Description
Registered in September 1999, making it one of the first batch in the UK. It currently wears a personalised plate, but its original registration number is close to the cars featured in the first magazine reviews. It’s also worth noting that it’s officially a Proton GTi – the Satria name wasn’t in use at launch.
I bought this as an 18th birthday present to myself in November 2023, having always fancied one. Amazingly, it’s one of the few hot hatches from the ’90s and ’00s I can actually afford to insure!
Needless to say, it’s brilliant to drive. Lotus did a superb job of turning a humdrum hatchback into something genuinely heroic. Alongside the Lotus-tuned handling, it features excellent Recaro seats, a full love-it-or-hate-it interior makeover, and styling touches that are very much of their era.
The car was the subject of a cover feature in issue 27 of Classic. Retro. Modern. magazine – a copy will be included with the service history.
Rust is a big issue on these cars, so it’s no surprise that it required some welding before the MOT in April. I also fitted a new set of tyres in the summer and carried out a full service, including new spark plugs, oil, and filters. The bodywork is in excellent condition, as the previous owner had all the plastics and wheels professionally refurbished. Unfortunately, a small incident at the welder’s left minor damage to the bonnet (see photos), which will need attention. It also requires a new offside rear interior panel and a few other cosmetic tweaks to make it perfect.
I’m not driving it at the moment – mainly because every time I do, I change my mind about selling it! It’s fantastic to drive, with the brilliant Mitsubishi 4G93 engine, a great gearbox, and a wonderful soundtrack courtesy of the Powerflow exhaust.
Not perfect, but huge fun – and a genuine reason for sale.
