We check out DSR's homage to the Proton Putra WRC at a mega gathering of Malaysia's two-door prince
CY Foong · Sep 16, 2023 12:00 PM
0
0
Rallying is regarded as the motorsport that produces legends out of mere mortals whether it’s in the drivers or their machines. Look at the likes of the Lancia Delta, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Subaru Impreza; they were just ordinary cars before they transformed into rally legends.
One of those regular cars that could’ve had a shot at becoming glorious is the Proton Putra. Malaysia’s first and only 2-door coupe was supposed to enter the World Rally Championship (WRC), rally’s premier level but a financial crisis and alleged interference from Mitsubishi which was Proton’s partner at the time saw the project cancelled.
However, the Putra WRC was initially thought to be a legendary myth as the project was announced in the 1990s. The internet was still in its infancy and whatever announcement of Proton’s WRC project was largely relegated to newsbites in magazines and newspapers.
Prior to Proton’s intention to enter the WRC, it was no stranger to rallying. Proton’s sales network at the time, EON and Petronas teamed up to form the Petronas-EON Rally Team (PERT) in the 1980s as a way to promote Malaysia’s first carmaker through motorsports.
The rally team would help promote a few local talents too, particularly Karamjit Singh and would continue into the 1990s and 2000s. However, PERT wanted to go beyond just competing in local and regional rally tournaments.
A Wira-badged rally car that was shown at the 1996 Langkawi International Motor Show
Around September 1997, local newspapers were reporting that EON was getting ready to discuss with Proton the possibility of competing in the WRC. It is not known at the time what was going on beyond that discussion but it was highly speculated that the Wira would be chosen, not the Putra since the former was sold by EON while the newer Putra was sold exclusively by USPD.
Eventually, nothing came out from Proton’s WRC plans and 1997 was also the year that saw Malaysia being hit by a financial crisis that was affecting Asia. The resulting poor ringgit saw the WRC plan scrapped but there was still some silver lining as Proton would win back-to-back Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) titles in 2001 and 2002.
The Putra WRC project remained a secret and it is believed that once it was cancelled, the only WRC prototype that was co-developed with Prodrive was also destroyed. However, it turns out that the Putra WRC was no myth and in fact, it is still being preserved by Proton Motorsports as part of its heritage collection.
Even without a motorsports heritage, the Putra received a cult following among Malaysians. When the Putra was launched on New Year’s Eve 1996, Proton targeted only 210 units monthly and by the end of the coupe’s production in 2004, it is estimated that less than 7,000 units were made making it one of Proton’s least-selling models.
Compared to other Proton car clubs, the gatherings organized by the Putra Owners Club usually see no more than 100 owners meeting up which makes it feel exclusive. After a 2-year hiatus, the 11th Putra Mega Gathering saw more than 70 owners from across Malaysia meet up at Batang Kali but this year, those in attendance were given an exciting sight.
The master restorers of various Proton models, Dream Street Restoration (DSR) is no stranger to WapCar readers and we even featured a Proton Putra that was restored by them. At this year’s gathering, they showed up with a one-of-a-kind Putra WRC that resembled the stillborn WRC project from 26 years ago.
Painted in red with DSR’s sponsors, this Putra WRC is no ordinary conversion as it was bought from Proton’s motorsports auction back in 2020. That meant it was rescued from the potential scrap heap.
This wasn’t the first time that DSR showed its Putra Rally Concept to the public as it debuted at the 2023 Art of Speed (AOS) in MAEPS Serdang back in July.
DSR founder Suriya Sankaran told WapCar that this unit is actually a mock-up by Proton that was used internally to show the higher-ups how the Putra WRC would look like. Mechanically, it is virtually the same as the regular Putra which has front-wheel drive (FWD) and is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre 4G93P (140 PS/164 Nm) engine.
The actual Putra WRC is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 304 PS and 400 Nm. Power is sent to all 4 wheels via a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The real deal is also a left-hand drive unit while DSR’s unit has the steering wheel on the right. Still, this Putra has a very low mileage with only 166 miles (267 km) recorded on its odometer. Judging by the speedometer, this could’ve been a UK-export model where the Putra is simply called the Proton Coupe.
Suriya said that the resulting Putra Rally Concept saw few modifications from the original. Changes made to the car included the roof which was replaced with one made up of a Kevlar-carbon fibre composite, the interior roll cage, Yokohama tyres, Advanti rims, Fawster suspensions, and Lokco mountings. But everything else like the widebody design, hood scoops, and the rear wing is kept from the prototype.
That said, this car is not road-legal and the team at DSR has never made any changes to the engine for now. Suriya sees plenty of heritage value in the Putra WRC prototype even if it is just a design study.
Aside from preserving it, Suriya intends to show the Malaysian public a forgotten side of the country’s automotive history as the original is kept under wraps by Proton Motorsports. This Putra WRC design study is among the many what-ifs that Proton has faced in its 40 years of existence and one that could potentially elevate the princely 2-door to motorsports infamy.
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
