instead, it manufacturer.
was entrusted to a specific and dedicated group of "What this has effectively created is ownership,
product planners, designers and engineers who were accountability and a sense of pride for a particular model
responsible for every element of the car from the time that is being developed," he said. "It allows for faster
the final design was approved to appointing the vendors decision making; it reduces development time and
enables the team responsible for developing the car to
react instantaneously to market demands, requirements,

20 | GUTS
needs and changes." new models into the market," admits Tengku Mahaleel.
The results are already inspiring considering it took 48 "The car, like apparel and mobile phones, have become
months to develop the Waja and the process successfully a fashion item. It's no longer just another mode of
reduced by 10 months when designers and engineers transportation. Consumers are out to make a statement
went to work on the GEN.2. with the vehicles they drive or own, and in fashion, it's
Ongoing work to introduce a new generation of common for a particular design to stay in or fall out of
Proton cars has been classified into four categories or trend. That is the biggest challenge faced not only by
more specifically vehicle programmes, with each given its PROTON but by all car manufacturers in the world."
own unique product segment on which to focus. The four vehicle programme teams are expected to
Vehicle Programme A is responsible for the turn out at least 20 new models for PROTON in the years
development of small to medium-sized cars while Vehicle to come, with two more new models expected to be
Programme B concentrates on middle-sized sedans such unveiled soon.
as the Wira, the Waja and the recently launched GEN.2. On average, each Vehicle Programme Team consists
The team in Vehicle Programme C, is entrusted with of up to 150 personnel, each with its own battalion of
the design and development of large, executive class cars specialists, technicians and engineers, and is supported
and flagship models such as the Perdana and limousine by its own pool of in-house research and development
versions of Proton cars. engineers.
Vehicle Programme D, is the home of niche and Research and development personnel become
performance driven vehicles such as sports cars, cross- involved from the very early stages of the development
overs, MPVs and SUVs. process to channel valuable technical information to the
Each programme has also been structured to be designers and eliminate any uncertainties.
flexible, in that it is capable of and may at any time, be This makes for an uninterrupted and more efficient
custodian to more than one type or model of vehicle process by the time the vehicle being developed reaches
derived from the same platform. the stage where it needs to be subjected to testing
A steering committee oversees each of the four procedures, advanced prototyping, power-train
independent vehicle programmes ensuring that the development, engineering services and advanced
designers and engineers comply and meet with the pre- research. This saves the company valuable time and cost.
determined guidelines, pre-requisites and objectives of "The new structure gives us the flexibility to do this.
the company. If you think you have a winning vehicle but are unable to
"Today's competition is not fought just on quality, introduce it quickly enough, you are essentially fighting
what accessories are included in the car, or how much a a losing battle," says Tengku Mahaleel. "The fact that
vehicle costs, but it is also becoming increasingly PROTON is a young car manufacturer makes the task at
important for car manufacturers to frequently introduce hand twice as difficult. Furthermore, we do not have the
luxury of trying to compete at our own pace and on our
own terms. To be competitive like the rest, you have to
do what the others are doing. Sometimes, you have to be
daring to be different."

GUTS | 21
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

THE BRAND NEW

FACE OF
PROTON CARS

Designs are subjective and in most cases, you either

like it or you don't! But as GUTS' Harris Iskandar Taib
found out, there's more to it than just coming out
with a sexy exterior and interior design.

22 | GUTS
Individuals like Zafruddin Shamsuddin continuously find That explains the minimalist concept in the GEN.2.
themselves in the line of fire. "Lotus cars have been known for their bare interior,
He’s the first to get a pat on the back if consumers fall relinquishing the unnecessary items that normally clutter
in love with the car, but like BMW's controversial the dashboard. The Elise is a good example of a
designer Chris Bangle, he is also the one who gets the minimalist Lotus car that was built for performance, not
brickbats if the market decides it hates the car. show and the same applies to the GEN.2".
The new Proton GEN.2 has so far been very kind to Like the pre-determined objectives for the interior,
Zafruddin. It's something fresh in terms of design and as the exterior design of a car is also subject to its own set
the skeptics have aptly pointed out, remove the PROTON of limitations and pre-requisites.
emblem and you'd have a hard time trying to guess what It evolves world needs as perceived by product
car it is. planners, the dimensions laid out by the engineers in
That's precisely the design objective - to create a shift meeting space requirements for the occupant, luggage,
in perception in the way consumers have viewed engine and powertrain components, and what the
PROTON cars of the past. aerodynamicists will say are the perfect angles. The end
"The basic parameter we had to adhere to was the product must also show a synergy or continuation
Lotus inside theme. We wanted to inject more Lotus
elements into the car from the Lotus feel, the Lotus
attitude and the Lotus ambience into the GEN.2," said
Zafruddin who is responsible for the interior of the car.

GUTS | 23
 Clay modeling is an integral

24 | GUTS
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

between the interior and exterior designs of a car. design.

"German car manufacturers put even more This is the most critical stage before the final model is
limitations on their designers and these extend beyond fixed and deemed to have 100 per cent engineering
simple engineering factors. They have a template for feasibility.
proportions and even a general outline of the car so that Surface engineers then digitise the final showpiece
a Mercedes-Benz always has a certain look and feel to it. converting clay model into three-dimensional data that
The same goes for BMW and, to a large extent, Audi," allows the engineers to make further and additional
Zafruddin explained. changes to the design.
These limitations are there to assist the designer in This is where elements such as panel gaps, bumper
coming up with a design that fits into the company's lines, headlight alignment and shut lines are thoroughly
product plan. This is the stage that leads up to the initial checked and addressed,
shapes of the cars being conceptualised. Further evaluation of the design comes in the form of
The approved design then takes the shape of a three aerodynamics testing that is conducted both locally and
dimensional scale and full-size clay model that abroad. 1/2 scale models are sent to the wind tunnel at
accentuates all lines, revealing to the designers elements Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) while testing of full-
such as surface, angles and contours. sized clay models normally takes place in the United
As high-tech as the car manufacturing industry has Kingdom or at Volvo's wind tunnel in Sweden.
become, clay modelling is still a century old tradition that "What you will see with the new generation of
is carried out by hand. The introduction and use of PROTON cars is a big wow factor. This is in line with
modern equipment has only reaffirmed this process as creating our own identity for Proton cars and the brand
being the best way to study the overall design of a car. name," underlined PROTON Holdings Berhad Group
"Computer modelling is fine, but it doesn't show the Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri Dr Mahaleel
way light plays on the surface and how it would look in Tengku Ariff.
real life. Because only the eye can detect these subtle "The biggest set back we have experienced in the
changes in the surface contours, we still need clay past was that Proton cars were often seen as rebadged
models." vehicles. This is something we are moving away from as
It takes an average of four weeks to complete a full- we make the bold transformation from a car assembler
scale clay model which is generally accepted to have at to being a full fledged car manufacturer capable of not
least 30 per cent engineering feasibility. only designing and building our own cars, but also
Car companies, including PROTON, use special building our own family of engines."
industrial clay imported from Germany or Japan to shape
the car. At this stage it is inevitable for designers to make
a series of enhancements or changes to their original

GUTS | 25
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

LIVING ON THE

Ask a child what the most glamorous job is

at a car manufacturing company and he'll
either say he wants to grow up to become a
car designer or a test driver.

From the snowy, icy and cold conditions of a typical "Which is why it is extremely crucial that the
Swedish winter to the blazing heat of some of vehicle in question is thoroughly evaluated at every
Australia's roughest outback trails, the life of a test stage of the engineering process before it can ever be
driver gives him the honour of being the first to try ready to be driven. Thankfully we've never yet
out any of the new models in PROTON's next encountered anything life threatening in the course of
generation line-up. Through high speed testing at the our testing."
famous British oval circuit at Millbrook to piloting Testing, and part of his job scope, also involves
"mules" around some of the world's best countrysides, evaluating cars to meet with the stringent emission
life begins as soon as the ignition is turned on. requirements that can differ from one country to
(“Mules” are otherwise known as fully operational another.
prototypes) Mohd Fuad's responsibility is clear-cut in that he is
As glamorous and exciting as it sounds, Mohd Fuad to assess the overall product and make further
Alias's job as Chief Test Driver, engineer and head of recommendations in terms of improvements - should
PROTON's Complete Vehicle Testing Division comes there be any required, that is.
with great responsibility and even greater risks. The closely-knit division of Mohd Fuad, and his
"As much as it is an honour to be amongst the first team of 14 globetrotting engineers and 23
to drive new cars and prototypes on the road, it is also technicians, have tested Proton cars in extreme
a high risk job. Bear in mind that the cars we test are weather conditions, from -30 degrees celcius in
prototypes and that means anything can happen at Sweden to above 40 degrees celcius in Australia,
this stage," Mohd Fuad said. taking cars like the Waja and the GEN.2 through snow
and rough terrain.

The PROTON Test track that houses a

number of different driving surfaces

26 | GUTS
 PROTON'S

As much as the name suggests,

no, it's not your everyday fast
food drive-in
Robots play an increasingly instrumental role
in today's modern world. They've gone to the
moon, they are taught to walk, to talk, to work in
a factory and before you shake your head in
disbelief, yes, even to drive!
Many of today's leading car manufacturers
turn to robots for enduring and severely
gruelling tasks because unlike human beings, test
drivers in particular, they don’t tire and, so long
Life as a test driver begins at as they're plugged in, they can go on driving
PROTON’s state-of-the-art oval continuously without stopping for days, weeks
test circuit in Shah Alam. and even months.
That's precisely what one robotic "test driver"
and also the newest member at PROTON's
Research and Development Division is capable of
doing, taking prototypes of the latest generation
of Proton cars through the gears, high and low
speed runs up to a maximum of 250km/h 24-
hours a day.
The Mileage Accumulation Chassis
Dynamometer (MACD) is essentially a
sophisticated piece of heavy equipment that
allows a car to be driven for an unlimited and
continuous period without having to stop. It's
even fitted with a specially designed rig that will
allow the car to be refuelled while still on the
move.
A robotic right arm and leg shifts the gears
fluently up and down, and controls the
accelerator and clutch pedals, mimicking the
activity of a real driver.
The MACD also allows engineers to simulate
various driving conditions by controlling the air
speed directed at the test car. The machine has
the capability of generating air speeds of up to
160km/h.
All this effectively translates into allowing
engineers at PROTON to conduct even more
severe and demanding durability testing on

GUTS | 27
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Simulated
1
roof crash test

GOOD IS NEVER

Simulation of a 1
rear impact test
on a PROTON
GEN 2

AN ERA OF COMPUTER CRASH TESTING

All it requires is the click of the "mouse" to crash a car. testing?

The results are instantaneous and engineers can go to “The disadvantage of actual testing is that it is a much
work on assessing what needs to be improved on even longer process,” said Ahmad Fauzi Md Isa, Vehicle
before the real car is deliberately crash tested into a Dynamics CAE simulation Engineer from PROTON's
barrier at high speeds. Vehicle Programme C Team.
Welcome to the simulation zone in PROTON. The “The soft tolling cost and the development time
people who work in this facility are part of PROTON's needed to build these prototypes can cost and set you
Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) team and their back millions. This is where CAE and the power of
primary responsibility is to simulate the crash testing of simulations has helped car manufacturers and the
vehicles long before the car is even ready for mass industry to minimize the cost.
production. CAE simulates actual physical tests with the Cost aside, the availability of CAE also dramatically
help of powerful supercomputers. reduces the time spent on evaluating a vehicle's crash
The use of CAE in PROTON as a whole is divided into worthiness and allows engineers to make immediate
several core areas; crashworthiness, structural stiffness, improvements, enhancements and changes to design in
noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), computational fluid meeting international crash safety requirements while
dynamics (CFD) and vehicle dynamics.
Why then would you need CAE simulation when you
can, and it is actually compulsory, to do the actual

28 | GUTS
 2 3

2 3

still at the early development stages of the car. the design at a much faster rate.
"To be able to conduct a physical crash test, you must At the end of the day, actual testing is still needed to
also be at the stage where you are ready to build the validate the design, but the number of prototypes being
prototype with the actual physical parts of the car being tested and used for this purpose is greatly reduced.
developed, which could set car manufacturers back even Simulated and physical crash tests at PROTON are
further in terms of development time.” stressed Mohd conducted to Gulf State (GS) 40 and GS 37 for Rear
Fauzi Mohd Nor, Crashworthiness CAE simulation Impact and 96/27/EC for Side Impact, and Euro-NCAP
Engineer from PROTON's Vehicle Programme A Team. rating for Frontal ODB Impact.
"Our main contribution to PROTON is in expediting Long ago, before the advent of supercomputers,
the design process. We also give direction for design workstations and CAE technology, car manufacturers
improvements to facilitate standard setting in test would have had to rely solely on testing of prototypes.
regulations as early as possible in the car development This was the past era where car development is measured
process." in number of years.
The existence of CAE is not to validate the design but Today, with the help of CAE, the car development
to actually give direction on how and where to improve process is measured in a matter of months with some of
the more established manufacturers capable of rolling
out a brand new model designed from the ground up as
quick as 12 months.

GUTS | 29
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Meet your life size male Sensors placed at several strategic

dummy areas on the dummy measure the

Measuring the effects of the seat belt on the

PROTON's Safety Lab Head

and Crash Test Engineer
Zanita Zainuddin invites
you to enter a world
where the dummies have
all the vital and important
information to ensuring
the success of a car
manufacturer.

30 | GUTS
"Hey you! Yeah, I'm talking to you. You're a girl, you're The hydropulse sled system, or ‘The Sled’, as PROTON
supposed to be sugar and spice and all things nice…! And engineers know it, is where all front, side and rear
what do you do? You crack my skull, you shatter my crashes are simulated and focusing on areas of structure
lungs, you crack my pelvis…Hey, wait a minute, I was just such as the door beams or seatbelts.
being nice. Oh no, not again…!" Data extracted from the crashes is used to create the
Whoosh and bang! The sound of the airbag desired performance level in the areas under
exploding at the moment of impact could be heard examination. The system is cost-effective and saves the
throughout the laboratory. If Anthropomophic Test expenditure of crashing a complete vehicle. Cost savings
Devices (ATD), otherwise known as crash test dummies are high, bearing in mind that a prototype car costs in
could be heard, these would have been the first words the region of RM1.5 million!
coming out of their mouths. In-house testing, enables development and
Welcome to the world of PROTON's Safety Lab, a regulatory tests to be conducted within PROTON.
division in the Component, Materials, Strength and Currently, there are six in-house testing facilities
Safety Laboratory. available comprising: bumper impact test, occupant
On average, this section performs 20 tests per year in impact simulation, roof crush and side door intrusion,
terms of assessing passive restraint systems (that's seatbelt anchorage, the airbag rough road, and abuse
seatbelts, airbags, seats etc) depending on the stage of test.
progress and whether or not it has been developed from PROTON's Dummy Calibration Lab is the newest
scratch or carried over from another vehicle platform. facility to commence operations this year. The dummies
Whichever, this division is ultimately responsible for available are the Hybrid 111 50th Percentile (Male),
ensuring occupant protection should a vehicle be Hybrid 111 95th Percentile (Male), EUROSID 1 and the
involved in a collision. TNO Manikin. PROTON also has a H-Point Manikin,
The lab is divided into four main areas: crash testing, affectionately known as the "Oscar" Dummy.
in-house testing, the sled and the dummy calibration lab. The company is working towards becoming the first
Crash testing is the main focus where all structural facility in South East Asia to have a full crash barrier test
designs are assessed and validated to ensure they comply facility by 2014.
to international regulations and internal specifications.
This unit is also responsible for assessing and validating
the restraint system in a car.

