Mazda3 MPS in the pipelines

[Cosmo Dude]

I hope they are released around June. Should have a car allowance by then

[AstinaBoiV6]

hahah new cars r not worth buying ... the depreciation in price is not worth it. save a lil more and wait a month or 2 until some 1 gets bored of theirs and get bargain.. but oh well wat do i kno.. u want new get new.. for that $$ id rather get a xr5

[Cosmo Dude]

The idea was to lease it. All cars depriciate and their are some tax benifits with this plan. I have to look much further into it as the time gets closer.

[AstinaBoiV6]

ahh yes a lease would def be alot better.. my brother had a 04 XR6 Turbo in black on lease for 2 months.. was fun but chews like a mofo. i luv the digital fuel guage it had. soo u can actually watch just how much fuel u have left after a thrashing.

[CRA23]

i think i heard november for the mps3

[Osprey06]

Just a quick heads up - the latest episode of Fifth Gear (s09 e04) has a very quick preview of the 3 MPS. Nothing we don't already know, but they show a few minutes of what I gather is a Mazda promo video (just a red 3 MPS driving around, really...). They're expecting to get their hands on in around September.

[sonicneo1]

Saw mission impossible3 tonight. there was a mazda ad before the movie that showed all the current mazda cool cars: RX8, 6 MPS and 3 MPS. So the 3MPS must be relatively close for release if they're advertising it already.

[ace.manley]

they reckon the Mazda3 is targeted towards the younger age bracket, it's not all wheel drive as it will be lighter, there for faster to fall into the speedy hatchback market. The Mazda6 is for older age bracket, it sticks to the road like glue.

[project.r.racing]

Originally Posted by sonicneo1

Saw mission impossible3 tonight. there was a mazda ad before the movie that showed all the current mazda cool cars: RX8, 6 MPS and 3 MPS. So the 3MPS must be relatively close for release if they're advertising it already.

3 months until release i'd be guessing knowing mazda's marketing ways

[mrpayner]

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[mrpayner]

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[SehnKhan]

It's not being advertised on the Mazda.com.au site (still as coming soon).

Currently have a nice hi-res image as my background. *Dreams of one day owning a Mazda3 MPS*.

I like Rods idea... I too could lease one the day they hit Aus streets if I really wanted to, but based on my past I think I'd rather buy my next car completely outright.

[HI-RES]

I test drove an SP23 at a mazda dealer a fortnight ago and they said the MPS 3 is coming out in July along with the facelifted regular 3.
An accurate forecast? Hard to say.
My Dad ordered an MX-5 back in April and the lead time from Japan was 3.5 months.....they are struggling to meet global demand

[Osprey06]

Well the 3 MPS has been out for two or three weeks now...I test drove one today

I haven't driven a 6 MPS, so didn't really know what to expect. I must say it was quite impressive! Mazda have apparently opted for the full 190kw (i thought it was going to be around the 170kw mark) and I must say the car is pretty quick - the car makes very short work of the first three gears! What's more impressive is the kick it gives as the motor winds past 2k rpm. Good low down torque, but runs out of puff just a little at the top. Best to pick another gear and let the torque do the work. You can't really hear any turbo 'whistle', but rather when the car hits boost it sounds like a jet taking off...a restrictive exhaust maybe?!?! The LSD & computers do a good job of preventing torque steer (although you can feel the diff working away when cornering with any enthusiasm). Ride quality suprised me. It feels pretty stiff but still rides pretty well. I found the speedo quite off putting (starts at the bottom, half the numbers are upside-down and sideways and it doesn't seem to take up all of it's little binnacle for some reason...) and coming from my little 323 it felt like a biiig and almost 'unweildy' car (which I think is due to the long dash and the sloping bonnet, mainly). Oh and you sit very low, which exaggerates the high/long/sloping bonnet profile. Getting back in my 323 afterways, the 3 MPS is definately quicker everywhere & a hugely more flexible motor - which shouldn't really suprise me comparing a stock 20 year old 1.6 turbo to a thoroughly modern 2.3...and with a 6 speed box

If they sold it as a sedan (and not just the butt ugly hatch) I might consider buying or leasing...:\\ I'm not in the market for a car and haven't test driven anything else, so can't compare the car.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Osprey06

I'm not in the market for a car and haven't test driven anything else, so can't compare the car.

Haha test pilot!

I might see if I can test pilot one of these as well, and then go back to dreaming...

Ive heard that the MPS6 is only AWD on the straight, in corners it go's into FWD?

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by Ian

Haha test pilot!

I might see if I can test pilot one of these as well, and then go back to dreaming...

Ive heard that the MPS6 is only AWD on the straight, in corners it go's into FWD?

Dunno about that
I'd hazard a guess that its an east west engine, and is predominantly front wheel drive with rear wheel assist...(as opposed to rear wheel drive with front wheel assist).

AWD isnt everything tho...

[mrpayner]

Originally Posted by Ian

Ive heard that the MPS6 is only AWD on the straight, in corners it go's into FWD?

No the system works when you need it.. normal everyday sedate driving is FWD, when you start to hammer it though is when the 4WD kicks in.. Drive it hard through corners, hard down the straight 4WD is engaged automatically and seemlessly.. You won't even know it's done it.

[chipa]

^^ True, but the ratio that the MPS 6 uses has a lot more forward bias than other performance AWD cars. I would have to dig up the original review, but I think it got no higher than 70:30.

[mrpayner]

Yeh i seem to remember figures similar to that also..

[Crocaine89]

imagine that engine in a hardtop *drool*