fourthmeal
Banned
FWIW, the trans on the speed3 looks like it could accept speed6 rear wheel drive bits, and there should be a PTO (power take off) point on the trans to do this, if one was so inclined to fabricate a bit. HMMMM...
mazdaspeed 3 sedan
- Thread starter Kuro3
- Start date
BlackCherry06
Member
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- '17 CX-3 GT
I thought the MS6 and MS3 had the same tranny....wouldn't it work just to bolt up the MS6 transfer case and work your way back?
fourthmeal
Banned
exactly. That was what a Mazda engineer/enthusiast mentioned to me quietly. It would be quite the conversion, but not difficult at all.
Now THAT would be a good project. Trying to retrofit the ms6 rear suspension setup and differential doesn't sound too far fetched. I looked at both cars suspensions dimensions on Mazda website and they are similar:
Speed6
Rear track: 60.6 in.
Rear suspension: Independent, E-Type, Multi link
coil spring & stabilizer bar.
Speed3
Rear track: 60 in.
Rear suspension: Independent, E-Type, Multi link
coil spring & stabilizer bar.
TMR Net Shark
Member
The one big problem with FWD -> AWD conversions. To be honest, I don't think it'll work that well because if you don't electrically set up the diff and/or the transfer case right, you'll be wasting power and gas because your powering all 4 wheels when you don't need to. (As with regular AWD systems that only send power to 2 wheels when you have full traction)
fourthmeal
Banned
Always a trade-off. No doubt about that. I think you'd have to cobble together a solution, because off the shelf parts, while available, will not allow for the right tuning. You could do a manual slider or knob though, and that could adjust the level of torque split through the setup.
We Are Ninja
Member
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- 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 GT; 2004 Mazda 6 Wagon
It's a very cool concept IMO (and worth it just to say that you did it...), but the MS6's AWD is FWD most of the time. It's not like an "Evo/WRX-caliber" system. I don't think an AWD MS3 with MS6 guts would be much more competitive in the AWD arena than the MS6 is...
fourthmeal
Banned
I'm just thinking though...I mean how much money is this? Say 5 grand? That buys a lot of DOT radial slicks or autocross grippy tires, which would really help with the traction issues of this car. I'd still love to see the conversion just because it is possible. I mean, Lambo doors on a civic...why not AWD on a "3"?
AG DesignWorks
Member
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- 2003 Mazda Protege5
Meh. Subaru and Mitsubishi have brainwashed alot of you.
AWD is certainly cool, but it's not the end all. The MS3 handles REALLY well...so well in fact that trained and experienced engineers who designed the car decided their setup was effective enough without a need to power the rear wheels.
In fact, a little extra power, sticky tires and a good coilover/swaybar setup will probably put you on par with an STi or Evo. It's not like FWD is that bad a setup, the AWD guys still contend with understeer just like FWD does.
If you want security in the snow/rain, get awd, or...*gasp* drive carefully in your FWD and you'll be fine. Youre not missing much.
AWD is certainly cool, but it's not the end all. The MS3 handles REALLY well...so well in fact that trained and experienced engineers who designed the car decided their setup was effective enough without a need to power the rear wheels.
In fact, a little extra power, sticky tires and a good coilover/swaybar setup will probably put you on par with an STi or Evo. It's not like FWD is that bad a setup, the AWD guys still contend with understeer just like FWD does.
If you want security in the snow/rain, get awd, or...*gasp* drive carefully in your FWD and you'll be fine. Youre not missing much.
We Are Ninja
Member
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- 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 GT; 2004 Mazda 6 Wagon
Truth. I drove an Impreza for 5 years, and the only time the AWD was ever a plus was when we got snow or flashfloods. It handled much like an FF with vague steering. Not saying that AWD's can't be made to handle. The STi, Evo, and GT-R are proof positive, but they aren't "lithe" or "nimble" in the conventional sense. Not in the "zoom-zoom" sense...
I ***** an M5 in my NA Impreza in the snow once... It was so awesome...
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TMR Net Shark
Member
About 90% of the time, those cars only use 2WD (Evo is FWD, the other two are RWD). So for a daily driver could not tell the difference between the two.
krimsonviper
Member
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- 2010 Mazda3 i-Touring
i kind of figured out of the handling experience, RWD is by far the best when it comes to racing, but its all out of the drivers comfortability. Some can make a AWD handle better than RWD, with a few mods. FWD can handle better than both with a few mods. so on and so forth, but out of the box, i think i'll take RWD. I'd rather deal with oversteer than understeer. you can drift(yes i said drift) to correct in RWD, while in the other types you're pretty much just ******
I would rather handle a drift in awd than have to deal with fwd....although the handbrake can work wonders on a fwd car.....I had some fun this past winter in my 3, using it to correct some turns in a blizzard....although it was kind of fun, I think I would still prefer awd, even if it's not full-time or whatever
We Are Ninja
Member
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- 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 GT; 2004 Mazda 6 Wagon
I thought the Evo was full-time AWD... Go figure.shockdoctor
Member
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- '07 Speed3 GT Cosmic Blue
The Focus and the Protege' are the same basic vehicle, and they share the same useless trunk. The opening of the trunk is what makes it useless. The hatch on the MS3 is much larger and the cargo area is as big as many suv's. The look of the sedan just screams "rental car" IMO. Sedans and pickups are the official car of the unaware and clueless. (imo).