The dummy takes the place of the driver and passenger in an airbag

GUTS | 31
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ACCELERATED
DURABILITY TESTING
Just as Formula One Simulators can
reproduce the high speed run, tight corners
and every little bump on any circuit around
the world, high-tech gadgets and computer
wizardry is helping to bring roads into

This prototype is being tested around the UK’s Millbrook Circuit. By Azmihan Arifin and
In reality, it‘s sitting at the PROTON R&D facility.

"Maximising on product performance in the least What this has essentially helped engineers to do is to
amount of time and cost" - that is the target of every bring many types of road surfaces and conditions into
company, be it your mobile phone or television, even the laboratory!
manufacturers of the good old automobile. How is this done?
At the development stage, one of the more time Well, firstly the test car will need to be fitted with a
consuming processes is testing, where a particular series of sophisticated instruments and measuring
product is required to endure a series of rigorous tests to devices the technical people refer to as sensors. Sensors
ensure durability in its service life. such as strain gauges and accelerometers are used to
In the automotive world, complete car durability measure force and acceleration values respectively.
testing means actually having to drive the car and The vehicle is then brought to a proving ground, in
clocking the miles. this case the PROTON Test Track, and driven on different
Not anymore, thanks to today's modern simulation road surfaces while data is being collected. So
techniques where the time required in accumulating the sophisticated is the system, that you can basically drive
equivalent mileage has been greatly reduced. In today's on any surface on any road around the world and it'll
world of high-tech gadgets and computer wizardry, the practically record enough data to reproduce the same
computer and a whole load of sophisticated equipment - road condition in the laboratory.
not the driver - do most of the work. The data gathered from the dry run is then edited,
Road Load Simulation Data provides engineers with filtered and processed before arriving at what engineers
the required and desired information to run a car on a call the desired information. The information contains all
simulation machine without having to physically drive the forces and acceleration values indicating the
the vehicle on the open road. This way, the car can particular vehicle's responses when it was driven on the
undergo testing without leaving and within the safe and track.
controlled environment of the laboratory.

32 | GUTS
 Later, the vehicle is brought back to the laboratory damages on the test vehicle.
and mounted on a Multi-Axial Road Load Simulator All this in place, the durability test can be completed
where inputs are given and responses are generated. This in a much shorter time allowing engineers to spend more
is known as the Frequency Response Function (FRF). time on the post durability analysis and trouble-shooting.
The inputs are slowly increased until the responses
match those on the file containing the desired
information. This process is known as an iteration
sequence and the number of passes (each iteration
sequence is called a pass) depends on the gain setting
level (level of increment between one pass and the next).
During this process, errors also need to be corrected
and compensated for. The sequence usually takes two
days to complete and the final set of inputs saved with
each pass being plotted against the desired information
on a level crossing curve.
Once the simulation test is running, it can be
programmed to repeat the test sequence for as many
passes as necessary to accumulate the mileage required.
As part of the data analysis tools, Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT), Auto Spectral Density (ASD), curve
statistical analysis, rain flow histogram and other fatigue
related analyses are used. Those are mainly to help the
Putting every Proton car through its paces at the
processing of raw data and also evaluate post-test
proving ground in Shah Alam.

PROTON'S DURABILITY TEST JOURNEY

Every product to be introduced into the market must • General Durability Test. This is to test the overall vehicle
have acceptable levels of durability and reliability durability and reliability on the road, either at a
besides, of course, appearance. Any new vehicle that simulation track or on public roads throughout
rolls out of PROTON is subjected to this process and Malaysia. The mileage accumulation target varies from
must excel at undergoing a series of tests. 30,000km to 150,000km depending on the pre-
determined targets and objectives.
• Stone Pave Circuit Test (SPC). This is to test the vehicle's • Accelerated Durability Test. This is again conducted at
structural durability and is a mandatory test in any Millbrook or Idiada, where a test car is run on a pre-
vehicle development programme. The test is usually determined track and pattern. Factor of severity is based
conducted at the Millbrook circuit in the United on the proving ground designated pattern. The test is to
Kingdom or at Idiada in Spain. Corrosion testing also simulate that the vehicle must survive at least
takes place at both circuits. 200,000km before requiring the customer to conduct a
• Power Train Durability (PTD). This is to test the vehicle major service.
power train unit up to 800 cycles or to a minimum of 600 • Hot Climate Test. This is to assess the vehicle's survival in
cycles of pre-determined cycles at the PROTON proving high ambient temperatures of up to 50 degrees celcius.
ground. The power train must survive at least 200,000km The favourite spot is at the Alice Springs proving ground
without succumbing to any major failure. A 50,000km in Australia or in Saudi Arabia. The objective of this
high-speed test is also conducted at Millbrook in the UK exercise is to ensure that the vehicle will not succumb to
and a 150,000km suburban and Autobahn test is any major problems when exported to Gulf countries or
conducted in Germany. The Idiada circuit in Spain is also countries that have a hot climate.
utilised for both purposes. • Cold Climate Test. Tests are conducted to minus 30
degrees celcius at the Arctic Fall proving ground in
Sweden or in Hokkaido, Japan.

GUTS | 33
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

THE KILLJOYS
OF PROTON
If it breaks, rusts, dirties, burns, fades or peels off, the
engineers at PROTON's Component, Material, Strength
and Safety Laboratory would have done a great job.
It's a nerve-wrecking job but somebody's got to do it.
Depending on how you look at it, it's a responsibility
that'll either bore a person to death or have him jumping
for joy every time he breaks or damages something.
The engineers at PROTON's Component, Material,
Strength and Safety Laboratory have one objective in
mind when they set about doing their task, and that is to
punish and destroy components and parts sent to them
for testing.
Components come to the laboratory brand new but
leave in either several pieces, torn, excessively corroded
or burnt.
This is all done for a purpose and that is to make sure
every component and part that makes up a Proton car,
even items as small as a screw, will be able to withstand
the test of time and punishment they are subjected to by
consumers and natural conditions.
They test everything from a simple bolt to
waterpumps, bearings, stabiliser bars, door trims, floor
carpets, brake calipers, door handles, rubber mouldings,
side mirrors, the dashboard facia, in fact, every
component in the vehicle.
The engineer's job is to determine what are the
threshold levels of each product or component and
whether this meets with the standards and requirements
set by PROTON. In other words, a crack is good but only
if it occurs after severe testing that could never be
duplicated under normal conditions.

34 | GUTS
Every bit of the car is put through severe testing before it goes into

GUTS | 35
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

The daily routine of a material test engineer like Siti The battery of tests and abuse each component and
Rozanna Nadzmi is to subject constant abuse to products, part endures is governed by the American Testing Methods
parts and components and to make recommendations on for automotive components and conforms to ISO standards
improvements in terms of strength, safety and quality. and requirements.
Rubber for example, is repeatedly stretched The biggest challenge faced by material test engineers
thousands of times to see how long it maintains like Siti Rozanna is in the changing global trends of
elasticity. Metals are subjected to extremely corrosive materials used by car manufacturing companies.
chemicals and then dissected and put under an ultra "For us at PROTON, the challenge today is to build a car
powerful microscope to see if they have the required that is lightweight and big on performance in line with the
strength to become an automotive component. Plastics, Lotus philosophy. That essentially means continuous
paint, seat fabric, rubber, polycarbonate headlamp research and development into areas like aluminium and
lenses, exterior plastic panels and components that do or composites. The global trend is also shifting to the use of
may come into contact with the sun are put under harsh more plastics because this is a material that can be easily
ultra-violet radiation to check for fade, deterioration, moulded into any shape and size, unlike metal. Although it
cracks and other forms of damage. can never supersede metal in terms of strength, it has a
"What we are responsible for is ensuring that the great advantage in that it simplifies the process involved in
products specified for the car being developed meet with making a particular component and is lightweight. In the
design targets and specifications set by PROTON," said eyes of the consumer, plastic may be misconstrued as being
Siti Rozanna. "Our role starts from as early as the design of an inferior quality, but in reality and in terms of
process where various materials are first selected. It's up performance, it is a material that has become more durable
to us to give our technical inputs to the designers on in automotive applications."
what works and what doesn't."

• Weather
• Thermal
• Humidity
• Corrosion
• Micro structure
• Physical
• Strength
• Impact
• Hardness
• Abrasive
• Water resistance
• Chemical resistance
• Fracture
• Wear resistance
• Heat resistance
• Fade resistance
• Welding penetration
• Warping
• Appearance

A wing mirror heads for the oven in the heat resistance

36 | GUTS
ELECTRICAL
SYSTEMS TESTS
PROTON’s electrical testing laboratory is equipped with
advanced analytical facilities and equipment catering to
testing of electrical parts and electronic components.
Electrical testing includes alarm system durability, a
lighting system test and power window switch system
test.
To test a lighting system, parts including switches,
lamps, harnesses, and others are laid out as per drawing
on a fixture. A DC Power source activates the whole
system and uses a device called the hybrid recorder to
measure the temperature on harnesses, analysing any
severe heat generation. Closer analysis involves the use
of high-tech equipment such as a video analyser which
possesses high magnification and measurement
capabilities to zoom into areas otherwise unseen by the
naked eye.
The lab is also temperature and humidity controlled
so that moisture content in the environment is consistent
and the risk of sparks in electrical components reduced.

GUTS | 37
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ENGINEERING CUTTING-EDGE

Working feverishly behind closed doors and under

utmost secrecy is a team of PROTON engineers likened to
the “mad scientists” in the car manufacturing business
whose task it is to develop advanced technology for a
new generation of made-in Malaysia cars.
This is the challenge for PROTON’s Engineering
Research team who spearhead the company’s brave
venture into the world of cutting edge automotive
technology.
Among projects PROTON and Lotus engineers are
Like most of today’s competitive car collaborating on is the development of an active system
manufacturers, PROTON too has its for fully variable electric-hydraulic valve train and
advance combustion control systems. The benefit to the
team of “mad scientists” who are busy consumer will be improved fuel economy, lower emission
at work on the car of the future. and enhanced engine performance and efficiency.
PROTON is also working to commercially develop a
vehicle that will be able to run on natural gas, offering
consumers lower emission, reduced vehicle price and
minimal maintenance costs.
The company has also invested in the development of
hybrid vehicles capable of running on both petrol and
electric propulsion systems, and is engaged in advanced
research into the use of small, lightweight and low cost
power generators.

38 | GUTS
There is no hard and fast rule to
designing a car but there are strict
requirements to which car
manufacturers must adhere before a A GEN.2 having its exhaust tuned in the
noise laboratory.

For today’s car manufacturers, the biggest challenge is All passenger cars sold today must meet with the
designing, building and introducing a car that meets the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA), a
many stringent legislations, regulations and condition that was made mandatory from January 1,
requirements set in terms of compliance with globally 1998. The WVTA consists of several steps from
accepted standards to better serve and protect all road component approval for lamps, mirrors, tyres, to
users. electric/electronic sub-assemblies before having these
It is a task made twice as challenging as standards are components tested when fitted to the vehicle to check
frequently amended, improved or enhanced, and new on areas such as field of vision of rear view mirrors, lamp
ones are introduced. installation, tyre fitting etc.
For example, in addition to passing front, rear and For sales in Europe, a directive was issued in April this
side intrusion impact tests to be eligible for sale in the year outlining additional tests to be carried out by car
United Kingdom and in Europe, vehicles like the GEN.2 manufacturers relating to the protection of pedestrians
must also be able to endure a roof crush test if they are and other vulnerable road users before, and in the event
to be sold in the Middle East or Gulf countries. of, a collision with the front of a motor vehicle. This
Homologation is the process a vehicle must go requires car manufacturers to conduct Lower Legform to
through before being allowed to be sold and put on the Bumper Tests, Upper Legform to Bumper Tests, Upper
road. The car must satisfy all the different standards and Legform to Bonnet Leading Edge Tests, Child/Small Adult
regulations in place, and have full approval from the Headform to Bonnet Top Tests, Adult Headform to
necessary authorities. Windscreen Tests, Child and Adult Headform to Bonnet
Top Tests.

GUTS | 39
40 | GUTS
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

A DARING NEW DRIVING

EXPERIENCE
The black art of vehicle dynamics depends on
the profile of the car and whether it is designed
as a plush executive sedan or a hot-hatch with
a sporty and spirited personality. The ride and
handling engineer's job is to make it happen.

by Syed Anas Alhabshi

The task faced by ride and handling engineers is more than daunting - to come
up with a suspension set-up that has the best balance between ride comfort,
handling stability, steering feel and noise refinement.
The terminology ride and handling was derived from the cross between ride
comfort and handling stability. However, over the years, the increased demand in
refinement has meant that other areas such as noise refinement and steering feel
are also to be taken into account when tuning a particular vehicle's suspension
system.
Ride and handling engineers at PROTON depend on several tools of the trade
to help them accomplish the job. Objective test equipment such as the
suspension, kinematic and compliance measuring system or SKCMS, helps in
determining optimal hard point set-ups.
The data churned out ranges from understeer and roll gradients to
compliance gradients that engineers can then use to tweak the car into getting
the optimal suspension set-up.
Although the end result is only seen towards the end of the vehicle
development programme, suspension tuning activities have to start very early in
the process.
Perhaps the most important element is what engineers term as image ride
that involves the use of a few benchmark vehicles that are driven round a
specially selected route around the country, covering an extensive array of road
conditions.
At the end of the image ride, the team gets together to formulate subjective
ride and handling targets for the new model that is being developed. This will
help set the direction for the development work, be it towards a sport or luxury
feel or somewhere in between.

GUTS | 41
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Spring rates, stiffness and material is critical to

achieving the desired performance.

Although it may sound like a lot of fun to drive Another important item is the take-apart shock
around the country in several cars for days, it is never absorber with a host of child parts (child parts are smaller
pleasant! As one engineers aptly put it: "Driving a car for components). This is the typical shock absorber of the car
pleasure for three days is a piece of cake but when you which has specifically been built for tuning purposes and
have to communicate with the vehicle, conducting a can be taken apart to allow further tuning or
subjective appraisal, it becomes highly taxing to the adjustments to be made to the internal valves.
mind. I was so exhausted at the end of the third day of As soon as the prototype vehicle arrives, basic static
the drive that all I wished for was for a whole week's inspection including a four-wheel alignment is
rest." That however, is never possible. conducted to ensure the initial static geometry is correct.
Before a physical prototype vehicle is received, tuning After that, the car is put on the SKCMS to confirm the
parts are ordered ahead. These items consist of springs, suspension hard points.
bushes and stabiliser bars which come with several The following step is what you call a Subjective
stiffness levels. Gathering and managing these parts is a Iterative Component Selection. Armed with a pen and a
feat in itself. Proper tagging is crucial as two bushes may notebook, sometimes affectionately called a ride book,
look identical but behave completely differently when the team sets out on a mission to select the best
fitted to the car. combination of springs, bushes, stabiliser bars, tyres and
tyre pressures and shock absorber settings for the
vehicle.

