It all started in 2005 when I created the Carburetor Forum for enthusiasts of the 4G1-series engine, with 1,300 and 1,500 cc engine car owners consisting of mainly Malaysian-made cars which are highly affordable, have durable engines and an abundance of spare parts.

Proton Iswara 1.5- powered by Mitsubishi’s durable 1,468cc 4G15 SOHC.

Before 2005, I’ve gone through several Sagas, Iswaras and Satrias and I have meddled extensively with the engine internals. It went to an extent that in one particular year I had to change more than three engines! For more than 10 years, the 4G1-series single cam engine has been in my bloodline. I once converted to the Mitsubishi 4G9-series engine but it wasn’t meant to be. Due to certain family commitments, I had to revert back to a year 1999 Wira 1.5(A).

However, this was by no means a downgrade. I have been successfully campaigning this car in GRA ( Grassroots Racing Autosports) competitions since year 2006 and at one time was placed as high as second against a field of competitors with cars that were much more highly regarded, much to my competitors’ embarassment. I have also been active in many motorsports events over the years.

Fred in action at GRA.

The 4G1 Series forum was started by me to give all members a chance to understand this underrated but wonderfully versatile engine which can dish out a minimum of 99 hp with the right modifications that are both affordable and compliant with the strict regulations of our road transport department. With the help of all other car modders in our forum, we provide a sense of belonging to 4G1-series owners since this humble single cam engine has been already replaced by Campro engines.

Currently, we have 150 active members nationwide including some from East Malaysia. Our members are involved in the whole range of modifications that are available for the 4G1-series, from performance carburettor, naturally aspirated and force induction. Our community organizes regular meet-ups and outings of various kinds to keep each other engaged in our passion.

We welcome the participation of more owners of the 4G1-series engine in its various incarnations to join our small but vibrant community.

Fred Foong
4G1 Series Forum

Editorial Note:

Before switching to the Waja, my previous ride was a 2002 Iswara 1.5 auto, shown in the picture above. I went to that car after three years driving a Wira 1.6 XLi(A), and let’s just say that the transition wasn’t very pleasant. For a start, I hated the archaic 3-speed automatic transmission, which meant that I had a car which clocks the same kind of FC in urban and highway driving.

However, as time went on, my feelings for the car began to warm. It might not be particularly fast, but it was a willing workhorse. The engine was a smooth revver, and archaic as it might be, that auto gearbox can take tons of abuse without showing any signs of breaking down. Best thing I liked about that car was its maneuverability. There are times, when I attempt to squeeze through tight spaces in my Lotus-tuned Waja, I think back to the humble Iswara which would have wiggled through the gap quite easily. – KON

It would seem that Proton is set to give the Persona a facelift next year. Our long time forummer, drexchan, posted a set of pictures of disguised prototypes in the WISE Auto Club forums.

New rear lamp cluster. LED tail-lights.

No visible change in the interior, but all-new side mirror comes with integrated blinkers.

No signs of CPS powerplant. Campro IAFM to soldier on.

Front bumper seems to be from Gen.2 facelift. Rim design is new, but size is unchanged.

KON

Proton has added new variants to the model range of the Saga and Exora respectively, with the introduction of the SE model for the Saga and the option of manual transmission for the Exora MPV. Both models were unveiled last week at FELDA Maokil in conjunction with the Hari Peneroka 2009 celebration in Proton’s first ever product soft launch held outside Kuala Lumpur.

The Saga SE, said to be a premium and sporty variant of Proton’s entry level model, is available in two colours Brilliant Red and Solid White. To distinguish it from the other Sagas, the SE comes with a full bodykit consisting of skirtings all round, rear spoiler and even a black-painted rear diffuser. The roof top is finished in black, as is a portion of the front bumper, to give the front-grille a massive one-piece look Audi-style – a minor modification already done by several existing Saga owners.

Proton Saga SE

Inside, the Saga SE gets full leather finish on the seats, door trim and steering wheel. You still get only two power windows, but the dashboard is now accentuated with dark chrome finished air-con vents. Speed and engine revs, meanwhile, are now presented in pearl white dials, and the CD player now comes also with MP3 capability. Getting all these extra goodies in your Saga SE sets you back by RM43k for the manual version and RM45.5k for the auto (both prices estimated).

