Mazda3 MPS: Big Scoop
Motoring Channel Staff - 3/February/2009
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Mazda3 MPS
Power for the new Mazda3 MPS will come from a
revised version of the previous 2.3-litre MZR turbo
The Mazda3 MPS - now with more scoop
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Hiroshima, Japan –
As we reported in January, Mazda will officially unveil the
next-generation Mazda3 MPS (a.k.a MazdaSpeed3) at the Geneva Motor Show
in early March. Mazda
has released a number of images and details of the new model and to
call it 'aggressive' doesn't do the new design justice. After exhaustive conversations with the Subaru Impreza WRX STI
hatch's former stylist, the new model features a gaping hood scoop that
signifies hardcore performance like few other design cues. Feeding the Mazda3 MPS's intercooler, the purposeful air intake built into the hood is not just for show either. Most
of the new design cues revolve around the obligatory body kit,
including new side skirts, a deep front apron with a stylised lower air
dam, plus a new rear apron with integrated twin exhausts and a
roof-mounted spoiler. Big fat alloy wheels are also part of the
MPS package and you can bet the next financial bailout that there'll be
bigger brakes and stiffer suspension lurking beneath. Power will not come from a forced induction version of the new Mazda6's 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine as first thought. Instead
the exotic new performance hatch will use a revamped version of the
2.3-litre turbocharged engine employed on the previous MPS models, once
again featuring direct injection for big power numbers and a
fast-spinning nature. The power output is as yet unknown but is
expected to deliver Evo and STI rivalling power of more than 210kW and
400Nm of torque. In a brief press statement, Mazda's PR machine says the 'MPS hot-hatch's sharp new clothes advertise the performance lurking
beneath, both in the form of its 2.3-litre direct injection
turbocharged engine, and its razor-sharp handling.' The
Japanese company claims the new-generation Mazda3 MPS will 'rewrite
hot-hatch benchmarks' when it goes on sale from the second half of 2009. The
Mazda3's program manager, Yoshiyuki Maeda, says "The exhilarating
Mazda3 MPS is the ultimate sporting expression of our new-generation
Mazda3 range. "It builds on the already capable new-generation
Mazda3 hatch with higher levels of ferocity and exhilaration, and
– like all new Mazda models – with an eye to environmental
concerns, powering responsibly into the motoring future," adds
Maeda-san. Will this be the must-have hot hatch of 2009? In
terms of raw power and torque output, the Mazda3 MPS has a chance to be
the new king, out-muscling the Subaru WRX STI with its intercooled,
turbocharged 2.3-litre 4-cylinder powerplant. But if the
new generation Mazda3 MPS is front-wheel drive like its predecessor, it
will lose some credibility in the eyes of a lot of enthusiasts. We'll
have to wait and see whether the Mazda3 MPS is an AWD vehicle when
the veil is lifted from the Mazda exhibit at the Geneva Motor Show. "The MPS has evolved to an entirely new level of emotional design and exhilarating performance," concludes Yoshiyuki Maeda. Let's hope this evolution of 'exhilarating performance' includes an all-wheel drive setup. Related Links:
- Mazda3 Hatch (2010)
- Mazda3 Sedan (2010)
- Mazda6 MPS (Road Test)
- Mazda3 in Sydney (2010)
- Mazda RX-8 (2008)
- Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe (Road Test)
- Mazda Kiyora Concept (2008)
- Mazda CX-9 (2008)
- Mazda6 (2008)
- Mazda2 (2008)
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