do you guys get this a lot?

[daonly1around]

Man I wish I saw a STI going for $30k, I woulda bought it! I saw used ones going for that much.

That said the MS3 has pretty much everything I want. AWD would be great if I went to drag strips, but I don't, and I value the better gas milage over the ability to launch that fast. Once off the line the MS3 has all the get up and go one could ask for. One of the better reviews I read mentioned that the car is not limiteded by a lack of power or torque, but by traction and gear ratios. And that seems to hold true for me. The biggest killer when punching the gas is the chirping wheels and the fact that you have to shift about 18 times before 60mph. (ok, 18 might be a slight exaggeration)

As for the AWD mod, didn't someone figure out you could do it for less then $5k? Isn't there a AWD 3 sold in japan?

Oh, my uncle used to have a turbo diesel beetle! It was fast... almost.

DG (people that make a lot of the CF stuff for mazdas) has an awd ms3 they made..

 

[08_MS3_GT]

the STi and Evo are certainly influential cars in that they have helped the sport compact to become more popular. they themselves are so popular that cops will pull you over simply because you're driving one; particularly the Evo. and now they'll lose their market share because people can have all the fun for 2/3 the price in cars like the MS3.

a car fanatic may recognize my MS3, but i sure as hell don't mind that cops rarely give it a second look. and the last big bad STi i encountered (last-gen) had an exhaust and whatever else but couldn't pull away from my practical, reasonably inexpensive, yet fast and well-appointed 5-door hatch.

 

[Peter B]

.... and the last big bad STi i encountered (last-gen) had an exhaust and whatever else but couldn't pull away from my practical, reasonably inexpensive, yet fast and well-appointed 5-door hatch.

Yep, once off the line...err outta 2nd gear the MS3 really flies!

 

[Nismothecat]

Doubtfull. Put 18k into the speed3 and the engine will blow up

if you put 18k into the engine and didnt touch the internals you deserve a blown motor.

 

[Young Roids]

So how many people have put forged pistons and rods in and have success with making big power?

 

[GoFast]

19

 

[08_MS3_GT]

So how many people have put forged pistons and rods in and have success with making big power?

is this intended to be a challenge?

i don't know as much about the MS3 as other cars, but forged internals generally help with making big power, particularly given the mid-RPM torque spike common to turbo engines. the DISI may have fueling and tuning issues, though.

 

[Super Unique]

screw all these other cars, I want to see a speed3 engine, or the new renesis rotary installed into a late model mx5

 

[Young Roids]

is this intended to be a challenge?

i don't know as much about the MS3 as other cars, but forged internals generally help with making big power, particularly given the mid-RPM torque spike common to turbo engines. the DISI may have fueling and tuning issues, though.

I'm just saying that I don't see much success on this motor with throwing 18k at it forged or otherwise. Untill someone learns to tune it reliably we won't be seeing reliable high horsepower engines.

 

[stockms3]

I think people that buy speed3's are not trying to achieve 400whp at least most of them, it's simple it's a fun fast inexpensive car.

 

[Peter B]

I think people that buy speed3's are not trying to achieve 400whp at least most of them, it's simple it's a fun fast inexpensive car.

Umm ... I dunno bout the rest of you loosers, but i will be welding wings onto mine with the intent of making it fly.

 

[oaklandopen]

screw all these other cars, I want to see a speed3 engine, or the new renesis rotary installed into a late model mx5

omg i've been thinking the same thing since i had my 99....except i wasn't thinking about the renesis. i was thinking more along the lines of the 13b, or even an NA ******

 

[79_Limited]

New Beetle huh?

Did you ask him if he was going to be late for cheerleader practice?

 

[irnbru83]

The question I get constantly is, "Why did you replace your Trans Am with a Mazda 3? Did you get tired of having a fast car?"


Sigh... for all of it's power off the line, and it's beautifully linear torque curve, my Trans Am still does 0-60 in same time as the MS3. Pretty sure after second to third shift, my MS3 would walk my T/A.



T/A sounds a hell of a lot better though. Magnaflow is win.

 

[mckraut]

Funny story - Recently after work I had my friend drop me off at a local car shop to pickup my MS3 after they had finished putting all season tires on it. My conversation with the guy at the counter went something like this.

Me: Hey, I'm here to pickup the black Mazda.
Him: That's your car? When I came in on my shift, everyone in the shop was standing around it drooling. We rarely see those in here, it's really nice.
Me: Oh, thanks man. I like it a lot.

*silence for a little bit while he gathers my paperwork*

Him: Let me ask you a question...do you think you need a bigger turbo?
Me: Not right now, no. I probably won't end up doing a lot of work to the car.
Him: Ok, that's what I thought. Apparently every other yoyo around here that plays car video games is a goddamn "expert".

I loled.

 

[Zimmer]

I get a lot of:
"Hey nice car! I love those Mazda 3's."
Already realizing they don't know what they're looking at, "Thanks its actually a Mazdaspeed3."

Or
"That exhaust is stock?(uhm)"

When I first bought my speed in '07 I witnessed a guy almost blow a load in his minivan literally screaming back and forth at me then his wife:
"Hey Hey that's a mazdaspeed3!"
To me, "Hey is that a Mazdspeed3?"
Back to his wife, "Hunny that's what I want! That's what I want!"

 

[Moultese]

I get a lot of

"hey, nice mini van"
or
"Hey, cool station wagon"


I've only had one person tell me I should have got an STi. I told them that if I had the money for an STi, I'd get an Evo, lol.

I did have a woman approach me in the parking lot of best buy saying she wanted my car, lol.

 

[DaleNixon]

I get a lot of:
"Hey nice car! I love those Mazda 3's."
Already realizing they don't know what they're looking at, "Thanks its actually a Mazdaspeed3."

Or
"That exhaust is stock?(uhm)"

When I first bought my speed in '07 I witnessed a guy almost blow a load in his minivan literally screaming back and forth at me then his wife:
"Hey Hey that's a mazdaspeed3!"
To me, "Hey is that a Mazdspeed3?"
Back to his wife, "Hunny that's what I want! That's what I want!"

Man I would have just grinned and said "thanks". Then turn off DSC and burned through the tires in the first 3 gears.

 

[08_MS3_GT]

Man I would have just grinned and said "thanks". Then turn off DSC and burned through the tires in the first 3 gears.

how exactly do you burn thru the tires in the first 3 gears!?!?!?!

i can light them up in 1st, sure, and second has some issues if i'm really hard on it, but 3rd usually has solid traction.

maybe if you start by burning thru first and shift quickly, it's possible to induce wheelspin in 2nd and 3rd?

 

[Peter B]

I did have a woman approach me in the parking lot of best buy saying she wanted my car, lol.

Please tell me you didn't just say 'thanks' and drive away. You took her home right?