Saga SE Solid White

Since its launch, the Exora has received reasonably good reviews from the local press, who noted the new model’s improved quality, above average ride & handling and also its generous kit count. What’s also universally agreed is that the Campro CPS engine, despite being a strong performer on the Waja, Gen.2 and Neo, is helplessly overwhelmed by the Exora’s 1,400kg+ kerb weight.

Word going around our forums is that Proton is developing a turbocharged version of the Campro to be fitted into the Exora sometime soon. However, until that arrives, buyers will have to consider the new manual version of the Exora if they want more power for the MPV. Available only in M-Line trim, the manual Exora retails at RM64,548 (with insurance) for solid paint with an additional RM450 charged for metallic paint.

Exora manual available only in M-Line trim.

Proton’s MD, Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed MohamedTahir said, “Both the new models unveiled today are now officially open for booking, with RM500 for the Saga SE and RM1,000 for the Exora MT. The two models will only however be available for sale at all Proton Edar and EON showrooms on 15 August onwards for the Saga SE and on 16 July onwards for the Exora MT.”

KON

Proton’s first MPV is all that you would expect of a people carrier and more

It is one of the most anticipated car launch of the ye with spyshots leaking at a steady stream onto the internet for the last six months and speculation was rife that the MPV would be based on a  Mitsubishi, it would look like a Toyota Wish and may have a nice two-litre engine under the bonnet.

Well, in the end, the MPV you see here is the work of Malaysians, fromthe brand new modular platform to the styling to the detailing. Even the engine is pure Proton. It runs on the Campro CPS.

Clean lines, neat detailing, honest engineering and fantastic value for money

The Exorawas designed by Malaysians to suit the needs of Malaysians while keeping oneeye on the international market. by that Proton means that they have designed the Exora to fulfill all the wants of a Malaysian MPV buyers while accommodating the technical and safety standards of the export market.

The evening started with solo violin session. The most telling feture of the session was tpopulist choice of songs, from Getaran Jiwa to a few favourites you woudl remember from Hollywood Westerns.

Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the Exora and commended Proton for their effort.

Then CEO, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir gave an extensive overview of thExora and how the company arrived at thefinal product.

After the tech presentation, Proton PR exec, Badri Ibrahim belted a song that was written specially for the occasion. Boy can he sing

Afterwards the people behind the Exora took the stage much to the appreciation of the guests. It’s good to see the public appreciating those behind the scene.

Then the winner of the name the MPV contest got her keys

OF course all the VIP, including Tun Mahathir went on stage to look at the Exora. Tun Mahathir was the only person who received applause when his name was mentioned. He is the father of Proton after all.

At the end of the evening, all the guests milled in the lobby of the KL Convention centre adn looked over the Exora closely. Most were enthusiastic about the vehicle.

I think many Malaysians will fidn the Exora perfectly suited to their needs.

Since there is a embargo on full details of Proton’s first MPV.

I will just post these rollover test pictures

Just to show that Proton did go to great lengths to make sure that the Exora is up to scratch but like they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

So tune in for more later

the launch event would start at 7:45pm

I want to ask readers of this blog and also those in power this question: Why do we want to promote electric car technology?

Is it because we are Star Wars/Star trek fans and like the electric sounding buzz from their transport pods?

Is it because we think electric cars are cool?

Or maybe because we think electric cars will save the planet?

Perhaps because we are jsut caught up in the future-tech hype but do not really know why electric cars are important?

It’s great that Proton has the foresight to partner with Detroit Electric for the production of noiseless cars but that joint-venture will die a slow death if the country is unclear why electric-drive technology is important, why it MAY be one of the solution for the future of transportation.

The truth is we do not really know which way things will move in the future. What most scientists agree is that fossil fuel is a finite resource so we will ahve to find an alternative energy source.

The most abundant element in nature is Hydrogen, it fuels the universe. The sun runs on hydrogen and so do all the stars.

So scientists are saying the the future is hydrogen.

