Car number five in the My Proton Makeover programme has been reunited with its owner - Amirul Azim recently received his 2001 Satria 1.3, all spruced up from the refurbishment, from the good folk at Proton.
Petaling Jaya-born Amirul, who works for an IT management company, described his relationship with the Satria as one that has matured over the years. From his bachelor days, subsequently into marriage and now as a father of two, Amirul's Satria has seen many miles doing daily commutes to Cyberjaya and regular family visits back to Kuantan.
In expressing his admiration for the brand and the work done by the R3 team when he sent his car in, Amirul mentioned a particular fondness for the Satria Neo R3, so the R3 lads decided to give his car a Fire Red exterior shade, along with a Satria GTI body kit and a limited-edition R3 race splitter, explained R3's head of engineering Tengku Djan Ley.
Elaborating further, Djan said that Amirul stated his joy for fast driving, as well as his long-distance commuting - as such, in overhauling the car's engine, tweaks were made to adjust to Amirul's driving habits to enhance overall performance of his beloved Satria.
A coil-over system was installed to improve the car's handling, and the rear brakes have been upgraded from drums to discs, giving the Satria better stopping power.
"With regards to the aesthetics, we gave the car's interior a matching red theme, similar to that of the Satria Neo R3," Djan added. "Topping it off, we opted to give Amirul a set of 15-inch wheels, so that the acceleration of his 1.3 litre car will not be compromised. This is definitely an impressive package presented by the R3 team, not just with regards to performance and drivability, but also in its styling," he concluded.
Amirul was certainly a very happy bunny, thanking the R3 team profusely during the handover ceremony. "This unforgettable gift from Proton will forever be etched in my heart. The generosity, time and effort that have been shown to my car and I is immeasurable," he enthused.
The 2001 Satria joins Fadly Hisham Roplay's 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan's 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri's 1996 Iswara Aeroback and Hafiz Mohd Hashim's 2001 Satria GTI as the five makeover specials done so far. The final car due out is a 1991 Saga belonging to homemaker Lee Koon Gaik.