Mazdaspeed3 really is that good
Need more evidence that youth is wasted on the young?
Mazda’s new-for-‘07 Mazdaspeed3 is the latest entry in a category that might as well be called “Why Didn’t They Make That When I was a Kid?”
I’m not bitter, but I am jealous. Ever since my kid got his first Big Wheel, I’ve struggled to accept that his generation would have the best toys.
We had Frisbees and Hula Hoops. We cobbled together our own skateboards.
When we got older, we thought a hot compact was a Beetle with 88-millimeter pistons and an extractor.
These days, a young person who wants to combine sport and practicality has a wide range of choices, and it just got wider.
The compact Mazdaspeed3 is the hot-shoe iteration of Mazda’s Mazda3. It’s available only as a hatchback, with a base price of $22,835.
For power, which is only the most obvious of its virtues, it gets the same turbocharged, four-cylinder engine as its larger siblings, the Mazdaspeed6 and CS-7 crossover SUV.
And you know what happens when you install an engine meant for a larger vehicle into a smaller one.
Zoom-zoom.
A Rolling Lab
The 2.3-liter four is the beneficiary of some slick technology. The turbo’s intercooler combines with direct-injection technology to reduce interior cylinder temperatures. Cooler air is denser air, which makes for a bigger bang.
The engine makes 263 horsepower and 280 foot-pounds of torque.
Cooler cylinder temperatures also enable higher compression ratios, which boosts low- and mid-range torque by some 10 percent. Peak torque occurs at just 3,000 rpm.
Nice, considering low-end torque is the traditional Achilles heel of turbocharged engines.
Torque Management
The Mazdaspeed3 is a front-driver, raising the ugly specter of torque steer. Torque is twist and manifests itself by wrenching the engine around in its mounts.
In a front-drive setup, the wheels that power the car are the same wheels that steer it. Under acceleration, the natural response of a lightweight, high-powered front-drive car is to pull hard to the right.
Mazda counters torque steer by balancing the hardened steel half-shafts, which carry the power from the engine to the wheels. Software algorithms limit torque output in first and second gears — where its effects are most dramatic — and whenever the front wheels angle into a turn.
Finally, the drive-by-wire throttle is programmed to minimize wanton torque spikes.
Some Stiffening Required
To stiffen the body to handle the additional power, Mazda adds reinforcing elements to the front cowl and floor tunnel. The former also prevents deformation of the shock towers to maintain proper suspension geometry. A gusset at the bottom end of the rear suspension towers serves the same role in back.
Higher spring rates and fatter stabilizer bars increase roll stiffness by 60 percent and ride height is lowered 10 millimeters from stock.
Skin-Deep Beauty, Too
Tastefully applied go-fast add-ons are both functional and decorative. There are 10-spoke, 18-inch wheels and an aerodynamic front bumper and side sills. A broad, deep-set lower grille feeds air to the radiator; the upper grille serves the intercooler.
Strong character lines integrate the grille with the hood and fenders are wider than stock by 22 millimeter, clearing the way for the big wheels.
Other details include a hatch-mounted rear spoiler and chrome exhaust tip.
Red stitching on the seats, steering wheel and shift knob brightens the otherwise monochromatic black interior. Red details also appear on the deeply bolstered sport seats, dash, gauge cluster and instrument panel.
Pedals are drilled aluminum, the seats are done out in a sturdy fabric and all the materials seem to be of a uniformly high quality.
There’s plenty of room up front and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. Rear seats are adequate for a pair of smaller adults and the four-door layout makes life lots easier for parents.
The rear seatbacks fold down to enhance the little hatch’s cargo-carrying capabilities and a full set of airbags includes curtain-style bags.
Adding It Up
Conventional wisdom argues against front-drive performance cars (even Mazda’s MX5 Miata sports car is a rear-driver). But cars like the Mazdaspeed3 wouldn’t exist without the support of their more prosaic brethren, so compromise is in order.
Pushed hard off the line, the hot hatch wants to surge to the right — but only until the software restores order.
Unleashed in the upper gears, the engine finds its sweet spot between 3000 and 5550 rpm. The six-speed shifter feels a little remote from the action, but works well enough to enable sub-six-second 0-60 sprints. Mazda says top speed is governed at 155 mph.
The limited-slip diff reduces understeer in hard cornering and the 18-inch performance tires provide abundant grip. Body roll is minimal and the Mazdaspeed3 attacks quick transitions with stability and precision. Steering is quick and accurate and reasonably communicative.
I try not to let it get to me but the Mazdaspeed3 is just another knife-twist administered by a generation that almost certainly doesn’t know how good it has it.
Darn kids, anyway.