Proton recently announced that it is planning to introduce an R3 version of the S70 in the near future.
Speaking at the S70 media test drive session held last week, the company’s deputy Chief Executive Officer Roslan Abdullah revealed that the company is indeed looking at the possibilities of developing performance-oriented accessories for the S70 through its motorsports division, R3.
Unlike the recent X50 R3 Edition which was all about cosmetic enhancements, we were told that the R3 version of the S70 would come with proper performance upgrades such as a tuned suspension, performance brakes, or sports seats.
If at all it materializes, Roslan said that Proton’s big plan is to return to the Sepang 1000 km (S1K) endurance race with the S70 R3.
The last time Proton participated in the S1K race was in 2021 with the R3-tuned Saga and the Iriz, which were not the most exciting or capable cars on the grid.
However, now that the much more capable S70 is here, Proton sees it as the perfect candidate to continue what it left off at the Sepang International Circuit before COVID-19 came into the picture.
Since things are still in the planning stages, we don’t know if Proton is going to unleash a fully upgraded S70 R3 variant as a whole or just an accessories package for owners to fit on their cars or even both.
Whatever it is, it would be great to see some sort of performance upgrades available for the S70 as it would also allow owners to upgrade their cars and enjoy the car to the fullest.
The S70 is currently being powered by a three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission with Manual Mode which collectively produce 150 PS at 5,500 rpm and 226 Nm from 1,750rpm to 4,000rpm.
In terms of performance, it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds and hits a top speed of 200 km/h.
On a separate note, when asked if there would be a manual version of the S70, the folks at Proton said that it is highly unlikely as the demand is simply too low.
That being said, let us wait and see if the S70 R3 edition plan materializes in the future as it would allow Proton to return to the local motorsports scene, which is something the company has always been passionate about anyway.