So how are we going to power our world on this light and highly flammable gas?

Well, one could burn it inside a normal internal combustion engine like petrol. Companies like BMW are hedging their future with this option.

You can also run the gas through a series of special membranes in a fuel cell and generate electricity to drive motors for a car. Mercedes-Benz and GM are looking at this possibility with Ballard Technologies.

In the second option, the primary drive of the car is electric and the motor can be supplied with current in many different ways – fuel cells, batteries, wireless transmission, or maybe we will see a future where our roads are magnetised to interact as linear induction motors with vehicles running over it.

The future is far from clear so ti is just as well that we start understanding the eelctric drive technology a little better because it is one of the major possibility junction for the future.

In the meantime we, as a country needs and energy policy and by that we need a set of goals and a roadmap on how to get there.

We need the Government to work out the national energy needs for the next 10, 20, 50 or even 100 years and once we figure out how much we need, then the experts need to agree where the energy is going to come from.

Finally we need a roadmap onhow to achieve those goals.

Many countries are now looking at a long range goal that is totally free of fossil fuel. In the medium term many developed economies want to achieve significant reduction in their fossil fuel reliance.

Since we all know that oil is going to run dry one day, it is every Government’s responsibility to predict when it is going to happen and how we are going to prepare ourselves before things become critical.

We need to know now whether the country should focus on solar energy, wind power, wave power, hydroelectric, nuclear technology or maybe we want to just rely on magic.

At the same time we need to actively promote energy efficient technologies and sadly we do not see this happening in any serious or concerted effort outside of Northern Europe, Japan and California.

While we congratulate Proton, we must push our Government to formulate a national energy policy to make sure that we are not caught out.

UPDATE 1

The name kicked up a storm as those who took part in teh naming competition protested the decision, arguing that the name, is close to that of the flower Ixora. In fact Proton MD said so and drew parallels to the mini bouquet and how the Exora is about travelling in a large group.

Proceed to the bottom of the entry to see Proton’s explanation.

ORIGINAL POST

Too exotic? Just right?  You be the judge

The name Exora is a derived from Ixora, a flower that we commonly see in most bushes or shrubbery around the country.

Ixora is a genus from the family Rubiaceae and is a common tropical plant and is found the world over. The Malay name of this flower is Jarum Jarum and names in other languages include rangan, kheme, ponna, chann tanea, techi, pan,. Common English names are West Indian Jasmine, Jungle flame, Jungle geranium.

I know that I may get a lot of flak for saying this here but I worry that many people will have trouble pronouncing it properly, is it suppose to be ek-so-ra/ ek-so-ra/ ik-zo-ra/ek-zo-ra/ e-zo-ra/e-so-ra….

That said I suppose Proton would have clinicked the names to death before settling on this one so pronounciation may not be such an issue.

Proton picked the name form the naming competition and it was thought up by Norsholihan Bt Abdul Eanich. Come April she is going to be one happy camper who gets to drive off in the seven-seater Exora.

The Exora’s tagline is Keriangan Keluarga. The tagline is very appropriate in describing the spirit of the car.

Proton said that the MOV will be priced under RM80K and available in five colours, Genetic Silver, Tranquility Black, Blue Haze, Pyrite Brown and Gaia Blue.

The Exora will feature a maximum of two airbags and that’s about all that we know regarding the safety features.

Proton spent just a few bobs over RM450 million developing the Exora and it will be put together in Shah Alam plant which will churn out between 3,000 and 3,500 cars a month.

Those are initial production figures, if demand is strong they can ramp up the line to produce double those numbers.

Although other car companies are taking a cautious approach during these dark days of economic uncertainty, Proton decided to be a contrarian and hope their model will be the only interesting new product launched recently and will attract sales.

This strategy may yet pay off for the national carmaker if the credit line for car financing has not been yanked tight.

The various stimulus package which includes interest rate cuts may encourage people to spend rather than keep their money in a low-interest account.

Whatever itis, the Exora will open a new frontier for Proton and they will find themselves scrambling for market share in a highly competitive segment where the dominant players are Toyota and Nissan, giants who will not be shy to flex their muscle and protect their turf.

