EVOIIIM3

iTrader: (1)

My GF had a 2004 Mazda 6, it sucked, well it's a great car, but not a sports car.
It's just a regular daily driver thing. Hers was a 5speed V-6, it handled like crap, it was just a car, like any other stock import in that price range.

if you are looking for a reliable, point a-b car, it's great, if you want a sports car, don't even consider it.

I know this is NOT the mazdaspeed one, well, it's still the same car, just with more motor, and maybe a "sporty" suspension.

it will not be "fast" but just a quick commuter car. I had a 05 Mitia R-type it was a lot of fun, underpowered, but just a blast to drive, I doubt the 6 will be any where near as much fun.

Of course IMHO...

Touge

The futures looking bright for Mazda fans. Other than the RX-7, they haven't had any half-decent turbo cars since the BG Familias/323's.

http://masaa.cool.ne.jp/fmazda/membe...i/ari/ari1.jpg

http://sturtevant.com/reed/323pics/familia90.jpg

they're also bringing out an AWD turbo version of the Mazda 3 as well. It'll be like a successor to the GT-X/GT-R Familias.

But yeah, I don't see this keeping up with an Evo or STi anytime soon. Not really made to compete with them though. It's more of a mature mans Evo.

jred321

iTrader: (3)

i hope a tuning company learns how to play with the direct injection and use it to its potential. if they do it'll be a sweet car, otherwise it'll be like the millenia s, good stock, but nobody ever took the time to figure it out so it doesn't get to be a great car

Evolution Racer

iTrader: (3)

Um, 05 Miata R-Type? What the heck? I'm a sales at a Mazda Dealership and the owner sits on the board at Mazda and neither one of us has heard of an 05 Miata R-Type. And you're saying the Mazda6 doesn't handle? Well, just so you know, it has better handling than the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry both of which are in its class. Can you name a midsized family sedan that is a Japanese make and has better handling than the Mazda6? The Mazdaspeed6 is a completely different car from the Mazda6. Not only is there a new engine, a new transmission and a new drivetrain, the chassis and frame as been modified significantly. It's kinda like comparing our Evos to Lancers. They don't compare. The Mazda6s are made in the United States where as the Mazdaspeed6 is made in a plant close to Hiroshima, Japan.

What about the Mazdaspeed Protege, Mazdaspeed Miata or the RX-8? That car wasn't bad for its price. It was "half decent."

You're correct about the Mazdaspeed 3, there as been small leaks up and down the Mazda North America Operations chain for awhile.

Direct Inject has been around for awhile actually. Maybe the US hasn't seen any until lately but even our Beloved Mitsu have been using them for years. GDI, by mitsu has been around since the early 90's.

I am actually purchasing a Mazdaspeed6 myself. I get nice discounts, hehe. It is the first car our dealership is seeing. Here is the list of options on the car:

2006 Mazdaspeed6 GT 6-Speed Manual
Whitewater Pearl Mica
Black with White Interior
All Weather Floor Mats
Compass/Autodimming Mirror
Alarm Shock Sensor Upgrade
Wheel Locks
Full White Leather Upgrade

I can post the invoice later.

J Gunz

I just think its a nice car that has potential. I love to see companies coming out with faster/better cult type vehicles.

I think it looks better than my MR but that sure as hell don't mean Im gonna buy one and sell the MR.

It would be a nice to to sit next to my MR in the garage. hmm 2 awd turbo cars that are brand new, now thats cool.

Evolution Racer

iTrader: (3)

Who said anything about trading or selling my Evo? My Evo is my baby... I don't want to put too many miles on the car. Right now I have around 16K miles on the TB. When I get the mazdaspeed6, I can have something real comfortable to drive around in. I know the car has some modification potential so it's not going to be a boring daily driver. It definitely has more space than the Evo, it is a bigger car afterall.

EVOIIIM3

iTrader: (1)

the r-type,
No AC
No ABS
Differant tires & rims, don't remember exectally what
LSD
Bilstein shocks
"Sport" springs (car sat like 1/2in lower)
Front & rear skirts
rear spoiler
AND a racing stripe down the middle!

It was built mainly for Auto-x to be a little lighter, and more agile over a stock Mitia.

I have no doubts the 6 is the best handling car in "IT'S CLASS" What that means it is beats the ecno boxes out there. The 6 is not a bad car, I even stated that it was a nice car, it's just NOT a sports car. It's even a really good looking car. But not in the league of the EVO or other "sports" cars over $30k. I believe they are going after more of the Honda people on this.

Yea, it will have a bunch of mazdaspeed parts on it, but it's basis, chassis, is still a 6.
IMHO, not a performance platform.

I guess we will see what all the magazines say when it comes out & what they compare it to.

