Returned from Toronto Auto Show - saw the 3 MSP's

[Grimace]

Well, I went to the autoshow from 10 AM to 10 PM yesterday. My legs felt like I had run a 30 km race last night. Sat in just about everything that was open. Too many nice cars, not enough money (story of all our lives, eh?)

Anyway, I saw the 2003 Orange MSP, the 2003.5 Titanium MSP and 2003.5 Yellow MSP all in the same area.
Foglights
A friend took a digital camera, but this was the only picture that came out O.K. It is a closeup of the front of the Titanium MSP's facia where the foglight would be on the MP3/2003 MSP. I took it for newf because he was wondering about installing the foglights from the 2003 MSP/MP3 in the front of the 2003.5 MSP. Essentially, you won't be able to do it without taking the front lip off and removing the honeycomb grill. I think this is the first picture that shows the grill actually in the spot where the foglight would be. Installing a foglight in front of the grill would be tricky, because the grill is so far forward, so the depth of the fog would have to be pretty small (~2"). (Sorry Newf, I lost my tape measure somewhere at the show. And my water bottle. So if anyone sees a ribbon tape measure and a blue water bottle, please Fed Ex them to my address. )
Anyway, just by eyeballing it, it is obvious the foglight from the 2003 won't go in the 2003.5 without removing the lip and the grill. The lip itself takes away a total of 1" in height, and 1" and width, and the grill takes away a lot in depth.
Colour
The titanium wasn't as dark as I was expecting, but it was quite attractive. Very stealthy. It was metallic, but not obviously so until you got close (within 10 ft). The pictures that digi168 posted in this thread show the colour the best I think. Many other pictures have shown it too dark. The yellow car was metallic too, but the metallic flecks are the same gold mica flecks as on the orange car. Gold flecks against a yellow paint don't show up as well as they do on the orange, but they do lend a bit of sparkle to the paint. My girlfriend and I both liked the yellow too, its just not for me.

 

[Grimace]

Spoiler
Not as bad in person. I still like the 2003 spoiler better, but I wouldn't pass up on a 2003.5 just because of the spoiler. My g/f liked it better on the 2003.5, actually.
Front lip
Lended a different look to the front end altogether. It was subtly aggressive. I still have the concern that it will be a dirt collector around its edge. One other thing: on the titanium car it fit fairly well, but on the yellow car there was a nasty gap in front of the passenger tire of about 5 mm between the lip and the body. When I pressed on it, it stuck to the body for 2 seconds, then popped out and deformed again. I think they are held on by sticky tape (?) and this one was warped for some reason. But lots of cars had problems/pieces broken off/scratches, so blame it on show circuit wear and tear.
Shift knob
Didn't like the 2003.5 shift knob as much as the 2003. Of course, it wouldn't be a deal breaker. It was a lot bigger than the 2003, a good 0.75 - 1" larger in diameter.
Yellow stitching
What can I say other than it looked good. It isn't quite as noticeable as the orange stitching, but it still stands out.
Wheels
The yellow MSP had the darker colour wheels, but they really aren't a whole lot darker than the 2003's. I wish they had put the darker wheels on the titanium one instead so I could see how it looked. The yellow MSP was actually a finished car. The titanium one used the shift knob and wheels from the 2003, and it had no stereo in it (just a blank piece of plastic). I didn't get to sit in either one, although I asked nicely. I asked the Mazda guy: "On the Mazdaspeed, do you think it would be possible..." he was already shaking his head no by this point. What an idiot. What if the end of my sentence was "...to lay down a deposit?" rather than "sit in one?" :wtf: Moron.