42 | GUTS
 The car is driven on a pre-defined ride route. This is After about two weeks of solid tuning, the car is then
when the ride and handling team have to rely almost taken on an extended drive to assess it on a greater
entirely on their experience and their "calibrated variety of road conditions. This is when the driver and
backsides" as no machine in the world is yet capable of passengers discover the quality of work carried out by
producing objective data that can describe the ride the engineer.
comfort of a car. After each ride, a subjective appraisal of If everyone smiles, that's a sign for celebration.
the car's dynamic behaviour is noted in the ride book. Otherwise, it's back to another couple of days of hard
Then the team will have to make a change to the car work tuning.
to improve its performance. The change could range At the end of the day, the owners of all Proton cars
from a quick swap, to a stiffer spring or tweaking the are the judges of the ride and handling engineer's hard
shock absorber valves. Experience alone equips the work. The team objective of course is that all PROTON
engineers with the knowledge to decide which changes owners have an enjoyable drive everyday.
made will achieve the result desired.
Even the more experienced ride and handling
engineer may face a dead end in the series of changes he
has made. That is when the support of other members of
the team is vital as it may take a third party perspective
to spot the omission.

GUTS | 43
 IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

GUTS test drivers Mohd Asroll Mansor

and Harris Iskandar Taib experienced
the GEN.2 on the open roads and
unanimously agree that it's one hot

44 | GUTS
Remember that crunching butterfly feeling when you’re Although officially rated at 190km/h, the GEN.2 will
trying to overtake a long trailer and the oncoming traffic easily cruise to a maximum speed of 210km/h. You have
is flashing at you? the solid dose of high end torque, low drag from the
How many times have you wished your car were aerodynamics, a very stiff chassis and a finely tuned
capable of doing a split second overtaking manoeuvre? suspension to thank. And mind you, for a 1600cc car, it
Rev the Campro to its peak torque, 148Nm at gets to top speed at an amazing rate thanks to the Lotus
4000rpm, and the GEN.2 will accelerate past the principle of power to weight ratio.
‘seemingly short trailer’ in a heart beat. This is a new The air intake system has the engine growling at low
engine character most Malaysians are going to rpm, signalling its capability. At high revs you’ll hear a
increasingly befriend. At RPM lower than 3000, the low key sweet Sinatra singing a refined and firm tune,
CAMPRO disguises itself as the average same class engine suggestive of its available reserve power.
competitor. Another element that has helped PROTON to achieve
Rev past that ‘calm before the storm’ 3500rpm limit this remarkable performance on just a 1600cc base
and what you will see are raindrops coming at you at engine is the use of lightweight materials.
warp speed. You can cruise along the uphill Malaysian An aluminium oil sump and cam cover brings the
highway from Karak Town at 180km/h effortlessly! weight down considerably, improving the engine power
It's a simple principle - the higher you rev the engine, to weight ratio. Finely balanced counterweights on the
the more responsive the GEN.2 becomes. Anything below crankshaft help to cut down engine vibration.
3500rpm and it's as docile as a pussycat. Take it past There is another big plus in the way the engine
4000rpm and it comes alive. behaviour is mapped. Since the engine RPM is relatively
Phrases like "a heavy right foot", “throttle happy high, the vacuum created to boost the brake system is
feet“ and “pedal to the metal” were well taken into enhanced. Thus, at those critical moments when you
account when the engineers went to work on the encounter standing traffic at the end of an almost 90
humble 16-valve 1600cc double over head camshaft degree turn, you can be sure and confident that your
(DOHC) engine. brakes have plenty of bite as a result of the vacuum
Even the engine ECU (engine control unit) mapping supplied by the engine to assist you in stopping.
helps a driver in getting the peak torque and scale the Don't you just love that feeling of devilish
power curve of the engine. enjoyment? The one where you know you’re capable of
so much when others look down at you because they
don’t know?

Mohd Asroll Mansor

GUTS | 45
 IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

The first thing I asked the engineers after driving the What impressed me most was not the speed of which
GEN.2 on the open road was whether they had correctly the car was capable, but how quickly it takes you there
calibrated the speedometer. and how in control it makes you feel. Instead of backing
To be honest, I love cars that are big on horsepower off the throttle, it's very easy to find yourself pressing
knowing that you can hit 200km/h anytime you need to down on it even more.
although I must admit that most of my life I never end up The overall performance of the car, the stability,
using half the car's potential and am happy to cruise at steering feel, seating position, braking performance and
110km/h. front visibility instills that confidence. It's not superficial.
In fact, the only other time I was effortlessly beyond Neither is it exaggerated. It does.
the 200km/h mark was behind the wheel of a Peugeot If performance PROTON enthusiasts in Malaysia have
405 SRI, a Fiat Coupe, the Fiat Punto HGT, an Alfa Romeo been long known for transplanting bigger capacity and
156, a Porsche Carrera, an Audi A4 Turbo, and a BMW horsepower engines into their cars, I doubt very many
M3. I don't recall ever accomplishing this behind the will want to do the same to the GEN.2. It's really
wheel of a PROTON car in the past and I found it very unnecessary, especially when you know the car is more
difficult to believe that I was doing the same in a GEN.2. than capable of going quickly. The only sad part about
When I say never it could have been due to the model not being able to do so is you have to forego bragging
of car, the engine capability, or even due to the lack of rights in the form of a large and protruding turbo
confidence on my part. intercooler at the front bumper.
 Perhaps the only reason for improvement would be in Lightweight, however, does not mean flimsy and
terms of searching for better lower end torque, although unstable. On the contrary, you feel very much in control
I can't really complain very much with what the stock at high speeds and the cornering stability in the car is
standard engine offers. superb with very negligible body roll. You'd swear the
Power to weight ratio and the Lotus minimalist GEN.2 was cornering on rails. Stability also comes from a
approach contributed a lot to the GEN.2's performance stiffer chassis that has made the car far less susceptible to
and presents the driver with a pretty decent take-off. body roll in corners and more responsive and sensitive in
The trick to driving the 1600cc CAMPRO engine is to harder driving conditions.
take it beyond the 4000rpm mark where it seriously Don't just take it from me, but drive a series of cars
comes alive. Anything below that and you'll complain through a pre-determined corner and then drive the
the car is underpowered. What a silly way to build an GEN.2 and you will understand what and how much
engine you might say but if you think hard enough and more the car is capable of.
if you compare it to other cars, there's a reason why The ride's just a wee bit bumpy but that's the
every car's tachometer has a red line rpm mark. Just compromise you're going to have to accept for better
because you're so used to changing gears at 2000rpm it handling performance. There's a fine line between
doesn't mean you're driving correctly. performance and comfort and what the GEN.2 presents
What the car lacks in terms of engine capacity and you with is a suspension set-up you can comfortably live
horsepower, it more than makes up for in terms of with in terms of everyday driving.
aerodynamics and lightweight. Just to clear the air, there's been so much of talk and
publicity likening the GEN.2 to driving a Lotus Elise.
There's really no way you can compare a sports car to a
hot hatch because the driving experience and enjoyment
is entirely worlds apart. Mind you, we're talking front
wheel drive saloon car against a mid-engine rear-wheel
drive sports car.
What driving the GEN.2 will give you is that same
feeling of power to weight ratio, a quick and responsive
steering action, cornering and high-speed stability and
the principles of a more rigid chassis that are all
characteristics derived from the Elise. Let's just say it's a
good first effort for more things to come as PROTON rolls
out a new generation of vehicles. Besides, you won't find
a CD player in the Elise or reclining adjustable seats.
There have also been complaints about how a six-
footer will hit his head against the roof sitting at the
back because of the sloping coupe styling. Frankly
speaking, you'd be silly to sit at the back - you should be
driving!

Harris Iskandar Taib

GUTS | 47
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Look closely at today's new generation of vehicles and you'll notice that
Like in Formula most are evolving to become more compact, sleek and have sharper

One cars, silhouettes. That wasn't the case 50 years and if you wanted a faster car
then, the solution was always in a bigger or more powerful engine
aerodynamics irrespective of the vehicle's shape, size and weight.
It wasn't until the era of Formula One - when engineers began
plays an experimenting with wings and more bullet-like car designs - that car
manufacturers realised the importance and advantages of sculpturing a car
important role in that could cut through the air like an arrow.
This is the world of aerodynamics, and as much as it has helped to shape
influencing the a more futuristic generation of cars, it has equally been an integral force to
creating more stable, safer and better performance vehicles.
shape and design Today, car manufacturers embrace aerodynamics as a significant

of today's new reference point to ensuring a vehicle has better directional control, driving
safety, fuel consumption and top speed.
generation of Aerodynamics forces also vary with speeds, and in the context of vehicle
stability, these forces not only change the loading pattern on the vehicle but
also changes the ride attitude, suspension geometry and vehicle
characteristics.
In the case of a performance car, the most ideal aerodynamic
performance is zero lift balance on both front and rear axles together with
progressive build-up in yaw parameters to give good cross wind and
tracking stability. This essentially increases a vehicle's top speed as well as
By Sharum Man

48 | GUTS
 Wind tunnel testing... A GEN.2 undergoing extensive aerodynamics

reduces fuel consumption. come up with a good frontal area that extends all the way
In developing the GEN.2 for example, engineers and to the windscreen area with no separation found in the
aerodynamicists at PROTON's Research and Development airflow. This also means it helps to keep a driver's vision
Division were out to create a car with the lowest drag clear as long as water flow is not excessive.
coefficient. In short, what it means is that the less drag, or The area of disturbed airflow at the rear of the wheel
wind-resistance, the better the car's performance, arch is also not big in comparison to other cars. Test results
elements that helped to decide on the GEN.2's more sleek also showed sufficient air velocity behind the radiator core
and sport appearance. to cool the CAMPRO engine.
Tests were conducted at MIRA in the United Kingdom One of the results that end users benefit from these
and at the Volvo wind tunnel facility in Sweden. costly testing is the fins found at the leading edge of the
The aerodynamics targets set for the GEN.2 were to GEN.2's wing mirrors. The fins deflect the air so that
develop a car with a drag coefficient not exceeding 0.33, rainwater does not swirl around behind the wing mirror.
and to identify a design that would have sufficient air "The GEN.2's respectable drag coefficient figures of
supply to cool the engine and one with progressive build- 0.30 Cd was achieved without the use of a spoiler. The
up of forces at various yaw angles. figures were much lower with a tailgate spoiler added
Engineers tinkled with more than 20 sets of on," said Sukhairul Nizam, one of 20 design engineers at
configurations and clocked up to 240 test runs PROTON.
experimenting with different designs for the front These findings were later validated conducting on-the-
bumper lips, tailgate lip spoiler, tailgate wing spoiler, road tests at the Alice Springs proving ground in Northern
frontal opening and brake cooling ducts with the car
tested up to air speeds in excess of 200km/h.
In general, both designers and engineers managed to

GUTS | 49
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

AERODYNAMICS
TESTING - THE
PROCESS
1. Frontal area is measured using a
computerised optical system before
setting-up the car in the wind tunnel.

2. The car is then placed on a platform in

front of a camera mounted on a two-
dimensional traversing rig. First the A journey into the competitive league in the
platform is adjusted such that the car is
exactly perpendicular to the two-
dimensional traversing plane. The
camera captures the contour line of the FACILITIES AT PROTON'S
car guided by an image recognition
software. The geometrical data from RESEARCH AND
the traversing gear is used to calculate
the area. Setting-up the system and car
takes a few hours with the actual 1. Clay Modeling Studio
measurement about 30 minutes. The 2. Prototype Build-Up Shop
output is a figure for the area and plots 3. Safety Lab
of the frontal view. - sled test
- occupant impact simulator
3. The car is the set-up in the wind tunnel
- seatbelt test
with all four wheels placed on a small
4. Component Lab
pad. These pads are adjustable for
- Heat cycle chamber
wheelbase and track, connected to a
- Vibration machine
six-axis balance to measure three forces
- Operational durability
and three moment components. The
- Electrical system
entire pad and balance system is
5. Strength Lab
mounted on a turntable to allow
- Fatigue durability
testing at all required angles.
- Road simulation and data measurement
4. The car is tested with different body - Body strength
postures to check the influence of ride 6. Chassis Development Lab
height to drag and lift coefficients. The - Kinematic and compliance rig
GEN.2 was also tested at mid laden 7. Exhaust Emissions
conditions. - EEC and EPA cycle
- Cold CO emission (-7 degrees Celcius)
5. To ensure the car is safe to drive under 8. Engine Testing
crosswind or wind gust, it was tested - chassis dynamometer
within the range of yaw angles of -30 9. Noise, Vibration and Harshness Lab
degree to 30 degree with increment - Modal analysis
per steps of five degree. - Complete vehicle chamber

6. The car was tested in air speeds of up to - Engine bench noise test

200km/h. - Pass by noise

10. Semi-High Speed Test Track.

50 | GUTS
 NEWS
RESEARCH
FLASH | PROTON
& DEVELOPMENT
PERSONALITY

A NEW BREED
OF PROTON
CARS -
BORN AND
BRED ON THE

Q: Tell us a bit about PROTON Motorsports?

GUTS’ Nazhrat Zain speaks to
A: The division was founded in October 2003. Today, we are
Head of PROTON Motorsports, officially known as R3 that stands for Race, Rally and
Research. The idea is for R3 to leverage on the mother
Tengku Djan Ley on the setting
brand, which is PROTON. R3 started as a subsidiary of
up of a brand new division that PROTON. Right now, R3 is in the phase of developing
itself as its own entity. In the future R3 wishes to be
will be focussed on uplifting the
more independent so that it can gain more credibility.
PROTON image worldwide.
Q: What is the objective and essence of Motorsports? What
is your motto if there is one?
A: Our objective is very clear - to develop the brand, build a
motor-racing community around the PROTON brand and
introduce a wider range of vehicles into the market. It’s
all about pushing the envelope and that is represented
The PROTON Precision Driving Team
by our motto Re-defining The Limits!
in action

52 | GUTS
 NEWS FLASH | PROTON PERSONALITY

Q: What is your current strength? Q: What is your strategy to uplift the PROTON brand?
A: Currently, we have three managers, two engineers A: The world needs to see PROTON in a different light.
and 10 technicians. R3 will strengthen its manpower What R3 will essentially be focussed on is picking up the
by looking for business development people. challenge, racing locally and internationally to boost
the image of the brand. We will also be responsible for
Q: Is the time now right for PROTON to have its own introducing exciting motorsports products that have
motorsports division? never before been produced by the mother brand,
A: The timing couldn’t be more perfect. It is parallel with PROTON. This includes introducing sporty high
the PROTON “Daring To Change” and “Daring To performance PROTON variants and offering
Dare” slogans. R3 is one of the changes happening at performance components and accessories to
PROTON. Now is the right time to start. enthusiasts. A good start to brand building is in
forming a relationship with your targeted audience
and we have already started to do this by organising
events like the Street Shoot-Out that appeals to car
enthusiasts.

