run in with a Probe

kep0ne

Member
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2001 Mazda Protege MP3
had a run with a late model probe last night. 100% sure it wasn't a V6...had to be the same 4banger we had.

he had passed me up earlier on a long straight...we weren't on the freeway btw. and remembering that probes have the same engine we do, i decided to catch up and line it up with him. he looked over and i did and it turned green. we both rolled off the line...i punched it and he followed suit. then the dreaded 1-2 shift...i lost about half a car due to that crappy shift. hit redline in 2nd...3rd...started pulling on him. it was dead even by the time we got close to the red light ahead...felt like a good run, but definitely had me begging for a turbo...or at least a better shifter.
 
reading on specs of the last model probe that came out...it had to have been a V6...the I4 in the base Probe was pretty weak...on par with civics and such. so maybe i kept up with a V6?

the base probe gt (V6) had 164hp/160lbs, compared to the I4 118/124...a bit hard to decide as i don't know what they put out to the wheels.

i wish i would have spoken to the guy after...

either way i had fun...but what do you guys think?
 
Let me tell you. I installed the B&M short shifter yesterday, and it would have helped you, BUT the 1-2 shift is still bad. I don't know why it's so bad. 2-3 and 3-4 are instantanious though.
 
One of my coworkers owns a 93 Probe with the six cylinder and a five speed. I was able to completely burn her on several runs across the parking lot for s**** and giggles. I thought it might have been due to her shifting, but she let my best friend take the wheel for a run and still held him all the way into fourth gear. Around fourth gear is when you run out of Home Depot parking lot to drive on :)

After driving the car myself it is readily apparent the similarities between it and other Mazdas. Same car as the MX6 basically, is it not? Retains the zoom-zoominess of other Mazdas.
 
It is basicly the same car. Like most ford mazda combos the probe was intended to be less luxurious cutting price when compared to the MX-6.
 
The Probe GT V-6 and the MX-6 LS V-6 had the same engine but slightly different tuning. IIRC the Mazda had a little less HP but more torque. I have both a 1993 MX-6 V-6 and an MP3 and the MX-6 is faster in a straight line than the MP3. The MP3 is faster in the turns. The early MX-6's were a little lighter and thus a little quicker than the later cars. My MX-6 is about one half second quicker to 60 MPH than my MP3, 7.6 sec vs 8.2.
 
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