Malaysia’s first carmaker was only a decade old when Proton unveiled the Proton Satria in 1994. It was the company’s first 3-door hatchback and was marketed to younger buyers who wanted the next best thing to a Civic EG hatchback but on a budget.

The Satria amassed a huge cult following that is still felt today. Naysayers might simply call it the 3-door Wira hatchback because of its similar looks to the heroic 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback/Aeroback. But when Proton launched the Satria GTi four years later in 1998, those same naysayers became believers of the brand.

The Proton Satria GTi is not Proton’s only hot hatch but it is the most iconic and being Malaysia’s first hot hatch is definitely a title that brings out strong nationalistic pride in every Malaysian. Remember the lyrics to Keranamu Malaysia that every 90s kid has to sing during Merdeka? I can bet you’re imagining the Satria GTi as one of those cars you think of while singing “Berkereta jenama negara”.

Also read: Top Rank: 12 rare and unique Proton Satria and Satria Neo models

Even after nearly two decades of absence in the market, there are still passionate local builders and restorers who would give the GTi a clean factory fresh makeover. One of those restorers is a team that needs no introduction as they have done some of the finest restorations on numerous Proton heritage models.

Also read: This supercharged Proton Satria Neo S2000 is a road-legal homage to a 10-year old concept

We have featured some of Dream Street Restoration’s (DSR) projects including a one-of-a-kind Proton Waja MME Edition and the Proton Wira 1.8 EXi (C99). But before we get to know their latest project involving this mint-fresh silver Satria GTi, let’s look back at how and why the Satria hot hatch existed in the first place.

Also read: This one-of-a-kind Proton Waja MME Edition is a teacher's homage to Proton's R3 division

Spirit of achievement

Proton shook the automotive world in October 1996 when it purchased Lotus Cars from the Artioli family which also owned Bugatti at the time. The other company also looking to get its hands on the British sports carmaker was South Korea’s Daewoo Motors which would eventually go bankrupt in 1999. Talk about dodging a bullet, right?

International eyes were on Proton but since the first ‘national’ carmaker only built rebadged Mitsubishi models at the time, many in the industry were wondering how could a sports carmaker like Lotus fit into all of this.

The answer was in the Proton Satria which was two years old at the time and was among the country’s best-sellers. In Proton’s eyes, the 3-door hatchback was the proper canvas to demonstrate to the world that a young automotive industry like Malaysia could build a performance car.

At the time, Proton was headed by the late Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad who took over the role as CEO after his company, Diversified Resources Berhad (DRB) bought a huge share in the carmaker. The man dubbed “Malaysia’s car czar” by the foreign press was also behind Proton’s decision to buy a controlling stake in Lotus.

Also read: EON and USPD - When Proton had separate dealer networks like Toyota in the 1990s

Being the visionary, Yahaya saw the acquisition of Lotus as a stepping stone to turn Proton into more than just a hometown hero. So, he assigned Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff who was Proton’s Vice President of Strategy and Operations at the time to head this new performance car project alongside the team from Lotus.

Unfortunately, Yahaya didn’t live to see his dream fulfilled as he was killed in a helicopter accident in 1997. Tengku Mahaleel took over as Proton’s CEO but continued working on the project with Lotus. In an interview with Paul Tan BM, Tengku Mahaleel said that the whole development of the Satria GTi was a secret that even Mitsubishi, who was Proton’s major partner, did not know.

Although based on the Mitsubishi Colt/Mirage and powered by a Mitsubishi-sourced engine in the form of the naturally-aspirated 1.8-litre DOHC 4G93P, the Satria GTi was largely a Lotus/Proton collaboration with Tengku Mahaleel working very closely with Lotus’ head of design, Julian Thompson.

Lotus’ engineers helped in enhancing the Satria GTi’s handling and ride which would be one of the highlights of the first Malaysian hot hatch. Although the Satria GTi wasn’t the first Proton to feature Lotus ride and handling – the first was the Proton Perdana V6 that was unveiled a year before the Satria GTi, the hot hatch laid the foundation for Proton’s excellence in taking the corners well.

Also read: The Mitsubishi Emeraude is the Proton Perdana’s long forgotten coupe twin

In that same interview, Tengku Mahaleel said that the development period for the Satria GTI was shorter compared to other models. It took 100,000-200,000 hours to complete the development of the hot hatch compared to around 1.3 million hours for a brand-new model, taking nearly 30% of the usual development time.