 

[Grimace]

Other cars
The Mazda6 was very nice, my friend was quite impressed. A little too big for my needs. but if I had a small family, this would be my car of choice. I loved the RX-8. If I had $40k, you guys would never see me in this forum.
The redesigned WRX kicked a$$. I love the new front end. The seats in that thing are fantastic. Same with the seats in the RSX. Why can't we get side bolstering like that in our MSP?
I really checked out the Spec V. I liked the shape and feel of the shift knob. Even with the new transmission, it still doesn't have the best shift feel, though its improved. Still makes plasticy sounds as you row it through the gears. The seats didn't feel as heavily bolstered as I remember though. The interior, other than the seats and shift knob, doesn't feel very special. Too much dark plastic. The silver accents in the MSP really help to brighted the interior. When I was in the Spec V, it made me feel like I wanted to drive it. When I was in the MSP, it made me feel like I wanted to dance with it. I know thats corny, but I don't know how else to describe it.
I love the styling of the new 9-3. In black, this thing looks incredible. And it definately wins the "cupholder of the year" award. The 9-5 takes second place. Every upscale manufacturer had some trick cupholder, it was by far the most amusing thing of the whole show to check them all out.
Well, I won't bore your any further. If you'd like me to comment on any specific car, let me know; I probably checked it out sometime during the 12 hours I was there.

 

[Newf]

so what color u choosing

I've known all along that the grill would have to be cut in the 2003.5. Thanks for the pic though. Surpirsed you don't have more!

I'm still sticking with the grey. I just love it too much. I'm convinced that with a little thought, we'll get some fogs to fit fine. May have to modify the stock bracket, make it longer or something, or shave the inside of the front lip some.

 

[Limited Edition]

Grimace...
I must Congratulate you for attending the Toronto Auto Show for 12 hours! You are definately a certifiable car nut.
Even me, being a car fanactic, i can't be at any Auto Show for 12 hours...That's crazy. i think to go through the Detroit Auto Show, would take a good 12 hours, but after 6 hours of it, i got tired and sick of seeing things i couldn't ever purchase.

Anyway, Now that you've been the 3 colours in person, which one is it going to be?

I have to agree with you, that the 2004 Scoobie WRX is very nice indeed. i saw it at the Detroit Show, and i must say if i had the $ for one, i'd pick it. How did you like the WRX STi? I think that's the sweetest car for the value. Insane PowER!

Your comment on the Shift Knob - I think you'll be happy with the '03.5 shift snob, if you ever row the '03 at first, you'll find it small. Even after 3 months of ownership i can still admit that it's on the small side, but i've gotten used to it.

The spolier really isn't that bad in real life. Yes, it's big, but it's a nice big. Did you notice the upper rear deck 3rd brake light?

I think this '03.5 Titanium Grey is the exact one from the Detroit Show, because the one i saw didn't have a hear deck in it either. It was ripped out. The Wheels are the same one on my '03. Not darker.

I don't think you should worry too much about the lip collecting dirt, because when a car gets dirty, it will be Dirty!
You can't get away with it.

Although the new front lip looks good, i would much rather have the AutoExe aftermarket lip on my '03.

I think the yellow stiching looks great in the on the blazing yellow MSP, but could use a different stiching on the titanium colour. Maybe ReD?

Do you know if there's a '03.5 flyer for the MSP? I'd like to see one of those. If it's any different from the '03.

What would you rate this year's Auto Show?

There's one car i'm interested in.... Did the VW GTI 20th aniversary Show up???

 

[Grimace]

By the way, the top two pics here are a good picture of the RX-8 in the same colour in naturally lighting. I think this is what the paint would look like on the 2003.5 MSP on a nice sunny day.

