New MazdaSpeed6 may not happen

The current Mazdaspeed6 has good performance, an attainable price point, and aggressive (if slightly homely) looks, but it hasn't exactly set the world on fire on the showroom floor. Part of the problem is that car buyers can get 268 hp Camrys and Accords with near-equal performance and superior fuel economy. The Speed6 weighs as much as a Sherman tank, too. We were hoping that the next edition of the Speed6 would succeed where the current generation didn't, but it doesn't look like there will be a next time. Mazda6 program manager Ryuichi Umeshita points out that the next 6 will be larger in the US than in other regions, which means Mazda would be paying for two different development programs. Any Speed6 would play for a smaller audience too, since the US edition would need different tuning than Europe/Australia and vice-versa. In the end, Umeshita basically said that he doesn't see big enough potential demand to make a Speed edition worth Mazda's time and money.

On the bright side, even though the next Mazda6 will be roomier and more refined than the model it replaces, it will also likely keep its zoom zoom character. The brilliant engineers at Mazda took an MPS minivan platform and created the large yet fun to drive CX-9, so it's fairly safe to expect good things of the next 6. Besides, if Mazda can wrestle from Ford the same 273 hp 3.7L V6 used in the CX-9, then any turbo talk will likely be in-material anyway.

[Source: GoAuto via Motor Authority]