Ahead of its return to the Sepang 1000KM endurance race this year, Proton released some footage of its S70 R3 race car brought to life, and had started to undergo tests. Now, the carmaker has released another video, this time featuring Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah explaining the S70 as the choice of entry.
This video also shows the S70 R3 undergoing its first shakedown session at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit earlier this month, and the sound of the car going along the start/finish straight indicates a naturally aspirated inline-four cylinder engine, which alludes to the 1.6 litre Campro S4PH engine.
Replacing the turbocharged three-cylinder unit in the roadgoing car, the 1.6L Campro S4PH has proven its mettle in past Proton R3 competition cars including the Satria Neo, Preve, Suprima S, Iriz and Saga, cars which have brought Proton to five Sepang 1000KM championships in 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In its later installations with the Iriz R3 and the Saga R3 which won the Sepang S1000KM in 2018 and 2019, the engine has become capable of producing up to 200 hp, and this is transmitted to the front driven wheels through a five-speed manual ‘dog box’.
The video by Proton also reveals that the S70 race car is markedly different from the liveried show car that was on display at the Malaysia Autoshow 2024. Its front lip is no longer the item as seen on the show car, now instead an item that is shaped more like those on the Iriz and Saga race cars. At the sides and the rear, the R3 race car’s bodywork appears less embellished, though the large rear wing continues to feature.
The S70 R3 also receives an uprated brake kit, while the front wheels appear to show that the front suspension has been given added negative camber. Inside, the race car gets a rollcage, racing bucket seats, Motec instrumentation, racing driver’s pedal box, competition fuel tank, among other equipment.
This also marks the first time that an R3 race car has been built from the basis of a Geely model, as the Proton S70 is after all closely related to the Geely Emgrand. That said, the motorsport pursuit was pitched by Proton R3 from the outset, as the carmaker’s motorsport division had proposed the development of a racing version of the Proton S70 during its development with Geely, said Roslan.
The Proton S70 R3 will enter this year’s edition of the Sepang 1000KM endurance race in the MTC category, and the race takes place at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit next month.
GALLERY: Proton S70 R3 Malaysian Touring Car show car
The post Proton S70 undergoes racetrack shakedown ahead of Sepang 1000KM endurance race next month appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
