The car 2011 Mazdaspeed3
Mazda's sporty little Mazda3 handles brilliantly, has a useful trunk or capacious hatchback, and with 167 horsepower, has more than enough power for anyone. Well, everyone sane, that is.
Mazda knows that some of its customers want even more, so they'll sell you a version of their best-selling hatchback with big alloy wheels, sport suspension and a fire-breathing turbo-charged engine: the Mazdaspeed3. Yes please!
The numbers:
Price: $30,630 including freight (six speed manual)
Power: 263 h.p. at 5,500 r.p.m.; 280 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 r.p.m.
Fuel economy (city/highway): 11.5/8.0 litres/100 kilometres
The tech:
Standard 18-inch Mazdaspeed alloy wheels, limited slip differential, big-brake package, sport-tuned suspension, Mazdaspeed aero-kit (spoiler, grille, front and rear valence, side-sills), sport bucket seats.
Options Technology package includes 10-speaker BOSE audio, adaptive front lighting, navigation system, intelligent key with push-button starter.
The drive:
Whereas the old Mazdaspeed3 had a certain amount of subtlety, this new model might as well have a neon sign above it blinking, Hot Hatchback! for all the world to see. With its big wheels, spoiler and gaping front hoodscoop, it's less like its reserved VW GTi competitor and more like the lairy-looking Mitsubishi EVO or Subaru WRX.
Unlike those rally cars for the street, the Mazda only has front-wheel drive. 280 foot-pounds of torque at a lowly 3,000 r.p.m. in a car with front-wheel drive? I have to admit a certain amount of nervousness as I hit the push-button starter and the little Mazda growled to life.
In the cockpit, there are a few bits of trim to let you know you're in something special, but the regular Mazda3 is so well laid-out ergonomically, Mazda has only tweaked things a bit. The navigation and audio controls are easy to use and sensibly laid out and while the Mazdaspeed's bucket seats dial up the bolstering a little, they're still very comfortable.
So it's based on a great little car, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Adding more power into an already nicely balanced package could very easily turn a good car into a handful that's unpleasant to drive.
Mazda has curtailed the boost in first and second gears to help prevent some of that new added power from liquifying the front tires. This helps the 'Speed3 get up and going fairly smoothly, although the clutch is heavier than normal Mazda3s.
But once you get up and moving, once you feel comfortable enough to make a stab at the loud pedal? Sweet mother of pearl, does this thing haul posterior!
The direct-injection 2.3-litre turbo has next to no lag and that 280 foot-pounds of grunt hits like a steam catapult launching a fighter plane off an aircraft carrier. The first few times I experienced the ludicrous thrust I couldn't help shouting with laughter.
Once the surprise of the power delivery had worn off, the delightful handling had me chuckling all over again. This is not a car that's as pure to drive as Mazda's other sportscar, the MX-5, but it is quick and composed and gets all that impressive power down on the road.
The verdict:
Take a great car and add quite a lot more power and you have the Mazdaspeed3, the automotive equivalent of a whole lotta hot sauce. It handles great, but the main party piece is that unstoppable Saturn V rocket acceleration.
Competition like the VW GTi may be more polished, and more expensive all-wheel drive cars like the WRX and EVO may be better on wet roads, but the Mazdaspeed3 is an enormous amount of fun every time you drive it: never mind track times in tenths of a second, isn't that what you really want?
