(Majalah Auto International 1994)
RENNIE Khoo of Aerotech Sdn Bhd has long been associated with boosting auto- motive power, latterly of the turbocharger-derived kind. His link with HKS, the Japanese tuning specialist, is now sever- al years old and over that period of time we had partaken of several HKS-treated Hondas, Mazdas and Nissans and have come away impressed.
Rennie’s HKS-aided creations are not about power per se. It is about power extracted in a sophisticated manner for used under maximum safety. Hence his endorsement of the HKS approach, which is a total package of power and torque increase plus the wherewithal to guaran- tee their safe road use.
Understandably, the HKS treatment is not a simple matter of attaching a turbine to an engine draw more horses from it. Any backyard mechanic can do that. But HKS relies on a careful combi- nation of sophisticated electronics and precision components, the “kit” for each model of car being developed over a long period of time and after much study. The process is expensive, and this is reflected in the retail price of any HKS kit. So it was a big technical and monetary challenge when Rennie persuaded HKS to work with him to develop an HKS turbo kit for the Proton Saga.
Not counting the planning stages, that project took six months. When the HKS Turbo Kit for the Proton Saga, Iswara and Wira was finally unveiled in July, it carried a price tag of RM13,800, plus RM650 for installation. The escalating yen didn’t help, explained Rennie when asked about the price, but there was also HKS’s own insistence about getting eve- rything correct.
And so what does the Proton owner get for this amount of outlay? (Note that the kit is only for the 1500cc carburetted engine.) On the end result side, it’s 30 percent more power and about the same increase in torque, plus the braking pow- er to cope with this increase. As for hardware, he gets the following: a Mit- subishi-manufactured turbocharger with HKS oil cooler kit and turbo timer, an HKS shock absorber set, partnered with Eibach springs (the latter specially devel- oped in Germany for the Proton); and HKS Super Linear brake pads with stain- less steel braided heavy duty teflon brake hoses.
As can be seen, the HKS Turbo Kit for Proton takes care of engine, suspension and brakes as a total package. “You do not increase power without making sure that the car can handle this increase,” emphasized Rennie. “That is a sure road to disaster.” When asked for a break- down of the price, Rennie gave a rough figure of half the RM13,800 for the engine and half for the suspension and brakes. The RM650 for installation includes a 6- month warranty for the entire kit. Work takes up about a day.
