Autoblog

First Drive: 2010 Mazdaspeed3, the five-door sports car evolved

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Mazda, First Drive

2010 Mazdaspeed3 - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's easy to dismiss Mazda's "Zoom-Zoom" tagline as insufferable marketing frippery. Unlike other automakers who relentlessly cling to past motorsport achievements or well-worn brand imagery, with Mazda, there's an overwhelming sense that its U.S. arm is made up of tried-and-true enthusiasts who put a premium on driver involvement and revel in their status as The Little Guy.

It's very grassroots. And it shows.

Each of Mazda's products - from the divine MX-5 to the oft-overlooked CX-7 - embodies everything we want in a vehicle, regardless of size, capacity or utility. They just deliver. Steering, handling, balance - it's all there. And like every other automaker, we know they occasionally leave something on the table, but it never comes at the expense of the car/driver connection. Here's even more evidence: the 2010 Mazdaspeed3.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

All photos copyright Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Mazdaspeed3, the five-door sports car evolved

First Drive: 2010 Mazdaspeed3, the five-door sports car evolved originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New York: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 is shiny, happy

Alex Nunez — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Performance, Hatchback, Mazda

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the 2010 Mazdaspeed3

Yes, we saw it in Geneva in MPS guise, but if you wander over to the New York Auto Show over the next week or so, you'll get to eyeball the U.S.-spec 2010 Mazdaspeed3 in person. By now, you should know what to expect:: 263 turbocharged hot-hatch horses mated to a six-speed manual. Inside, you'll find a nicely-organized cockpit dressed up with exterior-matching color accents on the seat fabric and carbon fauxber dash trim. This is all wrapped in brand-new sheetmetal that puts Mazda's new perma-smile corporate face front and center. If you like happy-looking pocket rockets, this is a match made in heaven. If Mazda's new happy face makes you feel sad, however, know that the used-car market will give you a shoulder to cry on. Live shots of the new Mazdaspeed3 are in the gallery below.

Gallery: New York: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

New York: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 is shiny, happy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Geneva 2009: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 (MPS), grin and bear it

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Mazda

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Mazdaspeed (MPS)

The outgoing Mazdaspeed3 had a lot going for it. The combination of a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four, six-speed manual, LSD and a practical hatch solidified its place in our hearts when it spent a week in the Autoblog Garage. While the aforementioned good stuff carries over to the redesigned 2010 model, any amount of stealth has been gobbled up by the new MPS' gaping maw.

Output is now rated at 256 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, and the new rear fascia with its Mazda6-inspired tail-lamps and darkened lower bumper looks great in person, but the Cheshire Cat grin and bulbous hood-scoop could give pause to buyers looking to fly below the radar while hunting WRXs and GTIs.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 (MPS)

Gallery: 2009 Mazda3 MPS (Mazdaspeed3)

Geneva 2009: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 (MPS), grin and bear it originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mazda3 MPS/Mazdaspeed3 rumored to appear at Geneva Motor Show

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Mazda

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Mazdaspeed3

We've already seen the 2010 Mazda3 in sedan and five-door form, but as much as we love the standard model in all of its guises, there's one variant we're anxiously awaiting. The 2010 Mazdaspeed3 (or MPS to our friends abroad) is on the way, and according to our sources, it's coming to the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The 2010 MS3 has some huge shoes to fill after we fell in love with the current model during its time in the Autoblog Garage. We've gotten confirmation that the prototype spied at the Nurburging in October is, in fact, the new Mazdaspeed variant, although it's still unclear what turbocharged engine is being fed by that massive hoodscoop.

Early reports indicated that Mazda's boffins were hard at work retuning the current turbo'd 2.3-liter four-cylinder for duty in the 2010 model, but why invest the time in an upgrade when there's a perfectly suitable - and hugely powerful - 2.5-liter five-cylinder available from the Ford parts bin? The turbocharged Duratec fitted to the 2010 Focus RS seems like the obvious choice, with 295 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque being channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual and limited slip differential. We can hope - no, pray - this is Mazda's plan. And we're going to find out in just over two months time.

Gallery: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 - spy shots

Mazda3 MPS/Mazdaspeed3 rumored to appear at Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: Mazdaspeed 3 spotted at the 'Ring

Noah Joseph — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Mazda

Click above for high-res gallery of 2010 Mazdaspeed3 spy shots

With the new 2010 Mazda3 on its way, the next logical question for any gearhead worth his driving shoes is when we'll set our eyes on the next Mazdaspeed version. Well, we have our answer already if the latest batch of spy shots are to be believed.

The current Mazdaspeed3, also known as the Mazda3 MPS in Europe and the Mazdaspeed Axela in the Japanese domestic market, is a veritable barn-stormer and Mazda's performance engineers will be eager to follow up with an even hotter version of the new model. This prototype, bearing all the hallmarks of the new 3 coupled with all manner of performance bolt-ons, was spotted lapping the vaunted Nürburgring Nordschleife wearing a bit of camo and a lot of speed. The shots reveal the presence of a big ol' hood scoop, oversized alloys, a full aero kit and dual exhaust. Of course, the next question is what engine will be crammed under that gaping bonnet vent, with some suggesting a revamped version of the current model's direct-inject 2.3-liter turbo four and others the Volvo-derived 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo slated to crank out 300 hp in the new Euro-only Ford Focus RS. Tantalizing options, both, but we'll just have to wait and see what the Zoom-Zoom crew have in store for us.

Gallery: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 - spy shots

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: Mazdaspeed 3 spotted at the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments