Proton S70 R3 racer officially unveiled ahead of entry in the 2024 Sepang 1000KM on November 22-24

Proton has officially unveiled the S70 R3 that will be competing at this year’s Sepang 1000KM (S1K) endurance race set to take place on November 22-24. This comes after the carmaker first teased the race car in May, which was when followed by a development video shared on its social media channels earlier this month.

Pictured here before its racing livery has been applied, the S70 R3 will look to add to Proton’s record number of manufacturer wins at the event, which currently stands at six. As a team, Proton R3 has secured five wins, including in 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The S70 R3 joins a long line of Proton models developed for motorsports, including those before the formation of the R3 division in 2003. These include the original Saga, Wira, Satria, Waja, Satria Neo, Preve, Suprima S, Iriz as well as the current version of the Saga.

Though the company did not provide specifications, it is understood that the S70 R3 won’t be using the 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine found in the road car. Instead, it will be powered by the proven S4PH 1.6 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder CamPro unit that was also used in racing versions of the Satria Neo, Preve, Suprima S, Iriz and Saga. The S4PH reportedly sends 200 hp to the front wheels through a dog box manual transmission.

According to Proton, the S70 R3 was co-developed with Geely, and the photos reveal some notable differences from the concept we saw in May. For starters, the body kit is now limited to a larger front splitter and the side skirts have been removed, although the rear wing appears to be similar. There is also a beefier racing braking system, more negative camber at the front and integrated pneumatic jacks.

As for the interior, it has been stripped out and installed with racing essentials like a Motec digital dash display, a Recaro seat, a rollcage, an AP Racing pedal box as well as an ATL racing fuel cell with quick-fill capability. These changes, along with others, allows the S70 R3 to meet M Production (MTC) class regulations, which is applicable not just for the S1K, but also the Malaysian Championship Series (MCS).

“Having not competed in the last three Sepang 1000KM races, Proton is excited to be back on the starting grid in 2024. The Proton S70 R3 marks a new milestone for the brand as we take a model developed together with Geely into the heat of competition for the very first time. A lot of challenges had to be overcome to get to this point with a number of modifications made to the standard car to ensure it met the regulations set, but thanks to our dedicated team at R3, we have managed to meet our goal of being ready for the race in November,” said Roslan Abdullah, Proton’s deputy CEO.

“Despite being a new car, Proton is taking the challenge to field two units of the S70 R3 in the race instead of using a proven older model as a backup. We are determined to prove the abilities of the newest Proton sedan model in the racetrack and while we expect competition from teams who have actively competed the last three years, it is our belief the lessons learnt in racing will translate to us building better cars for our customers in the future,” he added.

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