Well Newf and L.E., both cars are killer, but are very different in personality.
The grey is stealthly, subdued, and won't attract much attention. Hardly anyone noticed it, but lots of people checked out the yellow (and of course the orange on the huge inclined ramp).
The orange one screams "Look at me!" and will turn a lot of heads just because of the colour.
My g/f and I looked at both cars for a very long time. She thought that when she saw the titanium car, she would instantly prefer it over the orange car, but that wasn't the case. After much discussion, we thought that the orange exterior suited the nature of the car more, and we love the gold sparkle in the paint.
I don't think I'll mind the attraction I'll get while driving the car, and with a little resolve, I'll ignore all the punks who want to race me.
I have seen the orange colour under cloudy conditions, and it does lose some luster (literally and figuretively) when the sun isn't shining. But the days when the sun is out will make up for it in spades. (mspo)
So I'm set on the orange, for the reasons above, plus I don't want to wait too much longer to replace my car. I don't want to dump even more money into a 93 Sunfire (I've already spent $2500 the past few months alone to keep it going). Since then my windshield cracked, my exhaust snapped off in front of the cat. converter (talk about loud), the battery is barely hanging on, and a spring broke on the right front corner. It needs brakes, front tires, rear struts, and a variety of other things, and I don't trust it enough to keep it until summertime when the 2003.5's come out. I commute 124 km every day, so its perhaps a good idea to get something a bit more reliable (not to mention safe).
I'm sure you'll be happy with your titanium car Newf. Its a very nice colour (and it will be super-easy to touch up!) and the styling is distinct from the 2003 MSP/MP3. (silverpro)

 

[Limited Edition]

Do i hear Spicy Orange from Grimace???

Either way you go, you're a winner.
Good choice! (2thumbs)

The orange is Dul under grey skies and when it's dirty, but once you wash it and the sun is under it.... It's another world.

 

[AGR]

Do i hear Spicy Orange from Grimace???

Either way you go, you're a winner.
Good choice! (2thumbs)

The orange is Dul under grey skies and when it's dirty, but once you wash it and the sun is under it.... It's another world.

The Orange is very sharp, and if I were in my early 20s, I might have gone that route (that is the color I first test drove). It's like the yellow that is so popular now (which looks great on the IS300 & the 03.5 MAZDASPEED - although maybe a different shade), I just think, I would grow tired of it. Color choices are a very personal matter.

 

[Grimace]

Originally posted by Limited Edition
Grimace...
I must Congratulate you for attending the Toronto Auto Show for 12 hours! You are definately a certifiable car nut.
Even me, being a car fanactic, i can't be at any Auto Show for 12 hours...That's crazy. i think to go through the Detroit Auto Show, would take a good 12 hours, but after 6 hours of it, i got tired and sick of seeing things i couldn't ever purchase.

It was a marathon! Went first with a friend, then he left and my g/f showed up. My friend and I checked out the mini-utes, luxury barges, pocket rockets, and the cars we could never afford. My g/f was there to give her opinion on the MSPs and do some car shopping for herself. She looking in the high-teens/low-20's canadian range. Surprisingly, she was very impressed with the Elantra GT 5-door hatch. Didn't like the Neon (couldn't get comfortable in it). The Tiburon and the Celica were "too cool for her". The RSX she loved to pieces - the seats, fit and finish, and understated styling appealed to her, so she might try and find one used. The Civic SiR hatchback she liked and wants to test drive to see if the funky shifter would be easy to live with. Loved the base Mini Cooper. Wasn't a fan of the Lancer, it wasn't distinctive enough inside or outside. She liked the Sentra GXE, but it was "forgetable", nothing to exciting about it. The Golf CL makes the list (she's always been a VW fan).


Anyway, Now that you've been the 3 colours in person, which one is it going to be?

Going with the orange, see above for my long, drawn out reasoning.

I have to agree with you, that the 2004 Scoobie WRX is very nice indeed. i saw it at the Detroit Show, and i must say if i had the $ for one, i'd pick it. How did you like the WRX STi? I think that's the sweetest car for the value. Insane PowER!
It was awesome! My friend died when he heard the price. "For that thing?" He's not a performance buff, what can I say. I drooled over it myself.

Your comment on the Shift Knob - I think you'll be happy with the '03.5 shift snob, if you ever row the '03 at first, you'll find it small. Even after 3 months of ownership i can still admit that it's on the small side, but i've gotten used to it.

My current car has an aftermarked knob that is even skinnier than the 2003 knob. I guess its all what you're used to. But you're right, I could get used to either knob over time.


