Proton MPV - latest photos

Proton MPV first batch to roll out mid-Sept 2008

The Proton MPV will begin on-road testing from the 12th of September 2008 onwards, so we'll be able to spot it on our local roads and hopefully get some nice clear photos possibly from mid-September onwards. It will be launched to the public in March 2009.

Proton sources have confirmed that the Proton MPV will initially come with the 125 horsepower Campro CPS found in the highline GEN2 CPS facelift. The car will ride on 15 inch wheels which should be easy on the fuel consumption as well as tyre change bills as smaller tyres are cheaper. 125hp is far from sprinty on a heavy vehicle especially with all 7 seats occupied, but it is still more powerful than the 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 liter engines that almost all B-segment Japanese MPVs have to make do with. A turbocharged Campro engine is said to be in the works but according to inside sources if any other engine options other than the CPS engine are to be available for the Proton MPV, next in line is more likely to be a turbodiesel engine. In fact, Proton may have played a part in (successfully) lobbying for the recent drop of diesel road tax rates to the same level as petrol road tax rates.

Drifting techniques for dummies

What is oversteer?
Oversteer describes the condition while negotiating a turn where the rear tires lose traction while the front tires stay in contact with the road. If uncorrected, the back of the car slides towards the outside of the turn and spins out (usually resulting in a crash). Oversteer can be produced in several ways, including tapping the brake, abruptly letting off the throttle, or by executing a sharp downshift that disrupts tire/road contact. Drifting is basically a controlled form of oversteer.

How did drifting get started?
Oversteering has been a common practice in motorsports for many, many years. It has been most commonly used in oval dirt track racing, touring car racing, and rally racing. NASCAR drivers drift sometimes, except they call it being "loose in the turns." Drifting as its own area of motorsports began over 30 years ago in Japan, where the All-Japan Touring Car Championship races first began popularizing drifting as a racing skill. During the last 10 years or so, its popularity has spread worldwide. Professional Japanese drivers are now so popular that they are recognized celebrities!

My ride is front wheel drive. Can I drift?Technically, yes...although all pro drifters drive rear wheel drive cars. Drifting a FWD car usually means a brief jerk of the e-brake handle to get things in motion. This technique, commonly known as "ass dragging," is not used by many RWD drifters, but it's the only consistent way to make a FWD car drift. When approaching a turn, simply pull the e-brake to cause traction loss. Oh yeah...don't forget to hold in the release button, or things will get very ugly, very fast!

The most popular cars used for drifting?

The most popular and best suited drift cars have several things in common:
A front engine - rear wheel drive configuration
Decent power production
Well-balanced weight distribution from the factory
Light weight and high agility
A manual transmission Keep those things in mind and you can't go wrong. Here's a brief list of some of the more popular drift rides:
Nissan 240SX, 350Z, and Sylvia
Toyota Corolla (GTS, AE86) and Supra
Honda S2000
Mazda RX-7 and RX-8
Lexus IS300
Ford Mustang
ontiac GTO
Chevrolet Corvette

FPV's Wild 'DRIF6' Concept Breaks Cover

Motoring Channel Staff - 28/Feb/2006

FPV Typhoon DRIF6 Concept Car Built for drifting, the DRIF6 generates 380kW of power and 700Nm of torque, enough to get the wheels smoking FPV DRIF6: Specifications Body: Lightweight F6 Typhoon, 4-door sedan Engine: Turbocharged/intercooled 4.0-litre DOHC in-line six cylinder Turbocharger: Garrett GT 35/40 Induction system: Hand-made twin-plenum manifold with custom three-inch pipes from turbocharger and intercooler. Ram air intake from lower front bumper into K&N pod filter Engine Management System: Customised calibration Exhaust: Stainless steel 3-inch straight-through with side outlet Intercooler: Front mounted 600mm x 300mm x 75mm Power: 380kW (517hp) Torque: 700Nm Clutch: AP Racing twin-plate Differential: Locked rear differential, 3.73:1 final drive Brakes: Cross-drilled and ventilated 355mm x 32mm front and 330mm x 28mm rear rotors with Brembo callipers. HIS braided hoses. Pull-operated hydraulic handbrake with Tilton brake proportioning valve. Seats: Momo Steering wheel: Momo Harnesses: Four-point Momo race harnesses Battery: Optima; mounted in rear of cockpit with central-mounted kill switch Gauges: VDO monster tacho, Autron tyre pressure monitoring system Wheels:19x8 inch five-spoke alloy in Dark Argent Tyres: 245/35 ZR19 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx Lubricant: Castrol Edge 0W-40