Malaysian sports car concept rendered by former Proton designer

A Malaysian sports car concept has surfaced, albeit in digital form thanks to former Proton designer Saharudin Busri who is now head of industrial design at MIMOS, national applied research and development centre for information and communication technology.

Saharudin’s creations have featured here on paultan.org before, namely the Proton Savvy 18 as well as the Proton Suprima X concept sketches. Saharudin hasn’t stopped there, as he is constantly exploring new ideas related to automotive design, in part for his teaching at institutions of higher learning.

The latest to emerge from Saharudin’s portfolio is dubbed the Malaysian Sports Car concept, which was initially shown as part of the MIMOS Design Talk event held in conjunction with Autodesk Asia last September.

The overall look of the concept is futuristic, and sports a rather centralised positioning of the cabin – this appears to be able to work with either a front-engined or mid-rear-engined layout. The Aston Martin DB10 inspired the concept’s overall look, says Saharudin, while the finer details were adapted to his vision for this concept car. A large portion of the design here employs sharp, angular lines.

Its ‘face’ is shaped by the car’s front end which starts low, with the slim LED headlamps and the large chrome surround for the grille being the main defining features.

Sharp creases on the bonnet add visual interest, while even more assertive cues take up residence in its side profile, adding to the aggressive look with its minimal wheel arch gaps and very low-profile tyre sidewalls. The deep slashes which serve as the front wheel arches also house the front indicators, continuing along the crease from the top corners of each arrow-like headlamp.

A high waistline, coupled with a low roof surely makes room for a cabin of just two occupants. The base of the windowline arcs over the rear haunches, terminating in an abrupt edge while the rear fascia slants along the rear bumper with a massive diffuser and a pair of large exhaust outlets, then towards the rear wheels for minimal overhang.

Last but not least, you may have noticed the repeated use of the hibiscus throughout the concept car, such as within the tail lamps and for the overall design of the wheels. This is of course in reference to the national flower of Malaysia, and the hibiscus’ shape became the motif of choice as the car was designed in conjunction with National Day; also note the ‘Bunga Raya’ script on the tyres’ sidewalls.

This virtual sports car rendering has also been featured in online teaching material for courses by Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP). Check out part of the design process that went into the creation of the concept car in the video below.