The spolier really isn't that bad in real life. Yes, it's big, but it's a nice big. Did you notice the upper rear deck 3rd brake light?
No, I missed it! I also forgot to check out the difference in seat fabric between the 03 and 03.5. I think I would've gotten kicked out if I tried to climb the ramp the 03 was on to compare fabrics. I was already getting odd looks when I layed underneath it on the ramp checking out the rear swaybar set up (it is very lacking design wise.) Mazda should have just used the Racing Beat design. No wonder the bushings have so many problems being that far inboard.

I think this '03.5 Titanium Grey is the exact one from the Detroit Show, because the one i saw didn't have a hear deck in it either. It was ripped out. The Wheels are the same one on my '03. Not darker.
Agreed.


I don't think you should worry too much about the lip collecting dirt, because when a car gets dirty, it will be Dirty!
You can't get away with it.

Although the new front lip looks good, i would much rather have the AutoExe aftermarket lip on my '03.
What I would worry about is the gaps between the lip and the body and dirt accumulating in there, and potentially damaging the paint and/or adhesive holding the lip on. The fit of the lip wasn't great, but it would likely (hopefully) be improved for the actual production units.

I think the yellow stiching looks great in the on the blazing yellow MSP, but could use a different stiching on the titanium colour. Maybe ReD?
That would be hot.

Do you know if there's a '03.5 flyer for the MSP? I'd like to see one of those. If it's any different from the '03.
No, they didn't have anything. In fact, the spec boards by each of the 2003.5s listed the cars as "2003 Mazdaspeed Protege (Orange)". Ummmm, yeah, strange shade of orange buddy.

What would you rate this year's Auto Show?
9/10, it was very good. It would have been a 10/10 if some people were a little more courteous. For example, there had to be 200 kids running around with no parents in sight, and occasionally they would sit in a vehicle I wanted to check out, and not budge, while the parents were off who knows where. And when we wanted to check out an RSX, some ghetto looking guy and "his homey" were taking a nap in the front seats.


There's one car i'm interested in.... Did the VW GTI 20th aniversary Show up???
No, I was looking forward to seeing that too (or the R32 in a perfect world. ) They had a GTi VR6, but that was as close as they got.

I forgot to mention: The SRT-4 was there! The seats look awesome (it was locked) but I was underwhelmed with the car as a whole. Maybe if it was in black I would have liked it more (sucker for black cars I am).

 

[Grimace]

The Orange is very sharp, and if I were in my early 20s, I might have gone that route (that is the color I first test drove). It's like the yellow that is so popular now (which looks great on the IS300 & the 03.5 MAZDASPEED - although maybe a different shade), I just think, I would grow tired of it. Color choices are a very personal matter.

Yep, orange it is. I happen to be in my mid 20's (24).

And you're right, colour choices are a very personal matter, and in the future, I don't think I'll worry so much about what my co-workers/friends/family think. I'll just go for what I like and say "screw the rest of them!"

In fact, there was a metallic violet Mazda6 at the show (a one-off) that I loved. Man, if I could get the car in that colour, I'd be set for life. (My nickname is Grimace for a reason, and not because I steal everyone's milkshakes).

 

[Limited Edition]

Organized reply.
How do you quote each of my questions in bold and reply to them?

i sat in the SRT-4 at Detroit and the seats are increbile. They reminded me of the Recaro display seats they had at Import Fest that i sat on. They are soo supportive, but if you're a big dude, these seats aren't for you. The guages and steering wheel is awesome. Even the shifter in nice and solid from a neon but the shifter height is tall!

The Autometer Boost guage is located at a good location, but when i put my hand on it, the guage was about to fall off. I think i could have ripped it off if i tugged hard enough.

of the 12 hours at the Show, who knows how long you were at the MSP booth , you didn't notice the 3rd brake light?
You're no longer a certified car nut.


it would be pretty cool if the Orange MSP on the steep incline, had it's door unlocked, then you could secretly climb in and sit in for the longest time w/o anyone knowing.

 

[Newf]

so, we still don't know what a finsihed grey one looks like because the wheels weren't on it



My quest will never be over. Why can 't Maza release fome f'n press pictures of the final cars!!!!!