Should The Proton Putra Get Rebooted Through New Proton S70?

After giving us his vision of a possible Suprima S hatchback successor based on the newly launched Proton S70 sedan, local digital automotive render artist Chin Swee Hoe @ Theottle is at it again.

This time, Chin’s latest effort gives us a glimpse of how a Proton S70-based Proton Putra reboot could look like – a ‘Proton C70’, if you will.

While it may seem odd, Chin’s choice of using the Audi Quattro Concept from 2010 as the primary base for this latest render is rather sound. Said concept did boast appealing dimensions as a traditional sports coupe and is perhaps an ideal base to graft the S70’s looks on to.

For his latest work (dubbed the 'Prton C70'), Chin opted to use the Audi Quattro Concept from 2010 (top right) as a base to graft the newly launched Proton S70 (top left) on to.

Like many of his works, Chin’s latest ‘Proton C70’ render does look very convincing, and it has fuelled the hopes of many fans in seeing the Putra coupe nameplate return into Proton’s future line-up. Some would even argue that this may be overdue – Proton last made the Putra between 1996 and 2001, and again briefly in 2004. 

Back then, the Putra was offered alongside the Wira sedan and Satria 3-door hatch. Whilst both the Wira and Satria underpinned the fourth-gen Mitsubishi Lancer and Mitsubishi Mirage/Colt respectively, the Putra was similarly based on the Mitsubishi Mirage Asti Lancer coupe model instead.

Not just sporty in looks, the Putra even had a peppy 1.8-litre 4-cyl heart to match, which served up 118 HP and 164 NM. Both a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed auto boxes were available too, both managing said outputs to the Putra’s front wheels and allowed 0-100 KM/H sprints in 9 seconds.

Bolstering its sporty aesthetics further were the Putra’s exclusive Recaro N-joy half-bucket front seats, as well as Momo Daytona 4 steering wheel and leather shifter knob. Unfortunately, these special bits in the cabin – plus its 1.8-litre powertrain – did make the Putra quite a hot ticket for thieves.

The Putra was Proton's sole two-door coupe offering made between 1996 and 2001, and briefly in 2004. It was based on the Mitsubishi Mirage Asti Lancer coupe. To date, Proton has yet to build a successor to which. (Image source: Wikipedia)

Sadly, the Putra’s reboot might be more of a pipe dream given current consumer trends, and the fact that the Proton S70’s Geely Emgrand base does not have a coupe offshoot to begin with. If anything, Chin's other recent 'Proton S70 GT' render seems to be a more realistic prospect at being a possible R3-treated special variant of the latest S70.

Should Proton consider rebooting the Putra nameplate? Would you fancy one if it was based on the latest S70? What sort of performance hardware would you  expect in such a reboot today? As usual, share your thoughts in the comments below – as well as our social media pages…