Thanks 8.5MS3 for the good clear pictures of the scoop and engine bay.
I think the differences between the two gens showing up in test reports are within the margin of error of driving skill and measuring equipment.
Magazine racing is a poor substitute for direct comparison of two cars under the same conditions on the same track on the same day at the same time and then having the two drivers swap cars and make repeated runs. That's the only way to be sure, and I doubt the difference would be measurable if done accurately.
Example: If we want to "magazine race" take the current December issue of Car and Driver. The 2010 bone stock MS3 they tested on that day was slower in BOTH 0-60 and in the quarter mile by several tenths and several mph lower trap speed, compared to a first gen MS3 they had previously tested. They made this observation in the text of the article.
Does this mean that all 2010 MS3's will be similarly slow? No. The difference was within reasonable margin of error. We all also know that every engine and drive train component in a car is manufacured and assembled to certain tolerances. One car can have all the variations in tolerance favor developing a bit more power, while another car might have the cumulative effect of those tolerance variations favor a bit less power, even though they came off the assembly line back to back.
I do question the benefit/detriment decision making of Mazda to put those slots in the underhood part of the hood scoop, compared to the completely sealed previous design. This does allow some outside air to get into the engine bay where the airbox or an aftermarket intake could maybe get some cooler air. That would be a good thing. It also would allow some means for heat in the engine bay to have a way for some modest escape route, also a good thing. That would both tend to favor an advantage in performance --- maybe. But this is at the expense of heating up the air that is hitting the intercooler coils and thereby reducing intercooler effeciency. Those slots are actually pretty big.
See attached pix. Sorry for the low-res. Best I could find, but shows those slots in each side, too, not just in the back.
To what extent this tradeoff is an overall benefit or detriment, is unknown. Since both the gen 1 sealed ram air and the gen 2 external scoop appear to work very well, this may just be nothing more than an interesting academic exercise.
The big change does appear to be the difference in ECU tuning. Mazda could probably soften the delivery of power in first and second gear without actually adversely affecting performance because we can't use the available power in either gear right now without overpowering the tires. Full power is relatively useless in those gears unless you are on the dragstrip and running drag radials or outright slicks on front. My guess is that in the hands of a good driver who knows how to launch high powered fwd cars and who has practiced 60 ft times with both cars, that bone stock gen 1 and gen 2 cars will probably have virtually identical 60 fts. That's just a educated guess trying hard to master (poorly) 60 ft times in a gen 1 MS3.