RIP: MazdaSpeed6 and Mazda6 Sport Wagon killed off for '08
click above image for high-res pics of the 2007 MazdaSpeed6
Mazda has released details about various changes for its 2008 model line, but only two points of interest concern us. Both the MazdaSpeed6 and Mazda6 Sport Wagon have been discontinued for the 2008 model year. The demise of the Sport Wagon comes at the hands of higher demand for the standard Sports Sedan and Mazda6 5-door. We say too bad, as the Mazda6 Sport Wagon was a kiddie hauler with some attitude, and we're surprised it gets the shaft before the 5-door sedan hatchback model.
If everyone could now take a moment to tip their 40-ounce for the all-wheel-drive MazdaSpeed6... thank you. This was a unique sports sedan, if based only on the fact that it utilized a turbo four-cylinder producing 270 horsepower rather than the more common 3.5L-and-above V6 mills that so many other automakers choose for their sports sedans. Some say it had a harsh ride, we say it was sharp. And the hood bulge, fender-filling wheels and dual-exhaust should tip you off anyway that this isn't milktoast.
One glimmer of hope that was found in Mazda's press release is the fact that the all-new Mazda6 (did you see the spyshots?) will not be a 2008 model, but more likely a 2009. So, if the fates are on our side, and we believe they are, the MazdaSpeed6 will return in a couple of years after the new model debuts and gets settled in. This time, however, we doubt it will packing as few as four cylinders.
[Source: Mazda via Kicking Tires]
Gallery: 2007 MazdaSpeed6
Gallery: 2007 Mazda6 Sport Wagon
PRESS RELEASE:
MAZDA6 Sports Sedan & 5-Door*
The MAZDA6 set new standards for performance, driver appeal and styling when it was launched four years ago. As a vehicle that married sports performance with refinement and practicality, it has proven a huge sales success and picked up more than 70 awards for automotive excellence.
For 2008, the MAZDA6 gets even better with a new standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), BOSE ® stereo system (Touring models) and 17-inch alloy wheels (i Sport models).
New or enhanced for 2008:
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) standard on all models
Standard BOSE ® stereo system (Touring models)
Standard 17-inch alloy wheels (i Sport models)
New exterior colors – Volcanic Red (4-door model) and Silver Metallic
Standard security alarm system (Sport VE and Touring)
*To better meet customer demands for the MAZDA6 Sports Sedan and 5-Door, the MAZDA6 Sport Wagon will be discontinued for the 2008 model year.
MAZDASPEED6
Produced only in limited quantities, the MAZDASPEED6 will be discontinued for the 2008 model year.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
carfan 3:40PM (7/20/2007)
The spelling is "milquetoast." :-) GOOD word, though.
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Jay Evans 3:50PM (7/20/2007)
Mazdaspeeds are always limited time cars. Usually appearing a couple of years before that model ends production.
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JWP 4:07PM (7/20/2007)
They killed off the wagon? Yeeeehawwww. Now I can probably convince my wife to let me get the BMW 328 sport wagon!
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Ian 4:16PM (7/20/2007)
Sounds like they will soon need the factory space to produce a very early intro of the new 2009 Mazda 6. This new model could be even better. Given the nice powerful V6 it will share with Ford a Speed model should be quite something to top that:)
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why not the LS2/LS7? 5:05PM (7/20/2007)
"nice powerful V6 shared with a Ford" is an oxymoron.
Keldon 4:15PM (7/20/2007)
Whoopdeedoo...they were styling nightmares anyway. I wish someone would tell Mazda that those cheesy lower side sills went out of style in the 90's.
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Max Merak 8:04PM (7/20/2007)
Oh, come now: the Accord and Camry look worse. The 6 looks pretty handsome to me.