The result was a hot hatch that not only generated buzz among Malaysians but also the often cold British press which gave the Satria GTi glowing praise. Malaysian pride, it would seem, was at its peak with the country having the tallest twin towers in the world and a hot hatch that could run with some of the best in the world.

The Malaysian modern classic

That sense of pride still continues to this day as the Satria GTi is highly sought after among Malaysian car enthusiasts. Clean examples can go for around RM 25,000 but there are also many examples of GTi converts on sale in online classifieds so make sure that you’re looking at the real deal and not some imitation.

Also read: Used Proton Satria GTi, Malaysia's first hot hatch from RM 25k. Expensive to repair?

We already have a buying guide for that so let’s head back to the star of the show. This pristine 2000 Proton Satria GTI’s owner works in an oil and gas company that is based in Iraq. Because of that Middle Eastern connection, the team over at DSR dubbed this restoration project "The Flying Magic Carpet".

According to Suriya, the previous owner of this Satria GTi is a retiree from Taiping and throughout the 20 years under his ownership, the hot hatch has only amassed around 180,000 km in mileage. It wasn’t a garage queen as the owner had only driven around town and the car sustained a few dents and scratches.

Suriya and his team at DSR have worked wonders in restoring the Satria GTi to its near-showroom condition. It’s not surprising given that DSR is a specialist when it comes to 4G9X-powered Protons like the Proton Putra and Proton Wira “Goalpost” 1.8 EXi DOHC.

Also read: Driving the 1996 Proton Wira 1.8 EXi LE (C99) - Every bit a corner-carving legend, 25 years later

The Satria GTi is the current owner’s dream car and yes, sweet dreams can even come from something fairly attainable and simple. It doesn’t have to be extreme or unique but just looking at this mint Satria GTi is like a step back to 20 years ago when phones were bricks and the internet made noises when connecting.

In fact, this Satria GTi is also one of DSR’s earliest projects as it is number 006 and since the owner was overseas at the time, the project took around 2 years to complete. As the bodywork was mostly clean, the team fixed the dents and panels and repainted the iconic silver colour.

DSR even blueprinted the 4G93P engine so this Satria GTi not only looks good on the outside but it feels fresh from the factory! Blueprinting is more than just simply overhauling an engine as it requires a painstaking amount of time to rebuild it close if not better than when it was made in a factory.

Feels more than just brand-new

To put the driving experience of this Satria GTi in one word, it would be sublime. The engine delivers power smoothly even if it’s only a mere 140 PS/167 Nm and since it’s a newly rebuilt engine, you could slot the gear into third while going through a roundabout or uphill and the hot hatch would still power through.

We can’t forget to mention the Lotus input during our short drive in the Satria GTi and around the few S-bends near Bukit Persekutuan, we experienced sheer handling prowess. It’s a fun car to drive and all of us who took a spin around came out of the hot hatch with huge grins plastered all over our faces.

While the Satria GTi looks immaculate down to the badges, the iconic twin square tailpipes, and those fresh alloy wheels, DSR made a few adjustments to its sixth project. The suspension is 15 mm lower than the standard GTi to resemble the rare but equally iconic Satria R3 and the interior’s stock head unit is replaced with an Android player.

Also read: 2004 Proton Satria R3 1.8, Race Rally Research’s first-ever star

There were also additional soundproofing thanks to the numerous insulation material placed all over so in our driving experience with this Malaysian hot hatch, the cabin feels pretty quiet.

Yet, a lot of the GTI remained stock as it was 23 years ago. The Proton badge is still in its blue, gold, and green Thundercat glory, the Recaro Enjoy seats still feel as fresh as it was back at the turn of the millennium, and it still has the original spare key!

DSR added a few other embellishments on Project 006 including the carpets and the gauges which are designed to withstand higher temperatures and would last longer than the ones made by Proton back in the day.

As the Satria GTI’s fame and so-called mythology among Malaysian car enthusiasts continue to rise, so are prices and the desirability to own one. Proton made around 5,000 units of the Satria GTI between 1999 and 2006 and out of these, one is finally reaching its owner who has always dreamt about owning one ever since he saw one on the road. After years overseas, he will finally return home with his one long wish fulfilled.

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Special thanks to Suriya from Dream Street Restoration (DSR) for giving us the opportunity to share the story of this Satria GTi project.