GUTS || 53
GUTS 53
 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Q: R3 will then be regarded as the official tuning house Q: Can you define what R3 will be concentrating on in
for PROTON cars in the future? terms of performance in the limited edition cars?
A: Yes! It’ll be a lot like how BMW has M-Power, Nissan A: As far as the engine is concerned, it will be based on a
Motorsports (Nismo) and Toyota Racing Development normally aspirated engine. They have better response
or TRD. and durability, thus requiring less maintenance
compared to using forced induction in example turbo
Q: Anything in the pipeline just yet? and superchargers. That however, doesn’t mean we
A: We’re currently working on producing 500 units of won’t be exploring the world of superchargers at a
the new PROTON GEN.2 to be sold as limited edition later stage. Much of the emphasis will be on trying to
vehicles. The R3 GEN.2 will be powered by a highly squeeze more power from the CAMPRO and enhance
tuned version of the CAMPRO and is expected to be the existing ride and handling characteristics of the
on offer by the end of this year. The cars will be fitted GEN.2. Ideally, the end product should be a GEN.2 on
with a performance suspension system and there’ll be steroids!
plenty of carbon fibre bits. It will also offer a different
interior to that of the stock standard GEN.2. It will Q: Enlighten us on some of R3’s future plans.
have a different exterior colour and sit on massive 17” A: The best way to prove that the cars and products we
inch alloys. Overall, there will be well over 100 are developing really work, is to go motor-racing. At
exclusive parts in the limited edition car. R3 will also a later stage we may go into events like the Asia
be offering consumers the opportunity to purchase Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and World Rally
racing accessories and kits if they want to upgrade Championship (WRC). As you know, companies like
their stock standard GEN.2. The objective of these 500 Petronas are already well known in the world of
cars is to let them become moving billboards for the Formula One racing. At R3, the focus will be on racing
PROTON brand. They are designed to attract drivers and rallying.
out there and induce more interest in GEN.2.
Q: Some say motorsports is a waste of PROTON’s money.
Q: Which market segment are you targeting? Is the after How can you change that mindset? How are you
market business profitable? What is the market value going to generate cash flow for PROTON?
in and out of Malaysia and how much of the after A: One has to understand, that R3 is one of several
market business share do you want to grab? marketing exercises for PROTON. R3 must be given
A: Psychographics and not demographics is what R3 is ample time to show its potential. R3 aims to shift
looking at. These people are known as the people’s perspective. We want to change how
enthusiasts. They are not easily satisfied with PROTON is currently perceived by others. To be a
standard cars. We expect them to be the first in line viable business, it will need to become its own profit
to purchase our R3 GEN.2. What we are essentially centre. Off course to jump-start R3, PROTON is
developing are street legal racing cars with required to infuse some capital but that’s just in the
acceptable drivability. A real racing car cannot be early stages of the company. We intend to generate
driven on the road due to poor drivability. The actual our own money through sponsorships, sales of kits,
after market business is in making available kits. public events, etc. Indirectly, R3 will also create more
There are thousands of enthusiasts who tune and interest in Proton cars. It is a long-term investment.
modify their own Proton cars. If we can capture 60
per cent of this market it will be good enough to
make the business viable.

54 | GUTS
 You need to race to understand what cars to build...
A beaming Tengku Djan celebrates a podium victory at the

GUTS | 55
 UP-CLOSE | OH KAH BENG

SEDUCED ON THE

At Lotus, making the world’s best sports cars isn’t just

a job, it is a passion. One that is inherited from the
company’s founder Colin Chapman, a gifted engineer
and talented driver who understood that high
performance and great handling on their own aren’t
enough; a true sports car must also have the power to
entertain.
A Lotus is unlike any other sports car. You can feel
the difference within the first few miles. The
relationship between car and driver is extraordinarily
close, and because of this intimacy you feel more in
control, more in touch with the way the car handles
and behaves.
Guts' Bhupinder Singh If you love cars, prepare to be seduced.
interviews Head of Lotus Bestowed with this passion and drive, a small but

Cars Asia Pacific Oh Kah energetic group of highly qualified enthusiasts were
carefully selected to create a winning team to manage
Beng on the challenging Lotus car sales in Asia Pacific. Leading the team is Oh
task of selling the Lotus Kah Beng.

philosophy of a minimalist
sports car to enthusiasts in

GUTS | 57
 UP-CLOSE | OH KAH BENG

The acquisition of Lotus in 1996 was a bold A: Domestically, we market the Elise S1 that is assembled in
initiative taken by PROTON Holdings Berhad which Malaysia. With the launch of the sharper and more
put Malaysia in the prestigious company of the few menacing S2, we have to hold back on exporting limited
select sports car manufacturers in the world. A daring numbers of the S1, reserving it for local sales. Somehow,
step indeed since this segment of the world had not the timeless S1 design coupled with its extremely spartan
been considered in the making of Lotus cars. Such a cabin and low weight still draws strong ownership
different climate required necessary changes in the desire. We actively serve the Japanese market which is
cars to accommodate tropical weather and to meet our biggest export market of the locally assembled S1.
with the expectations of car buyers in Asia. Although
initially resisted by Lotus UK as the cars were Q: How would you rate Lotus Cars Asia Pacific's
originally designed to be lightweight, with bare achievements so far?
necessity as per the quality of a racing car, items like A: Sales wise, we average 25 cars a year domestically. We
air conditioning and a hardtop were later introduced sell the Elise S1 only through the PROTON channel,
to the Elise. coupled with niche and extreme features. We are on
Today, countries like Japan and Malaysia are target. What is important is our ground level oriented
among the largest markets for the Elise in the Far marketing approach and strategy. The level of Lotus
East. brand awareness and its brand essence has met with our
Q: What are the products you sell? expectations. On the export side, the biggest turning
point for us was to sell cars to Japan. Today, Japan
remains the single largest Lotus market outside the UK
and Europe. We managed to increase our presence as a
result of working in tandem with Lotus UK to secure a
new distributor who is hungry and committed.

Q: What is your biggest challenge?

58 | GUTS
A: Trying to identify and motivate suitable partners for Asia Pacific since it started?
sustaining growth, plus the lack of variants and models A: Selling cars to the Japanese. Our very first export
to maintain customer loyalty. order of the Malaysian assembled Elise was from
Japan and today it continues to be our biggest
Q: What were some of the earlier experiences you faced? export market and second largest market to
A: Our job has been to try to sell cars that come out of the Malaysia.
Lotus plant and in the beginning, told to look at CKD
(completely knocked down) localisation of the Elise. Q: What do you hope to achieve in the future and what
Since PROTON acquired Lotus in 1996 we thought it is your target for Lotus in this region?
would a good opportunity to sell the Elise in Malaysia A: We would like to see Lotus being the most desirable
and the Asian region. One of the biggest challenges in sports car for a wider demographics group in the
the beginning was in trying to convince Lotus to add region. For example, to educate the car buyers in
more accessories to the Elise such as air-conditioning, China to enjoy driving in addition to the prestige of
which is vital for a car in this region. On one hand we owning a sports car. They will learn this from the
needed to sell a car that was practical enough that unique Lotus Driving Experience - China of course
people in the Asian market would want to buy it and being the future automotive market of the world.
on the other hand, we had the designers and engineers Also we hope to leap frog in terms of sales and
telling us this was against the Lotus philosophy of brand image with products like the new S2 and Elise
building a minimalist sports car. Nevertheless, we 111R.
managed to convince them. The second biggest
challenge of course was in trying to locally Q: How important is the Asia Pacific market to Lotus?
manufacture the cars in Malaysia and that project has A: It is as important as any single developed market.
since been shelved as many of the local vendors felt the
small production numbers would not make it a viable
business.

Q: What has been the biggest breakthrough for Lotus Cars

GUTS | 59
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

15 years and still going strong...

Brian Collier, the man holding the fort for In a market that sees an average of 200 new models
introduced every year, the United Kingdom is one of the most
competitive countries for any car manufacturer to sell cars.
So stiff is the competition, that even the bigger and more
established names in the car manufacturing business face a tough

A BRAND time appealing to UK car buyers in a market that evolves just as

quickly as the trends for fashion, shoes and the latest hair styles.
These are some of the conditions that have made it

NEW challenging for companies like PROTON Holdings Berhad to gain

a strong foothold, considering it didn’t begin selling its own
designed and engineered vehicle until the launch of the Proton

BEGINNING Waja in 2000.

PROTON’s entry into the UK market has been met with plenty
of challenges since the first Malaysian Proton Saga arrived in 1989,

IN THE UK even more so considering it’s products had to compete with those
produced by its then technical partner Mitsubishi.
So competitive is the market today that consumers find
themselves spoilt for choice in terms of cars that come fully-
Backed by a solid reputation loaded with accessories and equipment but having to pay so much
less than previously.
for after sales service to
“The market has just evolved so quickly. No way would you
customers since the first find some of the offers being put up by car manufacturers today
Malaysian Proton Saga arrived 10 years back. Specifications for cars are increasing but the prices
in 1989, PROTON’s new are continuing to fall,” said PROTON Cars (UK) Ltd Managing
generation of vehicles are Director Brian J. Collier.
“Trends are also moving towards smaller capacity engine cars,
expected to provide it with a
cars that are more compact as well as economical in terms of
new lease of life in the UK. ownership.”

60 | GUTS
 Collier is the man keeping the PROTON flag flying “What products like the GEN.2 will do is present us
high. He’s used every trick in the book but none is more with a brand new beginning and opportunity. It’s a very
effective than his strategy to defend market share by up-to-date model, and modern in terms of design and
way of superior after sales service -which is why in this styling. It will surprise a lot of people.It’s definitely a
year’s J.D. Power and Associates survey in the United product that will help change the current perception
Kingdom, the PROTON brand was ranked second highest amongst UK car buyers about the PROTON brand. More
behind Lexus in terms of customer service satisfaction. importantly, the car business in the UK is about new
Overall, the Malaysian brand was ranked 10th in a list products and with what PROTON has in store over the
of over 30 car manufacturers selling cars to customers in coming years, we will most certainly satisfy this
the UK and was rated above brands such as KIA, Hyundai, requirement.”
Daewoo, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Renault, With the second largest new car market in Europe
Citroen, Mitsubishi, Rover, Nissan and Volkswagen. after Germany, the UK has experienced new car sales
“The bright side to being small in the UK is that you between 2.2 million and 2.6 million units over the last few
can dedicate better after sales service support to your years. That’s on top of an average of four to five million
customers and this is something the bigger brands tend used cars that exchange hands in the UK every year.
to suffer from. The downside of course is that they sell The market is so competitive that the biggest seller
more cars than you do.” Ford only commands 15 per cent market share, with the
For Collier and crew who have been building top 10 car manufacturers having a combined market
PROTON’s market share in the UK over the last 15 years, share of approximately 72 per cent. That leaves PROTON
things are about to change drastically, and for the better. in the remaining 28 per cent shared by over 40
The introduction of models like the GEN.2, presents manufacturers.
him with a good dose of optimism as the car is not only Trends have seen the MPV and compact MPV segment
unique to PROTON, in terms of building an image for in the UK growing by 15 per cent in 2003, and the off-
itself, but will also satisfy the changing trends in the UK. road and 4WD sales increasing by approximately 12 per
cent.

GUTS | 61
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

Diesel technology has also begun to appeal much cent of the private car buyer market.
more to car buyers with the segment recording increase It doesn’t sound too ambitious by Malaysian
in sales by almost 17 per cent. standards, but PROTON’s presence in the UK has been an
“Niche type vehicles are gaining sales and are in encouraging one considering the primary objective was
general becoming more and more profitable due to to first establish a presence and to make the brand
lower levels of competition. The UK and European known to the world.
markets are experiencing increasing model segments Today, where the brand and its existing fleet of
driven by consumers who are today demanding a greater offerings cannot compete in terms of specifications and
and wider choice of vehicles, in particular lifestyle-driven design, it more than makes up in being highly regarded
products, to replace the more traditional segments. This for its reliability, low cost of ownership and fuel
is where PROTON intends to make an impression. Even economy.
more apparent is the fact that the four-door segment is From the total of 125,000 PROTON cars that have so
slowly becoming unpopular in the UK as the trend shifts far been sold in the UK since 1989, more than 80 per cent
to buying three and five-door cars. The only people who of the business has been derived from repeat customers.
continue to buy four-door cars are those in the market Consolidating dealer and after sales service support
for premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.” has also played a pivotal role in establishing the trust
This has already shown signs of promise with models consumers have placed in the brand.
like the Proton Jumbuck or Arena for example, which UK “The customers who drive PROTON cars in the UK are
car buyers can identify solely with PROTON, that Collier happy with the cars they own and with the after sales
expects to sell well over 800 units this year. support they receive. Perhaps the only challenge we face
In fact, the Jumbuck today commands 80 per cent of is that we’re still selling products that are 10 years old.
the overall sub 1 ton petrol market and 55 per cent of the But that’s all about to change,” said Collier.
sub 1 ton category. PROTON currently operates 71 sales, service and parts
Now that it has its own products, PROTON is dealers, 26 service dealers, and four agency or smaller
projected to sell a minimum of 20,000 cars a year within dealers with representatives in England, Scotland, Wales
the next three years based on the initial three new model and Northern Ireland, covering approximately 30 per
line-up. The primary objective will be to increase
PROTON’s market share to 0.8 per cent in the total UK car
market and elevate itself to commanding around 1.8 per

PROTON WINS THE HEARTS OF UK CONSUMERS

In a survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates in the It scored 81.6 per cent in the Customer Satisfaction
United Kingdom, the PROTON brand was ranked second Index that is well above the industry average of 79.7 per
highest in terms of customer service satisfaction. cent. A total of 23,000 car owners were contacted and
The survey in the US consumer research firm’s annual the survey covered 51 models registered in the UK
report manifested how customers appreciated the between September 2001 and August 2002.
standard of service and care they received from dealers. The ageing Proton Wira model also finished 53rd
Overall, the Malaysian brand was ranked 10th in a list from a list of 120 models in the index beating the likes of
of over 30 car manufacturers selling cars to customers in the VW Golf, Nissan Micra, Renault Megane, Rover 25
the UK and was rated above brands such as KIA, Hyundai, and all KIA and Daewoo vehicles.
Daewoo, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Renault, Three new models are set to reach UK buyers in the
Citroen, Mitsubishi, Rover, Nissan and Volkswagen. coming 12 months, beginning with the GEN.2, the first
PROTON car to be powered by the Malaysian company’s
own CAMPRO engine jointly-developed with Lotus
Engineering.

62 | GUTS
 By Reza Mutalib
Photographs by Oh Kah Beng

A LOTUS LONG-HAUL INTO THAILAND

Who ever said the Lotus Elise was impractical for long Why Thailand?
journeys definitely did not manage to convince a group of Well, Lotus owners can be described as automotive
intrepid Lotus enthusiasts who took up the challenge of a connoisseurs and just as wine connoisseurs will travel the
2400km journey from Malaysia to the heart of Thailand world in search of the finest wines, Elise enthusiasts are
and back. always in search of the best roads. Thailand has long
On May 24, 2004 a group of 15 Elises and 10 other cars been reputed to have some of the best and safest roads
comprising of 40 people were flagged off from the Proton in the region and the final destination to the beach
Edar flagship showroom in Mutiara Damansara in Petaling haven of Phuket was just too hard to resist. The trip had
Jaya on a five-day journey. taken months of careful planning, safety of course being
of primary concern, with the mobilization of such a large
group of people and vehicles over long distances.
Weeks before the drive, participating Elises were sent
back to the Lotus Asia Pacific headquarters in Shah Alam
for a thorough check-up. Special lights were fitted to
increase visibility, and communication equipment was
also requisitioned to ensure all participants could be
reached throughout the journey. Two reconnaissance
trips were also conducted prior to the event to map out
the route, assess road conditions and get the latest traffic
updates. Accompanying the drivers were officials from
Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad (PROTON) and
the Satria GTI Club.