Ligor 10:45AM (7/22/2007)
I second it.
the 6 is not a looker, and that interior seems awfull as well.
take a look at the sterring wheel grain on the plastic.
iamhoff 4:19PM (7/20/2007)
Sport station wagons (not pseudo hatchbacks like the A3) are really cool in a freaky way. Back in OC where I used to live, somebody took a last gen Buick Roadmaster wagon and, didn't drop in the Impala SS motor, but a built LS1 bored out to 383 ci. Freaky cool stuff. That being said, I think I've seen maybe 3 Mazda6 wagons on the road, that includes in and around their headquarters in Irvine. The 5 door, on the other hand, is sweet, reminds me of my old 626 GT turbo 5 door, and is on my short list of consideration if I can forgo an SUV next time. Interestingly, with the spy shots AB posted earlier that said the 3.5 was coming, I was gleefully wondering what motor the 'Speed version was going to have to carry to outdo the 3.5. Should be fun.
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Steve 4:21PM (7/20/2007)
Mazda typically runs a MS version for two years near the end of the product cycle. While the MS will go you may see it back in 2010 or 2011. MS models are special editions with short runs. Still hoping they will put out a MS version of the RX8 but…
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Doogs 4:21PM (7/20/2007)
I'm guessing this is due to 2008 being, in all probability, an abbreviated model year.
The 2009 Mazda6 is getting pretty close. I'd expect we'll see it debut at Frankfurt, Tokyo, or perhaps Detroit, with the production models hitting dealerships next summer.
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Jruhi4 4:33PM (7/20/2007)
It would be cool (but, I'll admit, unlikely) that, with the MazdaSpeed6 out of the picture for '08, its smaller MazdaSpeed3 sibling would get the MS6's drivetrain, AWD and extra horses and all.
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Jason 4:47PM (7/20/2007)
Good riddens. The things cluttered our highways with black plastic center caps. Ugh.
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Corey L 4:49PM (7/20/2007)
First the Legacy GT wagon nixed, now this? Really dwindles that segment to European offerings.
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YouFaceTheTick 4:57PM (7/20/2007)
Good riddance. The MS6 was overweight, offered a FWD-bias AWD system, had crappy gearing and its clutch was the suck. If they do it again, hopefully they'll do it right.
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James Sonne 5:43PM (7/20/2007)
All true, but I would say the FWD bias wasn't a big deal. It wasn't so bad as to spin the inside wheel on a hard turn or anything. And all cars are designed to understeer these days. But to release a car without a gear for highway cruising is ridiculous. But the brakes were amazing, and the build quality was great.
mr.ed 5:34PM (7/20/2007)
That oughta kill the resale on my 6 wagon, as well as the one a few doors away, and the new one across the street with the 30 day tags still on it. No more Focus, Accord or Camry wagons, either. Just nice, profitable, overweight CUV's. What's wrong with this picture?
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BCM 5:40PM (7/20/2007)
The 5-door liftback doesn't have the wagon-y look, which is apparently out of fashion, has only 2 cubic feet less cargo space with the seats down (and only 8 cubic feet less with the seats up--with seats up the liftback has 17% more trunk space than a Cadillac DTS; a bit larger even than a Ford Five Hundred, er, Taurus, which has a huge trunk), and can be had with the 2.3l I4, which provides adequate power with approximately 20-25% better real-world fuel economy than the V6-only wagon.
I suspect that Mazda is aware of how many of each model they are currently selling, what their marginal profits are, how much the wagon-unique parts cost, and how much factory space they have available, and therefore can calculate the optimal model mix.
If the new model is indeed to be badged a 2009, then I agree that the 2008 model year may be abbreviated and it may make sense to concentrate production in the best-selling models.
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John Metcalf 10:53AM (7/23/2007)
The stats may indicate that the 5-door has almost as much cargo room as the wagon, but the full height space of the wagon allows for a lot more flexibility than the hatch (which I also like b.t.w.). My two dogs probably wouldn't appreciate having the hatch slammed down on their heads.
I mourn the loss of yet another wagon in the American market.
geo.stewart 7:54PM (7/20/2007)
supposedly, the new model is to come to the US in the spring, similar to the jetta a few years ago.
works for me, I got my Jetta GLI right before the Gen 5 crap came out. maybe I can swing a similar deal on a mazda6 for Christmas this yr.
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