Unloved Hatchback twins: The Mitsubishi Colt GTi/ Proton Satria (318) GTi
While browsing the classifieds looking for a cheap trackday car I stumbled across a few of these here. That’s the Mitsubishi Colt CA0 GTi, a little hot hatch that most people barely notice.
The car was built between 1992 and 1996 and was equipped with a naturally aspirated 4G93 1.8l 4 cylinder, delivering a respectable 138hp. With a curb weight of just 950kg, the car makes for a perfect entry-level trackday car or a wonderful backroad car.
Most people seem to only care about the Hondas and Toyotas of that era, but other manufacturers had awesome hatches in their range too. But that complete lack of interest results in the car now being a lot cheaper than comparable Civics.
In 1999, so three years after Mitsubishi ended the production, Proton decided to revive the car and build it as the Proton Satria Gti or 318 GTi (depending on the market).
The same 4G93 engine was used, but power was reduced to 133hp due to stricter emissions regulations. But one thing made the Proton special compared to the Colt and that’s the suspension. Instead of using the same suspension setup Mitsubishi used before, they decided to task Lotus (which was owned by Proton at that time) with the development of a new suspension. The car even said Lotus on the back.
The Proton even featured a bodykit, Recaro seats and one of the most weirdly shaped exhausts of all time.
Comments
Nice writeup. As a Malaysian, I’m really proud of the Satria GTi. Malaysia’s first true hot hatch. But now Malaysian cars are sh*tty.
I have to admit that I barely know any Malaysian cars except for some Protons which were sold here in Europe (such as the 300 (Satria) and the 400 (Wira)). My grandfather drives an automatic Proton 416 (so a Wira with a 1.6l engine) and my uncle actually had a Proton dealership for some years
Satria GTI <3
It’s lovely, isn’t it? :D
Needs this ;)
Not sure about that xD might get a bit nose heavy, don’t you think so? 😂
Ah, the top 5 most stolen vehicle in Malaysia. If you want to own it, you have to invest in some good security systems since it’s a “hot” vehicle in Malaysia.
He lives in Germany, so he might not have to worry that much
Nice write-up! These 4G93s love to rev. I remember in Pro Race Driver, I loved to drive the Satria xD
Thanks. Yep really revhappy and reliable at the same time.
Some enthusiasts here in Malaysia like to upgrade their 4G93s by swapping the stock head with a MIVEC head from a 4G92 MIVEC engine. With racing cams, engine management and such, it can hit 200-ish hp and that’s without forced induction.