The sub RM80,000 pricing will put it above the Avanza and below the Grand Livina and the Kia Rondo, the most obvious alternative choice to Japanese MPVs at the moment.

With that pricing we can expect the Exora to pack at least comparable cabin space as the Grand Livina and Rondo but may not match them in terms of safety and other features.

The spyshots of the Exora indicates that the dimension are comparable to the Grand Livina and looks to be slightly smaller than Toyota’s ever popular Wish.

It will be interesting to see how the Lotus DNA will affect ride and handling. I certainly hope that Proton can continue with their tradition of offering very decent driving cars at affordable prices.

PROTON CLARIFIES THE NAME OF ITS NEW MPV

PROTON Holdings Bhd would like to thank the public for highlighting the
issues and understand the points raised by many of them.

In naming the new Proton MPV, EXORA, PROTON had subjected all the
entries to a vigorous selection process. EXORA was chosen because it was
not a name for any animal and vegetation although it had similar
pronunciation as the flower, IXORA. EXORA does not exist as a word.

In the selection process, PROTON had eliminated all entries which
referred to any animals and vegetation. For example, PROTON had received
a total of 139 entries which named IXORA and 39 entries for EXORA.
Because IXORA is a flower, we eliminated the entries from our final
selection.

The 39 people who had submitted the winning name had also chosen the
name for various other reasons. The winning entry was chosen because of
the tagline “Keriangan Keluarga” or family joy.

For PROTON, the name and tagline symbolizes the company’s effort to
offer the best vehicle which could offer family togetherness. We
understand that Malaysian families like to travel together and we want
to ensure that we can be part of this “joy”.

The MPV symbolizes PROTON’s efforts to incorporate many of the best
features available in a passenger vehicle. The features are designed to
meet the needs of typical Malaysian families. The MPV, which can carry
up to seven passengers represents unity and togetherness as well as
strong family ties and harmony that Malaysians value.

Big changes at Proton soon?

So I was told.

That’s all I can say.

Late last year there was talk that current MD, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir may be replaced, that story died down

Then Datuk Nadzmi Salleh was made Chairman, this old hand at Proton may have his own ideas… they say Old Proton boys don’t look at Perodua boys too kindly… hmm a bit of cross-town rivalry I guess

He was MD before, now Nadicorp’s boss Datuk Nadzmi Salleh is back a the national carmaker, Proton as Chairman.

I hope he can work well with Datuk Syed Zainal Aidin Tahir and take the company to a new level. Hopefully their recent deals in Iran and China will help the company weather teh bad economic storm and come out stronger.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

DATO’ MOHD NADZMI MOHD SALLEH APPOINTED AS PROTON GROUP CHAIRMAN

PROTON Holdings Bhd is pleased to announce the appointment of Dato’ Nadzmi Mohd Salleh as the new Chairman for the company effective from 1
January 2009.

Dato’ Nadzmi will replace the outgoing chairman Dato’ Mohd Azlan Hashim who has been in PROTON since December 2004. Dato’ Azlan, 51 was
appointed PROTON Director on 17 December 2004 and assumed the position of Chairman on 7 February 2005.

Dato’ Nadzmi, 54 is currently the executive chairman of Nadicorp Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Dato’ Nadzmi graduated with Master of Arts in Economics and Statistics from Miami University, Florida as well as Bachelor Degree in Arts in
Economics and Bachelor Degree in Science in Chemistry and Mathematics from Ohio University.

He is no stranger to PROTON, having served as Managing Director of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd from 1993 to 1996 and was Deputy
Managing Director of the company from 2 November 1992. He has also held various senior positions in Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd, including as
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Dato’ Nadzmi is a director of several companies including Ranhill Utilities Bhd, JT International Bhd, VS Industry Bhd, Kumpulan Kenderaan
Malaysian Bhd, Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan. He was also appointed as Director and Deputy Chairman of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd with effect from
22 September 2005.

Dato’ Nazdmi is currently the President of The Badminton Association of Malaysia.

At the PROTON Board of Directors meeting held earlier today, Dato’ Azlan noted that he is pleased with how PROTON has progressed in the last four
years.

