Zoom-Zoom with a vengeance!
The Mazdaspeed 3 may look like just another hatchback economy car but the spoiler that sits above the roofline and the air scoop on the hood, camouflaged under the sparkly black (schwarz, er, Black Mica) paint, are hints of more: a turbocharged 2.3-liter engine that produces 263 horsepower and 280 ft-lbs of torque, 96 horsepower more than the larger-displacement normal Mazda 3, the 2.5-liter version like my old Zoom-Zoom. The earlier generation of these cars was one of the first of the "hot hatch" cars—not Hatch chiles but wicked-fast hatchbacks.
I had contemplated buying one for a while but hesitated due to their reputation for being an over-enthusiastic handful to drive. After taking several on test drives I decided that I could live with one as a daily driver, then found the right one with the help of CarGurus.com. In Tacoma, Washington. Road trip!
It's not the most efficient everyday car but I don't drive many miles per year and thus am willing to trade some efficiency for megatons of fun on the bhangmeter. It still seats 4-5 people reasonably comfortably with some baggage in back, can haul a large dog, and will otherwise work hard when not playing. In everyday use fuel economy has been at least as good as the 2.5-liter Mazda 3, at least when we don't have too much fun.
As for those qualms about the car's quirks, if you're stupid it can kill you. Simple answer: don't be stupid. It is strong enough to break the front wheels loose in at least the first three gears, not with the crazy torque steer of my old Scirocco but with an unpredictable skitter depending upon which wheel breaks loose first. If you expect it you can easily manage it. Pay attention and work with the car and it will reward you with awesome performance and tons of fun. It's Jinba Ittai with a wild stallion. I regard the quirks as part of the challenge and the fun. (Read more from Mazda on the Jinba Ittai ideology.)
The Mazdaspeed's appearance is also part of the fun. It's just another boring little Japanese economy car ... right? Ok, there's that air scoop atop the hood and the rear spoiler peeking up above the rear roofline but they're relatively subtle, especially on a black car. Light the fuse, though, and even some Porsche drivers wonder what hit them. Flogged, triple-digit speeds appear in just over a quarter mile and at the first turn the car snuggles in, ready for serious fun. These days, I look forward to my commute!
Holy Toledo (Washington), Batman! |
Manzanita Rest Area Grants Pass, Oregon |
The hood's (bonnet's) air scoop feeds this intercooler |
Driver's view of the turbocharger |
Spoiler for airflow and downforce at the aft end |
Frog and (Mr.) Toad, with apologies to Arnold Lobel |
Bubbles! |
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a Mazdaspeed 3 |
(Mr.) Toad and Torpedo (Boat): Comparing numbers with SP 5623 |
Two very different track vehicles comparing numbers |
The Big Brake Kit (BBK), aka Stop-Stop for the Zoom-Zoom! |
Awaiting some upgrades |
Sunset photo shoot at Buttonwillow |
Track | Config | Days | Best |
---|---|---|---|
Buttonwillow | Race 13 | 2 | 2:13.698 |
Race 13 (CCW) | 1 | 2:16.947 | |
Laguna Seca | - | 12 | 1:51.508 |
Sonoma | - | 5 | 2:05.954 |
Thunderhill | East | 4.5 | 2:16.595 |
East (CW) | 0.5 | 2:21.854 | |
West | 2 | 1:33.132 | |
5-Mile | 2 | 4:05.644 | |
The Streets of Willow Springs | CW | 2.5 | 1:31.247 |
CCW | 1.5 | 1:34.606 | |
33 |
A rainy Golden Gate Lotus Club track day.
Another rainy Golden Gate Lotus Club track day.
A Golden Gate Lotus Club track day, with a foggy start but then sunny yet cool. Beautiful track weather! I experimented with shift points, ending up using third gear only for turns 2 through 4, then down again for turn 5, and finally for turns 10 through 11, with fourth gear everywhere else including the Corkscrew. I also explored oversteer, which became quite noticeable in the Andretti Hairpin (turn 2) as the day progressed and my speeds improved.
A Golden Gate Lotus Club track day in near-100°F weather, now with much-stickier Nitto NT05 tires than the all-season tires that came on the car. I've also added a PLX KIWI 3 OBD adapter to enhance the data from the Track Addict app.
The third Golden Gate Lotus Club track day at Laguna Seca this year, on a beautiful autumn day with clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s.
A Golden Gate Lotus Club track day in Southern California's Mojave Desert.
Another Golden Gate Lotus Club track day, this time on a beautiful mid-winter day.
A Golden Gate Lotus Club track day on an infernoesque day, with a forecast high of 110°F in Willows—Thunderhill is usually even hotter than the town. One planned highlight of the day was Mazda Fried Eggs.
Golden Gate Lotus Club again, on a cool Monterey summer day.
Golden Gate Lotus Club, in both directions on a hot day that was nevertheless far cooler than in June.
Morning (anti-clockwise) |
Afternoon (reverse: clockwise) |
Golden Gate Lotus Club, first time driving the full 5-mile course.
Northern California Shelby Club event, and my 50th track day.
My first track day with OnGrid and my first time at Buttonwillow.
Birthday track day with the Golden Gate Lotus Club!
First track day at Laguna Seca using the Big Brake Kit (BBK), with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Return to Buttonwillow with the Golden Gate Lotus Club, now using the Big Brake Kit (BBK),.
Second time on Thunderhill West, again with the Golden Gate Lotus Club. This time I ran in the advanced group, and also coached a beginner in his Chrysler Crossfire.
Track day and a spin at Laguna Seca with Northern California Racing Club (NCRC).
Thunderhill 5-mile with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Laguna Seca with Turn 8.
Track day at Sonoma with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Laguna Seca with Speed SF.
Track day at Laguna Seca with Tracktime.
Track day with the Lotus Club of Southern California and the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day with the Golden Gate Lotus Club: passing Porsche pylons, then warped brake pads.
Track day with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Sonoma with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Thunderhill with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Sonoma with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Another track day at Sonoma with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day with the Lotus Club of Southern California and the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Track day at Thunderhill with the Golden Gate Lotus Club.
Selected reviews of the 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and some highlights:
At some point, you're going to want to tickle the loud pedal, and at that point the Mazdaspeed3 is going to shout, "Squirrel!" and shoot forward in any number of directions, taking your arm with it. To combat this tendency, Mazda's engineers have fitted a choke chain: boost is limited in the first three gears dependent on steering angle, and there's a torque-sensing limited slip diff. Has it worked? Have they tamed the torque steer?
Nnnnnnnnnnno.
Now if you've read up to this point, you may be thinking that I didn't like this car. You may be postulating, "So, you're saying it's ugly and a bit crude and kind of a spaz when it comes to putting the power down. Why should I buy this thing again?" Well, I'll tell you: the Mazdaspeed3 is worth every red cent because it's capital-F, capital-U, capital-N, double underline, two stripes of highlighter, sprinkle it with glitter: FUN
...
The 'Speed3 grips like a cat on a curtain and shakes a tail feather on throttle lift-off. It surges forward with sudden great big gobs of torque and in third gear you can pass anything up to and including tachyons.
Copyright © 2019-2024 Karl L. Swartz. All rights reserved. |
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