GUTS | 63
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

Day 1 of the journey took participants to the popular A gala dinner was held with special guest, Victor Kiam,
border getaway city of Haadyai, taking a mere eight Managing Director of Group Lotus in the United Kingdom
hours to reach after the flag-off ceremony. To the having flown into Thailand to be with the participants.
surprise of many Elise owners who were earlier prepared Supporting the event were PETRONAS, Malaysian
for an uncomfortable journey, the drive left them fresh, Assurance Alliance, ACE Hardware, Yokohama Tyres and
raring to go and wanting more - a testimony to the Elise’s YHI, Tahan Insurance, SC Johnson and WOK-IN Restaurant,
excellent seating position and ergonomics. Avoiding the while technical assistance was provided entirely by Lotus
infamous morning traffic congestion in Thailand, the Cars Asia Pacific and PROTON.
group moved out of Haadyai immediately after sunrise
the following day, destined for Phuket. Ahead lay some
of the best roads that can be found in Thailand,
presenting the drivers with a series of fast left and right
sweeping corners, interspersed with tight turns.
The stretch from Tranh to Krabi included inclines and
declines as the road winds its way across mountain passes
and by the time the group arrived at the Barn Thai
Restaurant in Phuket, they were all grins and smiles.
As much as the trip to Phuket was to relax, it was also
about being together as a group, and the organisers
couldn’t resist the temptation of putting together a series
of fun and games for participants.
One such challenge was for small teams to negotiate
an obstacle course, dismantle the convertible top of the
Elise (which is no easy feat if you ask any Elise owner),
push the car backwards through a set course and then
again as a team, refit the convertible roof. The team
achieving the fastest time was declared the winner.

64 | GUTS
 “It has been such a fun-filled
adventure and an eventful
trip. A little sad that it has
come to the end of a week-
long thrilling driving holiday.
It was so well organized, from
the carefully chosen routes
What The Participants with a good mix of highways,

Had To Say fast winding roads as well as

scenic drives along hills and country roads to the co-
ordination of the convoy during petrol stops, toll-
booths, immigration checkpoints etc. From the
“This has been an incredible
tireless support and service crew who were rectifying
experience and accolades to
cars overnight (F1-style) and even by the roadside to
the drive committee and to
the driving crew who were gathering for late night
every participant are, without
meetings finalising the next day’s plans just to ensure
doubt, well deserved. Thanks
that everything has been covered. All these efforts
so much for the friendship,
ensured that the Lotus owners enjoyed themselves
fun, laughter and support. I’d
and that the ownersí welfare, well-being and the fun
like to give special
factor remains a priority. In addition, the whole spirit
appreciation to our unsung
of adventure within the convoy, the relaxed, sporting
heroes, Osman and Aidil...you guys are professional
and friendly nature of all the participants, the
to a T...always smiling despite having to work on
camaraderie, the goodwill, the support and genuine
holiday, but like all the other owners, I’m glad our
concern for a fellow enthusiast whose Lotus came
Elises are in your care! Thanks to Edward for letting
home on the back of a tow truck, has left an even
me and my Elise tag along as a Hot Car on the drive -
deeper and more positive impression on me. I am
driving with you is an eye-opening experience ;-)
definitely coming back for more. New friendships
Looking forward to being more actively involved with
have been formed and old friendships strengthened.
all of you in the second half of the year.”
Thank you very much for a wonderful experience.”

- Alex Iskandar Liew

- Fairudz Bokhari

“First timers did not know what to expect and very

nearly cancelled our trip due to the last minute “It was an amazing event and adventure. My THANKS
incidents at Patani. However, we are glad that we did to everyone especially the organising committee for
not do so. The organising committee had taken all the “precision organising”, right down to ensuring
measures to ensure that the trip was safe for that the element of safety was always first on their
everyone by determining safe routes and ample thoughts (this can be clearly seen from their faces). I
security for the cars at the hotels. The planning and am glad that we made the decision to continue with
effort that went into this trip was amazing. Every step the trip despite all the hurdles prior to the trip and
of the way was carefully worked out so that drivers also that none of the original gang cancelled.”
would be safe but have fun driving on twisting roads.
Members had the comfort of mind driving and - Tony Panjalingam
knowing that in the event of anything happening to
their cars, the ever-present support crew from Lotus
Cars Asia Pacific was there to pick them up and give
aid. I believe that several drivers can attest to this.

- Joyce Lee

GUTS | 65
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

Taking on the likes of soccer giants such as Arsenal,

Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in 2004 will be
the PROTON-backed Norwich City Football Club (NCFC)

FEARLESS
Canaries having recently earned a promotion to play in
the English Premier League.
This has proven to be PROTON’s most rewarding
sponsorship deal as it will see the names and logos of
PROTON and its wholly-owned subsidiary Lotus,

UNDERDOGS appearing on team jerseys, sporting equipment,

billboards, merchandise and official transportation for
the club players and officials.

- PROTON The three-year jersey sponsorship is part of a long-

term plan designed to lift PROTON’s profile in the United
Kingdom as it prepares to introduce the GEN.2, the first
of its new generation models.
“We are looking forward to building our name in the
UK, and strengthening our commitment to the UK
market and our association with the club will help us to
do this,” said Brian Collier, Managing Director of

66 | GUTS
PROTON Cars UK.
The return of investment will first and foremost come
from the UK’s soccer loving population with average match
attendance in the English Premier League totalling
approximately 35,000 people in the past season, making it
the most-watched league in Europe. This is on top of even
greater publicity generated by the “live” telecasts into
millions of homes throughout the world.
Already, with the club’s success and entry into top-flight
soccer, its supporters have been proudly wearing the team’s
T-shirts that carry the prominent PROTON and Lotus logos.
PROTON and Lotus are not the first auto companies to be
involved in soccer sponsorship, especially in the English
Premier League.
Other big names include Ford which holds the exclusive
rights and is the broadcast sponsor for Sky Sports’ Premier
League coverage. This deal represents the longest
sponsorship in British sports broadcasting after the entities PROTON on the pitch...
first linked-up in 1992 and incorporates the title sponsorship A massive brand
of over 60 live matches each season.
Hyundai is another big name that has become one of the
and organisers were displayed around the different venues.
top tier sponsors of the last World Cup Finals. The deal has
With a combination of record season ticket sales and
given the Korean auto giant access to a massive 1.5 billion
crowds at NCFC home games at its highest for 28 years,
worldwide audience. In the match between England and
PROTON saw the club as an ideal opportunity to tap into the
Brazil for example, a total of 17 million viewers tuned in to
English football market.
watch their home team knocked out of the World Cup.
Coincidentally, only around 40 per cent of total revenue
This has resulted in a massive brand building exercise
generated by the club is purely on football as crowds
where advertisements for its new Coupe model and the
averaged around 95 per cent of total capacity at its home
supply of all the official vehicles used to transport players
games last season. NCFC’s merchandise outlets turned over
1.4 million pounds sterling last year with sales of its replica
jerseys accounting for 35 per cent of that retail business.
This translates into the PROTON and Lotus brands being
seen in a very big way, and by a wide audience, with the club
last year selling some 35,000 jerseys.
“Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff was travelling to
the railway station on a football match day and got stuck in
the traffic near the ground. He didn’t know what was
causing the traffic but realised that where there is a large
number of people there is always sales and promotional
opportunity. When he found out that the traffic was caused
by a football match, this fact, combined with his interest in
the sport, encouraged him to make initial contact with the
club,” recalled Collier.
“The three-year contract we’ve got is based on where
the team was and, like any sponsorship of any sports team
you are sponsoring, in the hope that they will win or do
better or run faster or jump higher. The best sponsorship
deal is one where you get in early and somebody does
A win-win deal... With footbal there are fans and
particularly well.”
with fans, it generates enormous publicity and
awareness for the PROTON brand. For more information on Norwich City Football Club,

GUTS | 67
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

GREAT PROMISE AHEAD IN

SYNERGY BETWEEN PROTON,
LOTUS & NORWICH CITY FC

One for the album... The

team of senior editors and As Malaysia Airlines' MH1 taxied towards London Heathrow's Terminal 3 in
motoring journalists who the foggy morning of April 30, I spied a familiar-looking silhouette in rather
unfamiliar surroundings - a PROTON Satria.
Wow! What a way to start a study tour of the United Kingdom arranged
by PROTON.
As I peered out the window again from the upper deck of the Boeing 747,
it warmed my heart to see a Malaysia Airlines logo emblazoned on the Satria.
It dawned on me that Malaysia Inc. is working well here and that it was a
forward-thinking strategy by a world class Malaysian company like Malaysia
Airlines in choosing to promote the national car in one of the busiest
airports in the world.
Spring was in the air and my comrades-in-arms from
the other media houses - Zaharudin Ali (Utusan
Malaysia), Saidon Idris (Berita Harian),
Ibrahim Yahaya (Malaysian Business),
Shariff Haron (Malay Mail), K. Parkaran
(The Star), Lim Meng Piew (China Press),
Tan Wah Che (Nanyang Siang Pau) and
Tay Tian Yan (Sin Chew Daily) were all
looking forward to evaluate just how
PROTON and Group Lotus were faring in
the highly competitive British
automotive market.
Thumbs Up... The writer (left)

68 | GUTS
 But first, we were given an insight into one of the We were given a taste of betting in English soccer, with
biggest advertising (and marketing) coups that PROTON one of us winning some 30 pounds sterling from Ladbrokes.
and Lotus had ever taken - the sponsorship of Norwich I especially like the one pound sterling "scratch and win"
City Football Club (NCFC), previously a First Division coupon which already has the pre-printed times of the
soccer club, but now playing in the top-flight English supposed first goal scored in the first and second halves of
Premier League with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester the game. If the time of the goal scored matches the time
United, Chelsea and Liverpool. indicated on the coupon, you'll go home a happy fan!
Brian Collier, Managing Director of PROTON Cars UK, After soccer and touring Norwich City as well as the
and James Stronach, Finance Director of Group Lotus, Norfolk Broads teeming with birds and ducks, it was down
roped in Andrew Cullen from NCFC to tell us over dinner to serious business: the business outlook for PROTON and
in the rather noisy downtown Café Uno how the Group Lotus.
sponsorship had worked to everyone's advantage. We emerged from the briefings knowing that things
We got some idea on how the deal had worked were looking up for a number of reasons. First, PROTON
despite the many interesting distractions in the cafe. But and Group Lotus will have a higher profile from August
we were given a blow-by-blow account on how the onwards, thanks to NCFC's elevation to top-flight soccer in
union between PROTON/Group Lotus and NCFC had the EPL.
turned the fortunes of the club when we trotted along Second, the five-door GEN. 2 will soon make its debut in
to their Carrow Road Stadium the next day. Britain. According to PROTON UK's Collier, five-doors are
We were met by Bryan Gunn, the affable former now in vogue and the GEN. 2 presents an exciting
Scottish goalkeeper, who showed us the A-Zs on how alternative to the now dated Impian (Waja) model. There is
NCFC had made it into top-flight soccer in the 2003/04 also much promise from the Satria and Tiara Replacement
season. One cannot help but think of the PROTON/Group Models, and an acknowledged improvement in Group Lotus
Lotus sponsorship as a stroke of beginner's luck. performance. I took the opportunity to have a spin in the
Corporate sponsorship aside, the trip to Carrow Road company's flagship, the Elise. It was exhilarating but it looks
gave an insight into how a soccer club functions in terms as if I have to fast steadfastly from now until the month of
of sponsorship, membership, and activities. Unlike in Ramadan if I want to get in and out of the car's cockpit
Malaysia, where there is heavy reliance on the without the help of a crane!
government, especially by the state football associations, We left UK convinced that PROTON and Group Lotus,
soccer clubs in the UK usually rely on their own like NCFC, are moving up a league. But just as in top-flight
resources. And there is no heavy dependence on the soccer or the cut-throat automobile business, timing is of
locally elected representative either. It's all about the essence. Malaysians and automotive enthusiasts alike
resourcefulness and getting the community involved. In hope that PROTON and Group Lotus will do well in the race
the PROTON/Group Lotus' case, it was about involving to the top.
businesses in the area. The relationship took off in early
2003 when PROTON's Chief Executive Officer Tengku
Tan Sri Dr Mahleel Tengku Ariff saw the opportunity to
support an endeavour in the community where PROTON
UK and Group Lotus operated.
I was especially taken by the fine dining experience
available at the Carrow Stadium, but then the
availability of such facilities was understandable since
the major shareholder of NCFC, Delia Smith, is a celebrity
chef. Celebrity chef or not, the important thing is that
the food and beverage outlets of the club are used for
meetings as well as dining and wining.
An interesting point to be considered by state and
club level Malaysian soccer officials is that no supporter
is too small for NCFC. Games and quizzes are held to
PROTON and Lotus’ sponsorship of the
enable these supporters to be highly involved in the
Norwich City Football Club building out
activities of their football club as well as providing
opportunities to rub shoulders with their favourite
players.

GUTS | 69
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

GENERATING NEW
INTEREST FOR PROTON

The most severe critics love it. Now it's up to the

market to decide when the Proton GEN.2 makes its

70 | GUTS
They came, they drove and they loved it! At least that "The arrival of the new model is expected to signal a
was the first impression of some of the senior and revitalisation for the struggling PROTON Cars
leading motoring journalists from Australia who were Australia…It will also lead the charge of a swag of new
recently in Shah Alam to test drive the all-new Proton Proton models."
GEN.2. Most did not mince their words when it came to
The GEN.2 cars are expected to go on sale sometime describing the driving characteristics and behaviour of
between September and October in Australia in what the car.
some of the publications have been quick to dub as a "It certainly handles better than anything else in the
"regeneration" of the PROTON marque in the local budget priced hatchback category with handling that
market. puts some sports cars to shame," said the Manly Daily's
"Cars come and cars go but only a few hit the sweet Chris Riley.
spot. They are easy to pick. It is not rocket science - "The car remains stable and easily controlled, even at
they're the ones that look a million bucks, go like a speeds the average owner is never likely to reach. Lotus
million bucks but are still an absolute bargain to buy. The has played a major role in the styling and engineering of
Proton GEN.2 looks like it’s nailing two of these the new car, and it shows."
categories," stated the news pages of the Progress The Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph's Paul Gover
Leader. attributed much of this to the GEN.2's Lotus-tuned
With models like the Satria GTI and the Jumbuck chassis that he described as top class.
(Arena) already garnering quite a solid reputation in "The GEN.2 would easily keep pace with most of our
terms of performance, practicality and attractive cost of small car favourites including the Corolla and Pulsar, with
ownership, a model like the GEN.2 is expected to launch more genuine driving enjoyment…It has great steering
an even more aggressive campaign for the brand in and the cornering balance is top drawer. It will definitely
Australia. turn heads and points to a much more aggressive future
"…It's the most convincing car PROTON has ever for PROTON in Australia."
built," said Bruce Newton of goauto.com. One of the primary setbacks for Proton cars in the
"Now the cynics might suggest it hasn't got much to past has been the fact that it lacked its own identity and
beat such has been the mediocre standard of previous Australian car buyers have no sympathy in dismissing it as
Proton cars…those cars are pretty much based on a rebadged Mitsubishi.
reproductions of old Mitsubishis. And the cynics would Models like the Satria GTI and Jumbuck however,
be right. But that hasn't stopped this car giving started to see a big change in terms of public perception
indication to some real promise of design and given the fact these were vehicles unique to PROTON.
engineering ability at PROTON." "One thing is clear: there's no pent-up demand for
According to Brent Davison of the Central Coast the cut-price old model Mitsubishis that have been
Herald, PROTON car dealers in Australia are eagerly PROTON's staple until now. That's why the company
awaiting the arrival of the GEN.2. invested heavily in design and engineering facilities in
the late 1990s," said Robert Wilson of the Australian.
"…The GEN.2 is a rare thing in the automotive
business: a second chance."

