RE: Shed of the Week: Proton Persona GTI
Discussion
Good little cars and at one point had a good following in the Proton Community but that seems to have faded out.
I had a Colt GTI which is what the Satria was based on, I ran it as a track for 3 years or so and it was brilliant - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
At the time I had a few friends that ran Mk2 Golf GTI track / race cars, the Colt was much better on track, thanks mostly to its independent rear suspension.
I had a Colt GTI which is what the Satria was based on, I ran it as a track for 3 years or so and it was brilliant - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
At the time I had a few friends that ran Mk2 Golf GTI track / race cars, the Colt was much better on track, thanks mostly to its independent rear suspension.
s m said:
The handling was probably very good but even with that handling and its race-school reputation you can see a lack of pace compared to stuff with less power like the 106 GTi and Saxo VTS on a track
Looks like those results were all about handling rather than power doesn't it? The Satria is half a second quicker than the Leon Cupra which would have had 180BHP at the time, and the 106 and Saxo are ahead of a lot of more powerful cars. I'd possibly..........slightly possibly........consider this if it was £500, and just down the road, and I needed something as a stop gap. At £1500, not a chance, I don't care how good a condition it's in.
There are a few things to like with these, but someone earlier hit the nail on the head - there's no feel good factor here. THis could be every bit as good as a Puma, an RS Clio, a Pug 106 or 306 etc, with laughs aplenty. But I just don't think I could shake off the fact that I was driving a Proton with bolted on arches. It's reeks of council estate, and to the less educated in all matters automotive you'd just look like you were driving a badly modified boy racer mobile from the Max Power era.
There are a few things to like with these, but someone earlier hit the nail on the head - there's no feel good factor here. THis could be every bit as good as a Puma, an RS Clio, a Pug 106 or 306 etc, with laughs aplenty. But I just don't think I could shake off the fact that I was driving a Proton with bolted on arches. It's reeks of council estate, and to the less educated in all matters automotive you'd just look like you were driving a badly modified boy racer mobile from the Max Power era.
Spumfry said:
s m said:
The handling was probably very good but even with that handling and its race-school reputation you can see a lack of pace compared to stuff with less power like the 106 GTi and Saxo VTS on a track
Looks like those results were all about handling rather than power doesn't it? The Satria is half a second quicker than the Leon Cupra which would have had 180BHP at the time, and the 106 and Saxo are ahead of a lot of more powerful cars. If it was running the 106/Saxo close ( with less grip and power ) you'd see the potential as an alternative with quirky arches or if it was known for not rusting etc....
Chacun a son gout
Personally find it hard to look past a 106/Saxo/Puma for same money
Matt Bird said:
Sorry about the naming mix up, should be sorted to Satria now...
Matt
No need for an apology I reckon. As soon as I saw the car I thought when was it called a Satria? Always liked these when it first came out and I remember Tiff (think it was him) taking it around the then new Sepang F1 circuit. Never had I heard it be called a Satria.Matt
Had one of these back in the day... agreed not that fast but, as a youngster trying to run my own car, it was the cheapest hot hatch to insure (because nobody knew what it was).
That body kit with the Recaros and Lotus badging seemed like a huge step up from a Fiesta Freestyle too :-)
Always cool to see one on the roads nowadays... especially if it's still got the quirky twin square exhausts #WhatWereTheyThinking
That body kit with the Recaros and Lotus badging seemed like a huge step up from a Fiesta Freestyle too :-)
Always cool to see one on the roads nowadays... especially if it's still got the quirky twin square exhausts #WhatWereTheyThinking
mrpenks said:
I’m pretty sure this was launched as Proton Persona Compact GTI and then changed name in 2001 to Satria GTI. I was looking at buying one at the time but that soon changed when I drove one. Unpleasant.
There's a lot of confusion over the name 
This car was based on the Proton Compact SRi, not the Persona.
When it was launched it was called the Proton Compact GTi, that was soon changed to just the Proton Gti.
So to clarify, this example for sale would have been a Proton Compact Gti or Proton Gti being on a V-plate. It is too early to be called a Satria
At the end of April 2000, the Proton range was re-hashed and the Proton GTi became the Proton Satria Gti ( the remainder of the Proton Compact range was also renamed to the Proton Satria )
I wonder where the writer sourced the performance figures from - all the tests I've seen they struggled to beat 8.9 to 60 and top a real 120 - certainly Lotus acknowledged he engine was the weak link in the package
Edited by s m on Saturday 18th November 17:40
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