Boy Racers Rejoice MazdaSpeed3 is capable of hyperspeed.
By ROGER HART
AutoWeek | Published 09/12/06, 8:40 am et
AT A GLANCE: 2007 MAZDASPEED3
ON SALE: October
BASE PRICE: $22,835
POWERTRAIN: 2.3-liter, 263-hp, 280-lb-ft I4; fwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3153 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 5.9 seconds (est.)
FUEL MILEAGE (EPA COMBINED): 23.6
Mazda didnt invent the sport compact segment but it seems fairly intent on making sure those who care about pocket rockets pay attention to the cars coming from Hiroshima.
Case in point: the MazdaSpeed3. With a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.3-liter four-cylinder making 263 hp at 5500 rpm and 280 lb-ft at 3000 rpm, the new Mazda will dust the VW GTI and Honda Civic Sitwo of the Speed3s major competitorsin a drag race. Mazda claims sub six-second 0 to 60 mph times, and in our first test of the car we found it to be a tire-smoking ball of fun to drive. Spool up the turbo, drop the clutch and it will smoke the 18-inch sport tires all the way through first gear, give you a loud chirp when you grab second and another when third is engaged. If you dont like the short first gear, select second, rev up the engine, dump the clutch and leave your friends in a cloud of blue smoke. The car is electronically limited to 155 mph.
To handle potential cornering speeds, Mazda engineers beefed up the chassis, adding supports to the front and rear suspension mounts to keep the wheels from changing camber during hard corners. Also, extra stiffness was added to the center tunnel. The extra steel adds 15 pounds to the MazdaSpeed3s body-in-white weight over a standard Mazda3. http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CW&Date=20060912&Category=FREE&ArtNo=60911018&Ref=V2&Profile=1024&maxw=490
The Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine is the same powerplant used in the MazdaSpeed6 and CX-7. The compact design has the intercooler mounted on top of the engine with ductwork beneath the hood routing cool air to the intake.
The key to the engines power delivery, says Ruben Archilla, Mazdas general manager for product development, is the direct fuel injection. With fuel pressure of 115 bar [115 times atmospheric pressure] we get a precise injection of fuel close to where it will be ignited. As the fuel is injected into the cylinder there is a rapid drop in pressure which cools the fuel and gives a denser charge. A denser charge gives us more torque, a faster turbo spool-up and a faster catalyst heat up for better emissions, he said.
Running nearly 300 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels can be a recipe for torque-steer disaster. Coupled with an electronic torque limiter in first and second gears, Mazda engineers installed half-shafts of differing diameters to thwart the problem and it seems to work. You still want the front wheels pointed straight when you launch the car, but torque steer is managed quite well. http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CW&Date=20060912&Category=FREE&ArtNo=60911018&Ref=V3&Profile=1024&maxw=490 Our complaints are minor: Brakes are merely adequate; the clutch operates much like a light switchall on or all off; and the booming exhaust was tiring after a long highway drive, although the kids will probably love it.
Single-piston calibers grab ventilated 12.6-inch rotors in the front and solid 11-inch discs in the back. Lapping the hilly, 11-turn Laguna Seca Raceway the brake pedal started getting spongy on our second lap. Our test cars were fitted with stock brakessome manufacturers install racing pads when lapping at tracksand with a base price of $22,835, its hard to complain too much about the cars stopping power. But with everything else on the car, from the direct steering, short-throw shifter and dynamite engine, wed prefer better brakes.
The interior differs little from a standard Mazda3 save for some MazdaSpeed trim pieces. It is a comfortable cabin with straightforward controls and an acceptable stereo. It is available in two trim levels; the base sport hatchback and grand touring hatchback that costs $715 more.
Only 5000 cars head for the States this model year, and many already have buyers.
By ROGER HART
AutoWeek | Published 09/12/06, 8:40 am et
AT A GLANCE: 2007 MAZDASPEED3
ON SALE: October
BASE PRICE: $22,835
POWERTRAIN: 2.3-liter, 263-hp, 280-lb-ft I4; fwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3153 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 5.9 seconds (est.)
FUEL MILEAGE (EPA COMBINED): 23.6
Mazda didnt invent the sport compact segment but it seems fairly intent on making sure those who care about pocket rockets pay attention to the cars coming from Hiroshima.
Case in point: the MazdaSpeed3. With a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.3-liter four-cylinder making 263 hp at 5500 rpm and 280 lb-ft at 3000 rpm, the new Mazda will dust the VW GTI and Honda Civic Sitwo of the Speed3s major competitorsin a drag race. Mazda claims sub six-second 0 to 60 mph times, and in our first test of the car we found it to be a tire-smoking ball of fun to drive. Spool up the turbo, drop the clutch and it will smoke the 18-inch sport tires all the way through first gear, give you a loud chirp when you grab second and another when third is engaged. If you dont like the short first gear, select second, rev up the engine, dump the clutch and leave your friends in a cloud of blue smoke. The car is electronically limited to 155 mph.
To handle potential cornering speeds, Mazda engineers beefed up the chassis, adding supports to the front and rear suspension mounts to keep the wheels from changing camber during hard corners. Also, extra stiffness was added to the center tunnel. The extra steel adds 15 pounds to the MazdaSpeed3s body-in-white weight over a standard Mazda3. http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CW&Date=20060912&Category=FREE&ArtNo=60911018&Ref=V2&Profile=1024&maxw=490
The key to the engines power delivery, says Ruben Archilla, Mazdas general manager for product development, is the direct fuel injection. With fuel pressure of 115 bar [115 times atmospheric pressure] we get a precise injection of fuel close to where it will be ignited. As the fuel is injected into the cylinder there is a rapid drop in pressure which cools the fuel and gives a denser charge. A denser charge gives us more torque, a faster turbo spool-up and a faster catalyst heat up for better emissions, he said.
Running nearly 300 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels can be a recipe for torque-steer disaster. Coupled with an electronic torque limiter in first and second gears, Mazda engineers installed half-shafts of differing diameters to thwart the problem and it seems to work. You still want the front wheels pointed straight when you launch the car, but torque steer is managed quite well. http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CW&Date=20060912&Category=FREE&ArtNo=60911018&Ref=V3&Profile=1024&maxw=490
Single-piston calibers grab ventilated 12.6-inch rotors in the front and solid 11-inch discs in the back. Lapping the hilly, 11-turn Laguna Seca Raceway the brake pedal started getting spongy on our second lap. Our test cars were fitted with stock brakessome manufacturers install racing pads when lapping at tracksand with a base price of $22,835, its hard to complain too much about the cars stopping power. But with everything else on the car, from the direct steering, short-throw shifter and dynamite engine, wed prefer better brakes.
The interior differs little from a standard Mazda3 save for some MazdaSpeed trim pieces. It is a comfortable cabin with straightforward controls and an acceptable stereo. It is available in two trim levels; the base sport hatchback and grand touring hatchback that costs $715 more.
Only 5000 cars head for the States this model year, and many already have buyers.