GUTS | 71
 NEW FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

The Australian Government’s Greenhouse Office has identified

Proton’s Waja sedan as the most economical and greenest four-
door, five-passenger sedan on the Australian market.
Waja scored 4.5 stars out of a possible five stars in the
Australian Government’s new website guide to environmentally
FUEL EFFICIENT friendly vehicles <http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/> which
was launched in Canberra recently by the Deputy Prime Minister

PROTON GETS
and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson.
The Waja outperformed many smaller hatchbacks and even one
of the much vaunted hybrid cars in the Government rankings.

GOVERNMENT’S
This despite the fact that the $22,990 Waja is many thousands
of dollars cheaper than the expensive hybrid machinery
The Waja’s green credentials are bolstered by an average fuel

TICK OF consumption of just 6.7 litres per 100kms as well as boasting

impressive greenhouse and air pollution ratings.
The 1.6 litre Proton sedan boasts a greenhouse rating of 7 out

APPROVAL of 10 and an air pollution rating of 8 out of 10 which is the best in

industry and equal to smaller hatchbacks
With fuel costs predicted to soar above $1.10 per litre in the
next few months the frugal Waja stands out as a cost effective and
responsible alternative four door family car.
According to PROTON Cars Australia managing director John
Startari the 4.5 star ranking has highlighted the Waja’s real
strengths.

72 | GUTS
 “The Greenhouse Guide only serves to underline what we The ratings within the guide are based on
already knew about the Waja, that it is an economical and recognised test standards for measuring and regulating
well engineered practical sedan that delivers a great overall motor vehicle exhaust emissions, allowing direct
package,” he said. comparison of individual models.
“Certainly the early pricing of the Waja affected its The Waja 1.6 includes ABS anti-lock brakes, traction
acceptance in Australia but with the current levels along with control, four SRS airbags, air-conditioning, power
proof that it is an extremely economical and environmentally windows, central locking, power remote control
friendly car I am sure it will attract more attention,” he added. mirrors, premium CD/AM/FM audio system and steering
In announcing the Greenhouse Guide Transport Minister wheel audio controls all as standard equipment.
Anderson said it is aimed to help consumers to compare how Along with the same standard equipment as the
different vehicles rate environmentally and allow them to Waja 1.6 the 1.6X model includes full leather trim,
make choices that benefit the environment. climate control air-conditioning and remote control
"It is important that people think about environmental foldback mirrors.
issues when buying cars that suit their own transport needs. Proton's wholly owned subsidiary Lotus was
These needs are different from person to person,” said Mr involved in the development of Waja from the ground
Anderson. up using its vast store of suspension and handling
"The guide highlights that not all motor vehicles have an expertise to create a car with enormous capability.
equal impact on the environment. Within any class of vehicles The result is a car which can hold its own in what is
there are vehicles that emit fewer air pollutants or an impressive line-up of automotive engineering not
greenhouse gases, as well as those that don't perform so well. only in ride and handling but also in terms of safety
The guide will provide consumers with a greater capacity to and body integrity as well as fuel efficiency.
choose vehicles that match their transport needs at a lower A 1.6 litre 16-valve engine producing 76 kW of
cost to the environment," he added. power and 140Nm of torque with either a five speed
manual transmission or a four speed automatic powers
the Waja.

GUTS | 73
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

ELISE TAKES
THE UNITED
STATES
MARKET BY
It took the United States by Storm! Lotus' entry into one
of the world's most competitive automobile markets
could not have been more unprecedented.
By the time the new Elise 111R was unveiled at the
Los Angeles Motor Show some 2000 bookings were
already in hand, essentially covering the whole year's
production and delivery scheme to North America.
US Magazines dubbed the launch of the Elise as “a
razor-sharp entry level Lotus in more than a decade” or
more precisely since the Elan in 1991.
“We’re fairly close to being sold out for a year,” says
Mark O’Shaughnessy, director-sales and marketing, Lotus
Cars USA. The maximum number of the new Elise Lotus
Cars USA anticipates delivering to North America in full-
year production is about 2,200-2,400 units.
The Lotus factory in the UK, where the Elise is hand-
built, has an annual capacity of about 5,000 units.
The second generation Elise, a more luxurious
example compared to the original spartan two-seater
roadster, goes on sale in the US for a base price of
US$39,985.
Lotus currently has 39 dealers in the US and three in
Canada, with many already accustomed to selling exotic
names such as Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.
The company believes 40 per cent of buyers are those
who understand the Lotus philosophy of buying a
minimalist sports car. Even things like the power
windows and floor carpet are optional!
“The Elise is an exotic car, but it’s relatively affordable

74 | GUTS
 EXQUISITELY FAST FOR A SMALL CAR
Weighing in at 860kg, the new Elise 111R packs a staggering 223PS/tonne and a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds, plenty
of torque and horsepower derived from Toyota’s 2ZZ-GE 1.8 litre four-cylinder 16-valve VVTL-i engine mated to a C64
six-speed gearbox.
Lotus had subjected the car and its new engine to a gruelling development programme exceeding 500,000 miles
throughout Europe and the USA. Toyota’s world-renowned VVTL-i system allows the engine management system the
flexibility to select the optimum camshaft profile, lift and timing across the full range of engine operating conditions.
True to the Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight, the power density available from the Toyota power
unit gives the Elise optimum linear torque characteristics, peaking at 181Nm at 6800rpm coupled with the peak power
of 192 PS at 7800rpm.
The Elise 111R sprints to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds and 160km/h in 13.0 seconds before reaching a certified top speed
of 241km/h.
The sport-package Elise is nearly 500lbs lighter than a Mazda Miata and a stunning 900lbs (363 kg) lighter than
Porsche’s Boxster S, which the Elise outperforms in the 0-60 mph (97 km/h) and quarter-mile acceleration test.
The all-aluminium lightweight six-speed gearbox with an all-new Lotus designed and developed shift operating
mechanism presents close ratios and gears for fast, precise and light gearshift.

GUTS | 75
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE

PROTON recorded another triumphant feat when a

showroom supplied Proton Satria GTi completed the
gruelling London to Sydney Marathon, finishing 15th

VICTORIOUS outright in a field of heavily modified and tuned rally

cars.
Owned and driven by Australian PROTON dealer

SATRIA GTI Peter Lockhart and his wife Moira, the car easily
completed the 15,000km journey, run over 30 days and
across three continents.

IN LONDON TO
“The Satria ran like a dream,” said Lockhart. “It
didn’t miss a beat the whole journey and we just kept
on going and going.”

SYDNEY RALLY
As fellow competitors fell by the wayside, the
Lockharts climbed the leader board, posting a
remarkable result.
Apart from the required roll cage, six-point safety
harnesses, competition seats, rally springs and shock

Stock Standard absorbers, the car was practically stock standard.

“It was one of the least powerful cars in the event,

But Sassy!
but the Satria GTi proved its ability to stand up to being
pounded through 53 special stages, not only remaining
competitive but emerging unscathed at the end,” said a
delighted Lockhart.
 NEWS FLASH | AROUND THE GLOBE / AT HOME

“A lot of the other competitors were

amazed at how well the Satria performed
in Australia. On some of the toughest
roads in the world, we were able to move
past other cars that should have been
much more at home out there.”
At the end of the 15,000km journey,
the only problem the Lockharts
encountered was a single puncture and a
slight run in with a pile of logs on the first
day in England.
Competitors tackled some of the
harshest terrain and driving conditions in V-SIXERS ON THE RACING LINE.
the rally, including 21 stages across the
Australian outback. They may have been built for the executives but that doesn't mean you
A total of 66 cars started in London can't take your Perdana V6 out for track days, especially if it involves a
crossing the English Channel to France, day around Formula One's best venue the Sepang International Circuit
then down through Italy, Greece and In May, 30 members of the Perdana V6 Club, or V-Sixers as they call
across to Turkey, before being airlifted by themselves, got together for their first ever track day experience at the
two giant Russian Antinov Freighters to 5.542km long circuit.
India and on to the final leg in Australia. While the majority of cars were of stock standard descent, some of
the owners came in Perdana V6 cars that have been transplanted with
turbo-charged engines.
After being briefed on the dos and don'ts by experienced members
from the Satria Gti Club and Lotus Cars Club of Malaysia, it was
immediately on to the track for a quick familiarisation drive and last
minute setting-up of the vehicle.
"What events like this do is essentially expose club members to
safer driving and track driving in a controlled environment," said one
car owner.
"The experience, knowledge and confidence gained translates to
being more alert to what the vehicle can and cannot do, and it
familiarises drivers with the experience of driving to the limit."

WPC EXCURSION TO BAGAN

LALANG
Members of the Waja Performance Club in May organised a fun drive
to Bagan Lalang.
A total of 13 PROTON Waja (Impian) cars took part in the getting-
to-know-your-car and getting-to-know-members drive that concluded
with dinner at one of the more popular restaurants in the area.

GUTS | 77
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

JOURNEYING
The interest and curiosity of seeing how a car is designed and built
from the ground up drew a total of 42,000 people to PROTON
Holdings Berhad main factory in Shah Alam on May 8.

INTO THE PROTON’s Research and Development (R&D) Division Public Open
Day allowed a very rare glance into what is essentially the car

HEART OF
manufacturer’s closely guarded secret laboratories for a show all and
tell all experience.
PROTON has made significant investment in establishing the high

PROTON tech facilities which help design, realise and test the vehicles of
tomorrow’s world. The highly sophisticated technology at the Shah
Alam plant allows PROTON to ‘teleport’ vehicles to drive in any
- Secrets unveiled at the location worldwide without having to leave the factory gates.

Research & Among the unique facilities within the vast R&D complex is a five-
axis machine that demonstrates how real sized clay models are
Development Facility. shaped. Visitors saw a clay model mock-up of a car interior, several
prototype models and numerous sketches and scale models of what
may one day become production realities.
The public was shown how computer-aided simulation has

78 | GUTS
 For many, the walk through PROTON’s
assisted PROTON engineers design safer cars meeting R&D facility was a great eye-opener.
international crash testing and safety regulation
requirements, while a walk through the Powertrain
Department revealed how PROTON’s CAMPRO engine
has been put through stringent endurance and reliability
testing before being used on the road, and the Noise
Laboratory highlighted the ever-advancing engineering
skills required to achieve reduced sound levels in
contemporary car performance. On display for the first
time was PROTON’s Mileage Accumulative Chassis
Dynanometer (MACD), a fully computerised system
ensuring maximum accuracy in vehicle endurance
testing.
At the Component, Material, Safety and Strength
(CMSS) Laboratory, the public was shown how something
as seemingly trivial as a screw, a piece of rubber or fabric
is rigorously tested and deliberately “aged” to gauge its
reliability, endurance and strength.
Not just a chance to look and see, visitors were able
to meet and speak freely with experts and ‘techies’. A
special forum led by PROTON engineers opened dialogue
with students, outlining current roles and responsibilities
and exploring potential opportunities in the automotive
engineering world of the future.
In awe... One of the biggest attraction was to see
“It was an opportunity for the public to see how far
a clay model of a prototype taking shape.

GUTS | 79
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

PROTON has come and how it has made the transition Events staged in conjunction with the Open Day
from car assembler to a full-fledged car manufacturer,” included a Drift and Time Attack Challenge that saw
said PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Chief Executive more than 100 cars of all makes, models and engine
Officer, Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff. capacity competing. The drift contest called for some
“More importantly, it was to clearly illustrate what serious sideways action with competitors judged on style
we are now capable of and just how PROTON’s and car control, while the time attack challenge tested
acquisition of world-renowned engineering company precision driving skills over a designated course in a race
Lotus has translated into creating the newer generation against the clock. An Auto Salon open to only PROTON
of PROTON cars that are being designed for models displayed 30 privately owned and extensively
performance and excitement. modified PROTON cars with features from air brushed
“As the leading car manufacturing company in exteriors and interiors to customised body-kits, big
Malaysia, PROTON has, over the last 20 years, wheels, polished engine bays and fire-spitting exhausts.
spearheaded the acquisition of state-of-the-art Visitors lined up to test-drive the new Proton GEN.2
technology, knowledge and engineering expertise. It while others tried go-karting or took the bus tour
was a chance to share all of this progress with the around PROTON’s state-of-the-art three-lane gradient
people.” oval test circuit.

Close scrutiny... Vistors closely

inspecting a mock-up of the interior
for one of the prototype models.

80 | GUTS
Home of the intriguing... The R&D
facility at PROTON is home to the

Testing section... Visitors looking at the

head lights and tail lights of the GEN.2
being put through a durability and

GUTS | 81
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

If you think owning a Proton car is just driving from point

A to point B, boy, you can’t be more wrong!
In fact, nothing could have adequately prepared the
chief designers of the GEN.2 when they were invited to

T
judge the first ever PROTON Auto Salon.

HE EXTREME SIDE
Organised by PROTON Holdings Berhad, the
congregation of 30 extreme examples of modified

TO OWNING A
Proton cars was held in conjunction with its Research and
Development Facility Open Day and the competition was

PROTON CAR
divided into four categories: body-kit, interior, exterior
and the title of PROTON King.
And since there was no limit to the amount of
modification and creativity, the competition attracted
the most colourful, extreme, wild, radical and
unimaginable examples of a Proton car you can ever
feast your eyes on.
It wouldn’t be wrong to refer to some of the cars as
sculptures as the elaborate imagination, workmanship,
effort and hard work had transformed four wheels into
moving pieces of art.
An intimidating skull was neatly embedded into the
bonnet of his Proton Perdana V6, and seconds after three
feet long flames were spat out of the dual exhaust
system, fine white smoke billowed from the mouth of
the skull, seemingly bringing it to life. The entire boot
space - or what’s left of it - was packed to the brim with
massive speakers and amplifiers, creating a mobile disco
on wheels with fins on the body-kit easily passing the car
off as a GT racing model. It was truly unique, the reason
why Anthony Tan Sake Loong walked away with the title
“PROTON King”. His Perdana also went on to clinch
second place for Best Exterior and third place for the Best
Body-Kit design.
The title of Best Body-kit went to Sharon Foo’s Zent
Auto Styling in Klang whose customer’s wide-bodied
Proton Putra captured the judges’ attention for its
simplicity and the most practical design. “Sometimes, less
is more,” was how one of the judges described his
favourite example of the day. “I have to admit that some
of the cars were just out of this world! The amount of
work put in, the level of creativity and the cost - it was
unbelievable.”
A close second was Kuek Han Hiong’s black and
muscular (yes, muscular) Proton Perdana V6 that looked
like it was on steroids with bulging wide wheel arches,
Lean, mean, driving machine... Tan Sake Loong’s
massive polished alloys, customised front and rear
bumpers and an intimidating boot spoiler. At first
glance, you too would have mistaken it for a BMW!

82 | GUTS
 Italian flair... A Proton Wira fitted with customised gullwing doors.

Zent Auto Styling’s Putra also went

on to win the category of Best Exterior
design, with Anthony’s Perdana taking
second and Ahmad Yusri Mohamed’s
Proton Saga clinching third place.
A clear crowd favourite was painter
Choong Som Kit’s out-of-this-world
Proton Iswara limousine that won hands
down the title of Best Interior. A fully
customised interior, that had taken
more than two years of hard work and
imagination, transformed the inside of
the limousine to an exotic jungle
location with the door panels, seats and
dashboard elaborately air-brushed with
trees, leaves, tigers and animal stripes.
So extensively designed was the car that
the overall safari theme extended to air-
brushing underneath wheel arches and
across the under carriage. In a radical Crowd puller... The fleet of modified cars drew enormous interest.
security move, he even had soft toy lions
and tigers guarding the turbo-charged
car on the outside.

