Coincidence? Surely Not...

Some of you may remember a post I made a few weeks back where I suggested that production of a halo sporting model hailing from a Korean or Malaysian manufacturer would be of benefit to the Far Eastern car industry. Well if that whetted your appetite, then good news from the world famous Kuala Lumpur Motor Show. Proton, long time compatriot of Lotus, have unveiled a rebadged version of the Norfolk brand's little known Europa model.

However, before the party poppers are let off to herald the arrival of a budget route to mid engined lightweight ownership, there are a couple of catches. Firstly, the Lekir, as it has been christened, is just a concept as of the moment, being showcased to gauge local public reaction as well as attract attention to the mainstream Proton brand. So don't expect this to be Top Gear's new Reasonably Priced Car just yet. 

Secondly, the changes likely to befall the Lotus-a-like aren't too tantalising. Proton are touting that the car would retain stock chassis and suspension components, but feature a 1.6 turbo from Proton rather than the tuned 2 litre motor from the highly praised Vauxhall VX220 that Lotus plumb into the Europa. Also, the Malaysian makeover isn't brilliant, with just some tarty aftermarket-looking wheels and a few swathes of black plastic to freshen up the design.

Finally though, the main problem is that the Europa isn't actually a very good car. While Elises and Exiges are hardly challenging Focuses and Corsas for the sales chart, can you honestly remember the last time you saw a Europa on the road? Based on the Elise platform in a time before the much-prasied Evora, the Europa was supposed to represent a more rounded, everyday proposition, sporting generous cabin and luggage space, together with more grand touring capability. However, the shoestring-budgetted result was a disappointment for most testers, being priced above its Cayman and 350Z nemesis, despite giving away refinement, comfort and performance unforgivably. The forgotten Lotus had also taken a  fairly severe beating with the ugly stick and as such has fallen largely by the wayside. Consider that the roadtest filmed by Clarkson for Top Gear was never broadcast due to its tedium and you see the problem.

Rebadging and remarketing the Europa as the Proton Lekir could be a smart play by Lotus. They finally open up the possibility of more profit from the platform, and assist the creation of overnight credibility for Proton in some markets. If it does see the light of day then it's unlikely to hit core European markets; it's too stark an undermining admission of defeat for Lotus. Still, if they are listening at all, may I respectfully suggest a sticker price of around half the Europa's £32k, on sale ASAP. It's about time the MX-5 had some competition.