Here is the Suprima R, another
creation by local designer Saharudin Busri under the national research and
development centre for information and communication technology MIMOS. The Suprima R is
a more straightforward hot hatch proposal with a sportier, more aggressive design
compared to the standard model.
Saharudin used the Suprima S as a base
because of its unique design compared to other models in Proton’s lineup. The Coventry University graduate is no stranger to
Protons, he was a designer at the national carmaker from 2000 to
2007, producing designs for the Satria Neo and Saga BLM. He also did part-time
work in the early stages of development of the latest Proton Perdana.
Moving forward, MIMOS intends to offer design
consultancy as a service to the industry, instead of producing designs solely
for research grants. After all, its industrial design department has designed
everything from laptops to mobile phones, going so far as nabbing the Red Dot
Award for design concepts in 2010 and even reaching as high as third in the Red
Dot Design Ranking for design concepts in 2014.
Like the Suprima X, the Suprima R is not a new
design, having existed in some form or another since 2015. The front fascia
design is completely different from the Suprima S, with new headlights and a
larger three-dimensional grille.
Lower down, the air intakes are more aggressive and
get a tusk-like design reminiscent of newer Volvos; the LED daytime running
lights have also been moved from the headlights to the bumper. Along the sides,
there are deeper side sills and five-spoke alloy wheels, while the rear gets
Prevé-style two-piece tail lights (joined together by a red bar), a larger rear
diffuser and tailgate spoiler as well as twin trapezoidal tailpipes.