GUTS | 83
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

Second spot went to Khairul Nizam Zakaria from

Ipoh, Perak whose colour co-ordination of a spanking
lime green Proton Satria with an all electric blue interior
was a show stopper.
In third place was M. Wija M. Zain’s aged Proton Tiara
that won on creativity and his passion for Coca-Cola. Yes,
everything about the interior of the car was decked with
the Coca-Cola colours and logo and his creativity went as
far as using an empty Coca-Cola tin in the engine bay.
At the end of the day, the panel of six judges, three
from PROTON’s Styling Unit and three from
representatives of three tuning magazines, had their
work cut out in a demanding challenge as they
deliberated between simplicity and extremism.
The results reflected a fusion of creativity and
practicality.

Air brush galore... The latest trend these

days is to air brush every part of the car

84 | GUTS
 Picture perfect... A proud moment for the first batch of PROTON’s EDP graduates.

In July, PROTON Holdings Berhad’s Executive

PROTON’S PIONEER EDP Development Programme (EDP) produced its first
batch of 49 graduates.

GROUP GRADUATES The programme, conducted by Universiti Malaya’s

Institute of Public Policy and International
Management, will be followed by some 750 PROTON
WITH HONOURS personnel before the end of 2005.
Students are trained in a number of key modules
including management skills, finance, business
management, law, negotiation skills, strategic
competitiveness, and marketing.
“The EDP has been designed as a programme to
develop participants both as members of staff and as
individuals. It teaches and encourages students to
explore their full potential,” said the company’s Head
of Human Resources Mastura Mansor.
“Investing in human resources is a key area to
ensuring the continued success of PROTON. In the
competitive industry of car manufacturing, individuals
must, in addition to mastering state of the art
technology, have the capability to react and respond
quickly to market changes, competition and consumer
demands. Programmes like the EDP have been
1001 reasons to smile... Graduates showing off
designed to ensure that the company has personnel of
the appropriate calibre.”

GUTS | 85
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

World Class Facility...

PROTON Tanjung Malim, the home of

AN INTERNATIONAL
STAMP OF APPROVAL
FOR PROTON
TANJUNG MALIM

Quality Conscious... The use of more automation ensures

higher productivity, quality and consistency

86 | GUTS
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

PROTON’s state of the art manufacturing and assembly PROTON has already shipped 30 units of the car to the
facility in Tanjung Malim received the Conformity of UK and is expected to export another 500 units before
Production certificate in July from the United Kingdom’s gradually increasing the figure to 1,000 units per month
Vehicle Certification Agency, paving the way for its new beginning October 2004.
generation of cars to be exported to the UK and Europe. The plant has produced 4,000 units of the GEN.2 per
The certificate has been awarded in recognition of month since the factory began operations in February.
the factory's ability to produce cars in line with the The Tanjung Malim factory is now being prepared for
specifications, performance and requirements set by the two shifts to operate, increasing production to between
UK and Europe for Malaysian cars. 6,000 and 9,000 units of the car per month.
Receiving the certificate on behalf of PROTON,
PROTON Tanjung Malim Sdn Bhd's Chief Executive
Officer, Datuk Kamarulzaman Darus, said the company
was aiming to export between 10,000 and 12,000 units of
the GEN.2 to UK and Europe by the first quarter of 2005.

GUTS | 87
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

SLASHING
STAMPING
PROCESS
OPERATION COSTS
WITH
HYPERFORM

PROTON Holdings Berhad has turned to

Altair HyperForm sheet metal forming
simulation technology in a move to
enhance efficiency gains in its pre-
production stamping process and
reduce operational costs in the area of DR MAHATHIR
die development.
“Software simulation techniques BROUGHT UP TO SPEED
and products are an integral
component of design and production at
PROTON. Computer Aided Engineering
ON PROTON’S
In May, newly appointed advisor to PROTON Holdings Berhad Tun Dr
(CAE) capabilities provide us with a Mahathir Mohamad attended a strategic briefing on developments in
great deal of value and enable us to company operations and a tour of its new manufacturing facility in
provide the consistent results we Tanjung Malim.
require as we continually strive to The half-day visit to the RM1.8 billion state-of-the-art plant included
improve our internal processes,” said an inspection of the automated production line that currently
Syed Zamri Syed Jaafar, Head of Body assembles the GEN.2, the first of PROTON’s new generation of vehicles.
Design Section of PROTON’s He was also taken through the Engine Shop that machines the
Engineering Design Department. CAMPRO engine, and took the opportunity to test drive several
Improvement meant looking for a tool prototype models currently being developed by PROTON.
that could be easily integrated into Built on a 1,280-acre site, the Tanjung Malim plant, five times larger
PROTON’s existing environment and than the existing facility in Shah Alam, is capable of producing up to
capable of addressing specific goals one million PROTON cars per year at full capacity.
focused on reducing costs and
decreasing cycle-time development.
Switching to HyperForm is projected
to save PROTON approximately US$1.5
million in tool and die costs.
Design and simulation of parts
removes the risk for all parties of
verifying that individual parts created
in prototype and final design stages will
increase manufacturability.

88 | GUTS
PROTON LAUNCHES
“GUTS” CORPORATE MAGAZINE
In keeping with its bold and daring new attitude,
PROTON Holdings Berhad launched the inaugural
issue of its corporate magazine “GUTS” in May.
A quarterly publication, GUTS is designed as a
communication tool presenting an internal view of
PROTON and the developments currently being
undertaken as the company competes in a
challenging global automotive market.
The magazine is distributed to PROTON’s
overseas representatives, government agencies and
institutions, media organisations, foreign missions
in Malaysia, hotels, car buyers, major airlines and
those in the travel related industry.
The inaugural issue focused on the GEN.2, the
first of PROTON’s new generation of vehicles to be
recently launched, and also examined the
company’s moves in forming strategic alliances.
Articles dedicated to lifestyle, personalities,
travel and updates from PROTON’s main export
markets in the United Kingdom, Australia and the
Middle East were also featured.
The magazine was officially launched by former
Malaysian Prime Minister and newly appointed
advisor to the company, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad. Also present were Chairman Datuk Abu
Hassan Kendut and Group Chief Executive Officer
Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff.
At the launch, Dr Mahathir, fielding questions
from journalists, underlined the importance of
PROTON seeking strategic alliances that will enable
Malaysia’s leading national car company to
progress even further in the automotive industry.

From left - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad,

GUTS | 89
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

Friendly Match... Equally matched... Malaysia put up a

Good Game... Heads Up... An NCFC and MPPJ player

One for the album... The NCFC and Malaysian line-up Little escorts... Children escorting the NCFC

90 | GUTS
 NCFC Tour of
Malaysia
The Norwich City Football Club “Canaries” in July
concluded a successful 10-day pre-season training
and tour of Malaysia.
During their visit here, ahead of the English
Premier League 2004-2005 season, the team
emerged victorious in two friendly matches, playing
to a 3-2 win against the MPPJ Club and scoring a 1-0
Getting down and dirty... Footballers attending win over the Malaysian national side.
the FITC clinic making a big splash after a
NCFC coaches also held a total of nine Football In
The Community (FITC) clinics that in total benefited
close to 1,000 young footballers and schoolchildren
who were taken through a programme designed to
enhance their skills. The FITC clinics were mainly
concentrated in the Klang Valley but also traveled to
Melaka, Kuantan and Ipoh.
The FITC clinic was also attended by players from
the PROTON Football Club and children of staff.
The PROTON Football Club also held a friendly
match against NCFC English fans who accompanied
the team on their visit.
PROTON, the main sponsor of NCFC, also took
advantage of launching the Malaysian chapter of the
NCFC Fan Club which to date has successfully
recruited more than 1,000 members.
Having A Ball...

Oops... This little boy may Heads up boys ...

have dirtied his shirt but it Members of the PROTON football team and the NCFC Fan Club of UK

GUTS | 91
 NEWS FLASH | AT HOME

Authoritative... The team has also been given the honour of brushing up the skills of the traffic policeman.

SAFETY ON
It all started as a service to its personnel, many of whom
commute to work on motorcycles and, with road
accidents involving two-wheelers being a serious
problem on Malaysian roads, the safety of its staff is of

TWO WHEELS prime concern to PROTON.

This motivated a number of individuals from the
company to conduct riding clinics and the next thing you

WITH know, nine years down the road, the PROTON

Motorcycle Defensive Riding Team has successfully
organised more than 190 training sessions for both

PROTON internal and external groups.

From roping in trainers such as world motorcycle
grand prix legend Kenny Roberts and Japanese 250cc
motocross champion K. Iwao, to enlisting the help and
experience of former Malaysian motorcycle champion Oh
Kah Beng, the team is today a leading authority when it
comes to safety riding. They've even had the honour of
training outriders and officers from the Malaysian Traffic
Police. "Initially it was pretty difficult convincing people
out there that we were conducting riding clinics,
especially when they try to associate this to PROTON
which is a car manufacturer," said the team's Chief
Instructor Mohd Rawi Omar who is also PROTON's Safety
and Health officer.

92 | GUTS
Full support from the boss... PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel
Tengku Ariff (with tie) with members of PROTON’s Motorcycle Defensive Riding Team.

The team, formed in 1997, today comprises 10

instructors and six trainee instructors, all of whom are
PROTON staff.
A total of 4,700 PROTON employees have already
gone through the course and the team has trained
everyone from Government employees, personnel from
numerous other companies, to school children and single
mothers. They also conduct exhibitions and
demonstrations on a regular basis.
"The level of safety awareness when it comes to
riding in Malaysia is still lacking if you compare us to
countries such as Europe and the United States. It's often
taken for granted and you can clearly see how dangerous
this is judging by the annual road accident statistics,"
said Rawi. "Our role in the beginning was to inculcate
good and safe riding habits among staff and assessment
shows we've accomplished this to a great extent. That
encouraged us to extend our services to parties outside
PROTON and it is a great honour for Malaysia's leading
car company to play a leading and active role in road
safety."

Back to the basics of riding... An instructor

GUTS | 93
 MOTORSPORTS

Australian David Russell has posted another giant

GIANTKILLING GTI killing performance in round five of the Australian

Production Car Championship at Sydney’s Eastern
Creek, taking top points for the round behind the
wheel of a Satria GTi.
Russell powered his 1.8 litre hot hatch to a closely
fought second place in race one, and scored an
outright victory in race two to amass most points in
the round.
The win gave Russell his third consecutive outright
victory, beating many more expensive and highly
powered cars in the process, including the V8
Holdens, XR6 Turbo Falcons, turbo-charged Subarus,
Corolla Sportivos and Honda Integra Type Rs.
Russell is currently fourth in the overall
championship standings, just one point behind the
third place runner with two more rounds remaining
in the series. He also leads the pack in Class D.
“Eastern Creek is both a power and handling
circuit so the combination of the Satria GTi’s superb
handling and the free revving twin cam 16-valve
engine proved the perfect package again,” said
Russell.
“The car was superb and we were able to
outhandle the opposition and hold them at bay in
both races…it was tremendous. It underlines just how
good the Satria GTi is in difficult conditions and what
a great package it is as a hot hatch.”

94 | GUTS
 MOTORSPORTS

PROTON’S KARAMJIT SINGH ON

Karamjit Singh’s Asia Pacific Rally Championship

campaign jumped back on track after an important
victory in the Hella Battery Town Rally of Rotorua in
New Zealand.
The win puts him within a point of current
championship leader Armin Kremer and places him
back in contention for the title he has won on five
previous occasions.
The PROTON World Rally Team driver won by a
comfortable one minute 50-second margin ahead of
Kremer, with local driver Mark Tapper finishing third.
Driving a four-wheel drive turbo-charged Proton
PERT, Karamjit had started the rally losing 28 seconds
to Mitsubishi’s Kremer after going off the road in the
frosty and slippery conditions of Rotorua’s Waiotapu Overall Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
region, but fought back valiantly to regain the lead. (Standings after three rounds)
“I am very, very happy. We lost a lot of time on that
first stage clearing the road for the rest,’’ said a 1. Armin Kremer 33
delighted Karamjit. “It was very important for us to win 2. Karamjit Singh 32
here in keeping our championship hopes alive.” 3. Katsuhiko Taguchi 20
The early stages of the rally were dominated by 4. Geoff Argyle 18
local drivers, but Karamjit powered into the lead in the 5. Chris Atkinson 16
Production Class field and later gained the outright 6. Nico Caldarola 6
lead with top New Zealand Group A driver Andrew Brian Green 6
Hawkeswood retiring two stages from the finish.

GUTS | 95
 MOTORSPORTS

CLOSE QUARTERS RACING IN

KUMHO TYRES LOTUS TROPHY

Neck to neck racing, at times less than a second Tengku Djan took the lead as Moffat and French
separating the top five to 10 drivers, makes the PROTON- returned to the field well down the order. But time at
sponsored Kumho Tyres Lotus Trophy one of the most the head of the chasing pack was short lived when only
dramatic and close quarter racing experiences currently two laps later Tengku Djan also came to grief in the now
being staged on Australian circuits. infamous turn one, ending his race with damage to the
In round four of the championship recently, right rear of the car.
Frenchman Damien French upstaged favourites James "It was a disappointing finish for me after I had been
Moffat and Malaysian Tengku Djan Ley to take top so strong up until that point," said a disappointed
honours. The victory also promotes French to the overall Tengku Djan who has quickly established himself as a
point standings with 21 points, ahead of Moffat and championship contender.
Tengku Djan. His misfortune promoted newcomer Colin Harper into
In race one, French was quick off the line with Moffat the lead who eventually crossed the chequered flag
going on the attack from the first corner in second ahead of Lucio Cesario. French was able to recover from
position and Tengku Djan settling into third place, his altercation with Moffat and storm back through the
waiting to pounce on any mistakes from the front two. field, setting the quickest lap of the round on his way to
It didn't take long for Tengku Djan to exploit his third position in the race and the championship lead.
opportunity when an ambitious overtaking move by In the reverse grid race held earlier in the day, Tengku
Moffat on French going into the first turn on lap three Djan led from start to finish to take the race six seconds
resulted in contact between the leaders and sent both clear of French, with Moffat crossing the line in a well
cars spearing into the water logged infield. driven third position.

PROTON SIGNS ON AS SPONSOR OF AUSTRALIAN LOTUS RACE

Proton Cars Australia has signed on as a major sponsor in the Kumho Tyres Lotus Trophy for the remainder of season
2005.
The sponsorship involves underwriting the cost of television coverage and marketing of the popular one-make sports
car championship.
“The Lotus Trophy is an enormous opportunity to build the profile of Lotus in this country which is important for
PROTON given the massive new model roll out on which we are about to embark,” said Proton Cars Australia’s Managing
Director John Startari.
“Lotus engineering and design input is an integral part of PROTON’s new cars, but to maximise that benefit in the
Australian market we have to first lift the profile of Lotus. The Lotus Trophy has produced some of the best and closest
racing we’ve seen in a long time. The series fits our philosophy of building cars that are engineered to exhilarate.”
The championship sees competitors drive identical Lotus Elise sports cars that feature a high revving 1.8-litre twin cam

96 | GUTS
 PERSONALITY

ALAYSIA'S
GUTSIEST
CELEBRITY
If she were ever to act in an action-packed movie, it’s
very unlikely that Malaysian celebrity, television
compere and up-and-coming actress Maznah Zulkifli
would leave the stunts to her double.
You see, she's not the type who's afraid of
breaking a nail. On the contrary, this young lady
admits to being somewhat of an adrenaline junkie.
From some of the world's scariest roller-coaster
rides, bungee jumping, white water rafting and
scuba diving to riding superbikes, jet skis and racing
cars and go-karts, she's pretty much exhausted the
list of extreme sports.
She also happens to be the first woman in Asia
licenced to fly a motorised paraglider and the first to
compete in the annual Merdeka Millennium
Endurance Race. In 2002, Maznah also became the
first to receive the Malaysian Youth Ambassador
Award.
GUTS' Harris Iskandar Taib spends an afternoon
with Maznah, who is perhaps Malaysia's gutsiest
celebrity.

