http://skiddmark.com/2012/10/proton-sig ... h-the-nsx/
october 2012,
Proton signs a collaboration agreement with Honda, setting Lotus up for a platform sharing deal with the NSX
“Having a strong and renowned global automotive player like Honda as the foreign strategic partner to Proton will provide Proton and the DRB-Hicom group with the opportunity to grow as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) as the opportunities are endless.
“This collaboration will provide positive impact to Proton and the DRB-Hicom group in the long run.”
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Busi ... nths.aspx/
june, 2013
This is Honda’s first collaborative agreement with another original equipment manufacturer and it would like to keep thing under wraps as details are trade secrets,” Proton executive chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil told reporters on the sidelines of the Preve launch in Jakarta yesterday.
Khamil also said DRB-Hicom had cleaned up the books of Lotus and was on a clean slate to move on from its financially troubled state of affairs.
“We are coming up with variants of the Evora, Exige and Elise based on improved technological innovation and upgraded performance,” he said.
He said the new Lotus model was expected to be unveiled in three years following the scrapping of the five year-five car plan conceived by the previous management.
“Up to May, we achieved encouraging sales of 80 Lotus cars, which is more than the 70 units for the whole of last year,” he said.
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Busi ... soon.aspx/
September 21, 2013
"Besides the ongoing Honda-Proton collaboration, consumers could also see future facelifts and models with improved engines after Proton bought the Petronas E01 engine patents last year, giving it immediate ownership to a family of naturally aspirated engines developed by Petronas back in its Formula 1 heydays. "
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3033699/all
Nov 17 2013
PROTON ACCORD 2013 with Petronas E01 F1 tech engine inside developed together between Malaysia (PETRONAS) and Japan (HONDA) engineers
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 4013_n.jpg
part of the agreement Proton and Honda will develop new engine together
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012 ... us-f1.html
march 2012
Genii Capital may even consider to buy out Lotus itself if the sports car manufacturer struggles to break through in its production car operations and continues to suffer heavy losses. To note, Lotus made a £21.4 million pre-tax loss last year while Proton’s profits have begun to show a trend of decline. In January, the Malaysian government sold its 43% controlling stake of Proton to DRB-Hicom, a Malaysian Corporation involved in the automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution industry. Genii Capital chairman Gerard Lopez has previously exchanged with DRB-Hicom on the possibilities of selling Lotus. Lopez said,”If there is a way that we think the company can be bought and run successfully, then of course we would be interested.”
the articles above showed the last actually happened.
http://www.complex.com/rides/2013/07/lo ... investment
Jul 21, 2013