“Although there remains a lot to be done, PROTON today is undoubtedly on a better foundation to move forward and better compete with other
automotive companies.”

Dato’ Azlan further added that this progress has been made possible as a result of the strong support of the Government, the shareholders, the
wider automotive community (including component vendors and dealers), the Directors, Management and the entire staff of PROTON. He then went
on to thank all those who have made this possible and urged them to extend the same level of cooperation to Dato’ Nadzmi.

Company will install centre rear seat belt for free on 226,000 Saga and Gen.2, Road Safety Department is optimistic other safety features such as ABS and airbag will become standard feature in the near future

I certainly hope that the 226,000 or so owners of Proton cars that qualify for the free-retrofit programme will appreciate what the national car company is doing and will quickly take up the offer.

Road Safety Department Director General, Datuk Suret Singh says that the Government will enforce the rule on Jan 1, 2009 and expects to see between 80 and 90 per cent compliance as we welcome the new year.

Suret and Transport Ministry Deputy DG trying out rear seatbelts in a Proton Gen.2

He also explained that the department is looking to improve the lvel of safety on locally sold cars and the first step is to get all Proton and Perodua high-end models to come with twin airbags and anti-lock brakes.

“Proton and Perodua has agreed to this and we are optimistic that these features will trickle down to all cars sold,” he said.

Suret praised Proton for their free-retrofit programme and urged Malaysians to start wearing rear seatbelts as soon as possible.

When asked about how the enforcement agencies will view an unbelted fourth or fifth passenger at the rear, Suret said they will not issue a compound for fourth or subsequent rear passengers who are unbelted but said that they could be found guilty of breaking laws regarding maxiumum number of passengers.

“They may get a summon under those laws,” he said.

Personally I think that the rear seatelt law should be enforced strictly and if people want to pack their cars with more than five people there isn’t much that we can do because not everyone can afford to own or run two car.

FULL NEWS

National car company, Proton Berhad recently launched their free retrofitting of the rear third seatbelt in anticipation of the January 1 deadline for enforcement.

The programme covers 226,930 units of original Saga and Gen-2 models manufactured between 2004 and 2008.

These cars are fitted with only two rear seatbelts.

With the arrival of the new year, the Government will enforce the law requiring all passengers to buckle up.

Cars that are not sold with centre rear seat belts are given a three-year grace period to have them fitted.

According to Road Safety Department Director General, Datuk Suret Singh, the law requires that all three seatbelts be used if there are three rear passengers. If there are more than three passengers, they will not be fined as the number of seatbelts are limited to three.

“While we will not issue a summon for the fourth or fifth rear passenger that does not wear a seatbelt, they may actually run foul of another law that determines the maximum number of passengers that the vehicle can follow.

Suret is optimistic that the rate of compliance will quickly reach between 80 and 90 per cent, based on the result of surveys conducted by the department.

“Our target is to have 10 per cent compliance but from our study we know that the usage of front seatbelt has reached between 80 and 90 per cent and that is what we believe will happen with the rear seatbelt.

He praised Proton for their free retrofit programme, saying that it will contribute greatly towards reducing road accident deaths in the future.

Suret said Governmetn statitics show that 350 rear passengers  died last year as a result of not buckling up while 700 suffered serious injury and 2100 endured minor injuries in accidents.

Wearing rear seat belts would immediately reduce the numbers by 50 per cent and will have a dramatic impact on the number of deaths of front passengers impacted by unsecured rear passengers.

In the event of a 60km/h collision an unsecured rear passenger will hurl towards the frotn passengers with a force that is equivalent to fourty times their body weight.

With the enforcement deadline looming, Proton owners are encouraged to quickly make an appointment with the nearest Proton Service Centre so that they can have the centre belt fitted.

Asked if the department has a roadmap for making other safety features such as Anti-lock Brakes and Airbags mandatory on all cars sold in Malaysia, Suret said that they have reached and agreement with Proton and Perodua that all their top of their model range toppers should have twin airbags and anti-lock brakes.

“We are basically in agreement that these features should trickle down to more basic models in the future until all cars are sold with these important safety features,” he said.