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Whoa, what do we have here? Just a render, of course, but Theophilus Chin’s latest creation is not completely a flight of fancy – you can do it at home too, soon. Christened ‘Proton S70 GT’ by its creator, the vision was of a high-performance version of the S70 inspired by the C99 Wira 1.8 EXi DOHC.
“That Wira was built to meet the homologation requirement of at least 2,500 units set by the World Rally Championship… I imagine Proton making a performance-oriented S70 called the S70 GT, fitted with the 1.5 TGDi engine from the X50 and X70,” Theo says, adding that his GT spec includes multi-link rear suspension, uprated brakes and 19-inch alloys on lowered suspension.
He admits that dreams are free, and while rear multi-link suspension (a staple in the C-segment, but the S70 carries over the Geely Emgrand‘s torsion beam, a B-segment sedan default) is a bit of a stretch for modders, the rest of what you see here is actually achievable.
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Big brakes, lowered springs – they’re all available for the X50, and with projected volumes of over 2,000 units per month (Proton’s target), it’s a matter of time before big local tuning companies produce parts for the sedan. Those crazy enough can even attempt an engine swap, from the S70’s 1.5T MPI (150 PS/226 Nm, from the X50 Standard to Premium) to the 1.5 TGDi with 177 PS/255 Nm, as found in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC.
Looks wise, Theo gave the S70 a full black grille and a more aggressive front bumper that swaps the BMW G20-style ‘side intakes’ for larger ones for a conventional sporty look. Gloss black trim can be found all around, Honda RS-style, including on the boot wing, which looks like something from a hatchback/SUV. The roof and wing mirror caps are also in black.
Finally, the GT gets exposed twin pipes and a diffuser. The actual car’s pipes are hidden deep behind the rear bumper, pointing down, a big contrast from the X50’s quad pipes (more pipes than cylinders!). What do you think of this ‘S70 GT’? Should Proton do something like this now that they have a suitable sedan base? If they do, let’s hope that it’s more ‘proper’ compared to this.
The S70 will be launched on November 28. Full details and first impressions here.
GALLERY: Proton S70 1.5T Flagship X
GALLERY: Proton S70 presentation
GALLERY: Proton S70 official images
The post Proton S70 GT, performance version rendered by Theo appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
