My Proton Makeover – and now, a Satria GTI gets redone

Proton has announced the fourth My Proton Makeover programme recipient, and Salina Hisham’s Satria GTI is next up to bat in the rework run. The Science Officer from Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Bahru had submitted a photo-entry featuring two Satrias belonging to her and her husband, and the GTI was the one that ultimately received the nod from judges.

“I received the phone call from Proton in December informing me that the photo entry that I submitted for the makeover had won, but I was not really sure which car they were referring to, as the photo had both our cars in it,” an elated Salina said.

“I was a bit jealous when they said they were referring to my husband’s Satria GTi, but then again I felt it was the perfect gift for him considering the day we were informed of our windfall was our wedding anniversary,” she added.

Salina and her husband, Hafiz Mohd Hashim, a Quality Control Inspector based in Singapore, are both avid Satria fans, having met at a car club event. Salina, who drives a Satria Neo and is part of the Satria Neo Club, first met Hafiz, a member of the Satria GTi Club, on an inter-club Sunday-drive in December 2008.

Tengku Djan Ley, Proton Motorsports’ Head of Engineering of the R3 unit, said that his team had eagerly awaited the arrival of the Satria GTi when told about the winning entry. “Compared to the previous cars that we have made-over, this car is naturally sportier than the others,” he said.

The couple’s Satria GTi will be stripped down completely and given special treatment inside out. “From the first look, car has been well maintained and we can tell when an owner appreciates his car. As we start taking it apart, we will analyse its inner conditions to see what areas we need to work and improve on. We will also be focusing on making his machine run smoother. The Satria GTi has its history with Lotus, and we look forward to ensuring that it is tuned to that level of quality and performance,” Tengku Djan added.

“I had a short chat with Hafiz, and he is very knowledgeable about cars and the history of the Satria. He expressed an interest to see his car bearing more of the Lotus identity, particularly wearing the traditional Lotus Racing Green. It will definitely give it a unique look, as all Satria GTis were produced only in silver,” said Tengku Djan. He added that it will be interesting to see what other extras can be added on to the car.

“We’ll definitely work on the suspension to enhance the handling aspects. Depending on our resources, we’ll also be exploring other options, such as the possibility of upgrading the braking system, along with certain components that were designed specifically for the M24 platform, which the Satria is built on, to see if it’ll give the car a bit more muscle,” he added.

The My Proton Makeover initiative required submissions of personal and heartwarming stories involving contestants and their Proton cars, with the best five stories winning a complete car makeover.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Mon, 13 Feb 12 08:09:58 +0000.

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