The feminine side...

Celebrity , television compere and actress.

98 | GUTS
Q: Where did all of this come from?
A: You can say it all started after school sometime in
1991, and the fact that I grew up with five brothers.
They nicknamed me "Mazlan". I don't know, I really
can't put my finger on where I get the urge for speed
and excitement?

Q: Tell us a bit about your love for riding superbikes?

A: I started riding in 1991.It's been 13 years now. My
fastest recorded speed was riding my Yamaha R1
superbike at 285km/h. I've fallen off the bike on three
occasions and nearly lost my life once when I landed
just inches from a moving trailer on the opposite side
of the road. I still ride today but not as frequently,
due to other commitments.

From four-wheel driving to motorised

paragliding she’s done it all.

GUTS | 99
 PERSONALITY

Q: In Malaysia, it's not common to see women on

superbikes. You must have had your fair share of
critics.
A: When I started riding, many of them, especially the
ladies, asked me - why do it? Some even labelled me
a tomboy! I suppose I did it for the experience, and
the fact that it was unique gave me plenty of
satisfaction. The larger picture of course, is to prove
that women too can survive and excel in all the
things in a man's world. It's not so much trying to
intimidate men but more towards challenging my
own capabilities as a woman. But - the fact that I ride
motorcycles doesn't excuse me from traditional
chores for women like cooking, gardening or sewing
curtains for the family home every festive season!

100 | GUTS
Q: You're said to be quite a natural when it comes to
racing cars and you have competed in several events
haven't you?
A: I've taken part in all except one edition of the
Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race since it started
in 1999. In its opening year, I was the only woman
amongst the field of 159 drivers and finished 34th
from 80 cars. In 2003, I finally had my dream come
true by entering an all women team in the race. Last
year, I won the KL Precision Driving Challenge behind
the wheel of a Lotus Elise, something that even I
found hard to believe because I was more nervous
than usual, considering I only had five minutes to
familiarise myself with the car. I don’t know what it is
exactly, but some people tell me I'm smooth in terms
of changing gear.

Q: You're either obsessed or blessed with speed?

A: Yes, I love speed. It's not just with cars and motorcycles
but also with my work. I just can't afford to waste
time. My watch is my best friend.

Q: What is your idea of the perfect car?

A: I don’t know what would be perfect, but I certainly
love the Lamborghini Murcielago. I suppose if I have
to set criteria, it must be a car that is comfortable,
preferably one that has nice hugging bucket seats,
superb handling and a good sound system. Yes, there
has to be good music in the car because music plays
an important role in my life. I kind of wish I could
have music playing in the racing car. Of course, the
car has got to be sporty, sleek, solid, compact and Q: You've driven the PROTON GEN.2. What are your
light. comments?
A: I'm very patriotic and it makes me proud that we
Malaysians have been able to produce a car like the
GEN.2. It's really cool! Can't wait to see what else
PROTON will be coming out with soon.

Q: Who would be the perfect driving companion?

A: The late Aryton Senna because I would want to learn
everything I can on how to become a better driver. I
have a habit of watching people drive and trying to
pick up tips that will help me improve my driving
skills. And in my book, Senna was the greatest driver
of all time.

Q: Who would you not want in the car?

A: Someone who could die from a heart attack!

Q: Is there anything else you've not done?

A: I would like to get my commercial pilot's licence. I

GUTS | 101
 CRUISING AROUND

OURNEYING INTO
THE HEART OF
LAKE KENYIR
In trying to select a location to be
featured in the magazine's Cruising
Around section, the GUTS editorial
team decided to turn to one of
Malaysia’s famous eco-tourism
attractions, Lake Kenyir.

Instead of going for the sandy beaches, we decided to be

different. We wanted to reveal the other side of
Malaysia's eco-tourism attraction.
We had with us two of PROTON's newly launched
GEN.2 models for the journey, and when it came to
deciding on what would combine both spectacular roads
and views, we collectively agreed to head to the east
coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Our destination was the serene and beautiful Lake
Kenyir, located in the state of Terengganu that shares its
Western border with Kelantan and its southern border
with Pahang. Known as Tasik Kenyir to the locals, the
lake serves as one of the gateways, and the shortest
route to the National Park from its main jetty, known as
Gawi Jetty (Pengkalan Gawi).

102 | GUTS
 Spanning over 260,000 hectares, with 38,000 hectares
covered by water, Lake Kenyir is the largest man-made lake
in South East Asia. It is the result of the construction of the
Sultan Mahmud Hydro-Electric Plant, which was completed
in 1985. As the rivers flooded to create the reservoir, it also
gave birth to 340 islands that were previously hilltops and
highlands.
Getting there in itself was indeed an incredible journey,
and the eight-hour drive beginning from the Karak Highway
had us and the GEN.2 conquering a series of winding roads
full of sharp corners, steep climbs and exhilarating descents
at which the car proudly excelled.
The surrounding beauty of Lake Kenyir is simply
mesmerizing; it is difficult to believe that this vast green lake
is actually a result of human tampering with Mother Nature.
The bluish scenery of mountains enclosing the area, the
shady trees of the rain forest, the sound of birds and the
sight of butterflies flickering around will definitely cast out
the evil spells of city life stress in you. If you look closely, you
will easily spot squirrels jumping from tree to tree, as though
trying to amuse you with cute and cheeky acts. Surprisingly,
we didn’t catch sight of any monkeys, which actually pleased
us, as they can be quite naughty at times.
Wanting to experience a luxurious rainforest holiday, we
decided to stay at Kenyir Lakeview Resort, the only resort
offering city creature comforts and luxurious facilities, and
which happens to also be the only establishment easily
accessible via road.

GUTS | 103
 CRUISING AROUND

To get to the other six resorts at Lake Kenyir, you have to take a boat from the Gawi Jetty.
These resorts are budget-oriented accommodations suitable for backpackers and budget tourists.
Gawi Jetty also provides car parks for tourists to park their cars before heading off to the island.
Kenyir Lakeview Resorts offers chalets ranging from RM315 to RM946 per night. However, do
check out its website as it offers promotional rates from time to time. It also has an ultra luxurious
two-storey, two- bedroom chalet called the Perdana Suite that comes complete with its own
private jetty and barbecue area. Famous personalities that have stayed in this suite include His
Royal Highness the Sultan of Terengganu, and former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad.
In addition to excellent accommodation, the resort is also equipped with a conference room,
banquet hall, lobby lounge, private karaoke rooms, two-tier swimming pool and gymnasium.
Water sports, outdoor activities and even traditional massage can be easily arranged at the sports
and recreational centre.
There is good reason for Lake Kenyir to be fondly known as an Angler’s Haven. It has an
abundance of aquatic life. Research discovered 300 or more species of freshwater fish living in the
heart of this lake. A few famous catches are the Green Arowana (Kelisa), Malaysian Mahseer
(Kelah), River Catfish (Tapah) and the favorite of all anglers the Snakehead (Toman).
Snakeheads have been known to grow more than one metre in length with an average
weight of 10kg, while the River Catfish can easily weigh up to 20kg! So if you are thinking about
fishing here, do bring big fishing rods because you never know what will grab your bait.

104 | GUTS
 For this, you have the nutrients provided by the submerged
trees (which you can easily identify by the protruding branches
from the lake surface) to thank. The algae that grows on the
immersed tree skin is the favorite food of fish here. There are a
few good spots highly recommended for anglers, such as
Cacing, Petang, Leban, Petuang, Saok and Sg. Terengganu.
If fishing from the jetty is not challenging enough for you,
hire a fishing boat for only RM400 overnight, and roam around
the lake to pick your favorite spot. The boat can comfortably fit
10 people at a time. Be sure to get a permit if you are thinking
of entering the National Park area. The permit is easily obtained
from the Wildlife Department Office at Kuala Berang or at
Tanjung Mentong, the entry point to the National Park from
Tasik Kenyir. Personnel at the Gawi Jetty or at the Tourist
Information Centre will gladly assist you.
While you're there, a visit to the Sultan Mahmud Hydro Dam
is a must as it is the reason behind the lake’s existence. The boat
ride took us about 40 minutes from the Kenyir Lakeview Resort
jetty. The water in the lake is very calm and provides a
comfortable ride for everybody.
The hydro dam was officiated on July 1987 by His Royal
Highness Sultan of Terengganu, and the project took six years
to complete. Today, it supplies 400 megawatts of electricity to
Peninsular Malaysia and even to Singapore. You can learn more
by visiting the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Kenyir
Information Centre located at the top of the dam.
 CRUISING AROUND

Another attraction of Lake Kenyir is

its waterfalls. There are 14 waterfalls,
with some of the best known tourist
attractions being the Saok, Tembat and
Pertang Waterfalls.
Our favourite was the Lasir
Waterfalls that is some 500 feet above
the lake. The water gushing down its
multi-tier boulders of rock forms crystal
white sprays before reaching the lake.
There are also ample areas for visitors
to enjoy the cold, refreshing water
while having a picnic under the huts or
shady trees around the area. Do
observe the signboards that warn you
from taking a dip in dangerous areas,
as the rapids are quite fast and
whirling.
Lake Kenyir also offers magnificent
sights of limestone caves, at Taat and
Bewah. For more adventurous outdoor
activities, you can climb Mount
Chergau, the highest peak at Lake
Kenyir or scale up Mount Gagau the
second highest peak at the National
Park with an elevation of 4,514 feet
above sea level.
Jungle trekking, camping and water
sport activities such as Jet-skiing,
kayaking, canoeing, boating, rafting
and even shooting the rapids are also
available. All activities and trips can be
easily arranged with the resorts or
through the operators based at the
Gawi Jetty. Nature lovers, however, will
need no distractions during their stay
at Lake Kenyir.
As we packed our bags getting
ready to head back to the city on the
third and final day of our journey,
there was a unanimous feeling that we
had not seen enough of Lake Kenyir.
Three days was too short a time to
spend in a place that offers so many
activities and interesting sights. We will
certainly be back.

106 | GUTS
* By Road
From KL --> Karak Highway --> Jerangau-Jabor Highway --> Ajil --> Kenyir Or
From KL --> Kuantan --> Kemaman --> Dungun --> Kuala Terengganu --> Kenyir

* By Air
Fare Duration
From KLIA to Kuala Terengganu RM338 (Economy)
RM472 (Business)
(Return tickets)
* MAS
http://www.malaysiaairlines.com 45 min

* Air Asia
http://www.airasia.com
*Excluding tax & depart fee RM89.99 - RM129.99

* By Bus
o From Hentian Putra, Kuala Lumpur to Tasik Kenyir RM 28.70

Contact no:
Nikaniaga Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd : +609-822 2176;

* Boat Rides
Destination Fare Duration
Pulau Poh Tour with visit to fish farm RM 50 30 min
Saok Waterfall RM 80 2 hrs
Tembat Waterfall / Musang Kenyir Resort RM 250 4 hrs
Petuang Waterfalls RM 250 4 hrs
Lasir Waterfall RM 200 4 hrs
Petang Waterfall RM 250 4 hrs
Non-stop lake tour, passing by Saok Waterfalls,
JPM chalet & fish farm RM 150 1 hr
Pulau Sah RM 80 30 min
Sultan Mahmud Hydro Dam RM 200 4hrs
Lasir Waterfall with visit to Hydro Dam RM 260 4hrs
Bewah Cave / Taat Cave / Tanjung Mentong RM 400 1 day

* USEFUL LINKS & CONTACT

Kenyir Lakeview Resort Website
Tel. No: +603- 2052 7767 / +609 -
http://www.lakekenyir.com

Tasik Kenyir Tourist Information Centre

Tel. No: +609- 626 7788
http://www.ketengah.gov.my/kenyir/_home.htm

GUTS | 107
 EXECUTIVE MOVES

Mistake: Incomplete signoffs are about as useful as

messages on answering machines without
the caller’s identity or contact number –
you can’t expect a good response like the
“Yes! Yes! I want to set up a meeting to one above or one at all.
discuss what you outlined in your email Netiquette: Include details of sender i.e. name,
message, however, I don’t have your position, company, address and telephone
digits at the end of an email. If you care
phone number! Get back to me
enough to correspond in the first place,
immediately or we’ll have to call the make a point of including all your relevant
whole thing off!” contacts at the conclusion of your
If ever there was a message that message.
wasn’t supposed to linger unanswered in
Mistake: Being too casual leads to overlooking
your electronic mailbox, that’s the one.
grammar and spelling. The core of a
Enter the email. It is a handy tool used message itself could be misunderstood
daily to clinch deals, even renew business with over-familiar tones that leave an
standing among other things. In fact it’s open interpretation.
so easy almost anyone would rely on it as Netiquette: Stick to formalities by treating emails as
formal letters with appropriate addressee
a speedy, paperless and effective means
titles, punctuations to emphasise points
of connecting with others. Yet, trickier and emoticons to show sentiment where
than face-to-face interaction, it is often necessary.
exploited and misused.
Here are some common mistakes and Mistake: “None” Subject Headings are annoying, if
not trite. An important or urgent message
email courtesies (netiquette) that you
won’t stand out and unlikely to get the

108 | GUTS
 attention it needs. Netiquette: Short quote material by including original
Netiquette: State reference(s) clearly to show intent, text or important parts at the bottom of
highlight a request or give a general idea the message. Regulate recipient lists by
as per the contents of the email. controlling the number of email addresses,
Mistake: Lengthy postings and replies only create usually a maximum of 10, in the “To” and
confusion besides taking up space. Don’t “CC” (Carbon Copy) fields. If the message
answer questions or paragraphs the lazy is intended for many viewers, insert the
way by typing a new line under original rest into “BCC” (Block Carbon Copy) field.
text. Mistake: Heavy attachments are difficult to open,
Netiquette: Be concise and relevant with consistent taking a longer time to load. Sometimes
sentences, getting to the point or bottom- too many at one go may spread hidden
line without being abrupt. Refrain from electronic viruses.
using abbreviations or short cuts like SMS Netiquette: Always resize, reformat and compress
lingo. documents by converting with the right
extensions, performing virus checks so that
Mistake: Mass forwarding and insertions overload files become user-friendly, safe and easy to
Inboxes, prompting readers to trash open or save. Mailing systems provide
instead of scrolling through contents. NO
reader needs to know the entire list of
one’s contacts either.

Quick Tips
Whenever you’re online, remember to act and
react as you would seeing someone in person
than from behind a screen. Other basic rules to
bear in mind:

• Acknowledge all incoming mail by filtering,

filing and not forgetting to reply!
• Never forward SPAM or open any unsolicited
mail that may contain viruses.
• Include important information at the
beginning or provide a brief summary.
• Proofread every word and line before hitting
“send”.
• Treat all emails with utmost confidentiality,

GUTS | 109