Den malaysiske bilprodusenten melder idag at de melder seg på fabrikksmesterskapet i IRC i 2009. Med sin Proton Satria Neo S2000 blir de den syvende bilfabrikanten som melder seg på i mesterskapet.

Sammen med Fiat Abarth, Mitsubishi, Honda, Peugeot, Skoda og Volkswagen danner de et bredt spekter av biler i IRC 2009.

Proton hadde sin konkurransedebut i S2000-klassen ifjor og har iår videreutviklet bilen betraktelig. Det sies foreløbig ingenting om hvilke løp i IRC-serien de skal kjøre.

Marcello Lotti, the IRC's General Manager, commented: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Proton into the IRC family, which goes from strength to strength. The new Satria Neo S2000 has already attracted a lot of praise in its short career to date. I have no doubt that Proton will quickly find success with competitive rally customers on IRC events, as well as on national and regional championships that are based on S2000 technical regulations."

Proton Managing Director, Datuk Syed Zainal, added "The IRC provides the ideal format for manufacturers to showcase their products around the world. We are very excited to register for the IRC this year, alongside many of the leading manufacturers in motorsport. Although we are still developing the Proton, the IRC will provide the perfect opportunity to gauge the competitiveness of the car, and ultimately to take the project forward."

Kilde: Pressemelding