Evolution Racer

iTrader: (3)

You mean the Club Spec MX-5?
So what you're saying is that the Mazdaspeed6 is only going to be a regular car with a few extra parts on it? That's kinda saying that the Evo is only a regular Lancer with a few parts thrown in as is your M3. Your M3 must be a regular 3-series with extra parts thrown in as well. And yet, the Evo and the M3 are one of few best handling and performing cars on the planet. Can't make assumptions on vehicles that you haven't driven. Why do you think a car that was scheduled to be produced and delievered about 6-9 months ago are finally on their way now? Mazdaspeed delayed the production of the car because according to Mazda, for a car to carry the mazdaspeed moniker is suppose to be of the best. Kind of like how the "GT-R" for Nissan, "M" for BMW and AMG for Benz.
I definitely see what you're saying but it's a double sized sword.

Illinest

you guys got me interested...
edmunds.com did a 10 car comparison in 03 w/ the six competing against a slew of family cars.
The six came in second to the accord overall, and hands down won the handling tests. best slalom, second best braking, best handling feel, etc...

Granted, this is not a speed 6 they were testing, but since the original market for the six is those who buy family sedans, i doubt that they are trying to take sales away from EVO and WRX. More likely they are going upscale in the same segment and targeting the Impreza GT and BMW 3 series (among others) as has been correctly suggested earlier in the thread.

The speed6 and the impreza GT are very high on my list of cars to look at right now. When my money problems settle down, I may slide behind the wheel of one of these two, and I'm leaning toward the speed6 at present.

pyrovice

double sized sword eh? sounds useful

EVOIIIM3

iTrader: (1)

2005 Mazda Mazdaspeed 6


By Joe DeMatio


If you're expecting the Mazdaspeed 6 to be a rally-style turbo rocket like the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi Evo, think again. This car is intended for mature audiences only and offers what Mazda claims is "sophisticated, understated performance." The masculine styling, created by the company's German design studio, definitely will look understated to fans of big wings and air scoops. Changes from the stock Mazda 6 include a subtle lip spoiler, rocker-panel extensions, resculpted front and rear fascias, an RX-8-inspired air dam, and eighteen-inch wheels.

There's also a higher hood, which houses a duct channeling air to the intercooler of a turbocharged, direct-injection version of Mazda's 2.3-liter four producing 274 hp at 5500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm. That's enough, according to Mazda, to propel the Mazdaspeed 6 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. (The Mazda 6 V-6 offers 220 hp and 192 lb-ft and took 7.1 seconds to hit 60 mph in our tests.) Direct injection improves low and midrange torque, allowing Mazda to forgo either a larger-displacement engine or a second turbo. "We aimed for the linearity and controllability of the BMW 330i," says program manager Seiichi Ohmoto. A new six-speed manual directs the engine's efforts to both axles via standard all-wheel drive with three torque-apportioning strategies: normal, sport, and snow. The driver is not able to choose these settings as in the Evo, and the microprocessors never send more than 50 percent of the torque to the rear.


The essence of the Mazdaspeed Protegé was the turbo engine and little else, but this car has been comprehensively reengineered. Torsional rigidity increases 50 percent thanks to diagonal braces behind the rear seat, additional floor crossmembers, and sundry other stiffening measures. Don't look for a wagon or hatch version, as they wouldn't be stiff enough. Control-arm front and multilink rear suspension carry over but with stiffer dampers, bigger antiroll bars, retuned bushings, and higher spring rates. Larger brakes and stability control round out the chassis changes.


Our driving was limited to a few runs around Japan's T1 racing circuit. Mostly a succession of tight corners, with only a couple of short straights, it was a good place to test the engine's ability to summon power very quickly, at low revs and in low gears, which it did brilliantly. Steering feel is great, just like the regular 6's, there was plenty of grip from the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, and the brakes effectively scrubbed off speed at the entrance to every corner. Once in those corners, though, the car understeered excessively, and the all-wheel-drive system's transfer of torque to the rear axle was very abrupt, unsettling the tail. On the track, Mazda's most powerful car lacks the seamless, fluid feeling that the Evo and the WRX provide. We'll have to see how it is on the street, but with some further tuning, the Mazdaspeed 6, which arrives in April priced at about $28,000, could be a compelling choice that slips in between the Subaru Legacy GT and a WRX or an Evo.

ase price : $30,000 (estimated) Get a free price quote

Engine : 4 cylinder, turbocharged DOHC, front engine AWD
Displacement : 2,300 cc
Valve : 16 valves, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission : 6-spd manual
Fuel economy : city - 18 mpg(estimated)
highway - 26 mpg(estimated)

Suspension : F - Independent double wishbone
R - Independent multilink
Brakes : F - Vented discs
R - Vented discs

Horsepower : 274 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque : 280 lb-ft @ 3000rpm
Redline : unknown

Top speed : 150 mph
0-60 mph : 6.2 sec.
0-¼ mile : 14.7 sec @ 96.5 mph(estimated)
60-0 braking distance : 121 ft(estimated)
200 ft skidpad : 0.90 g(estimated)

Curb Weight : 3500 lbs(estimated)
Overall length : 186.6 in.
Wheelbase : 105.3 in.
Overall Width : 70.0 in.
Height : 56.9 in.
pros :
- Tougher new look.
- Hyper inline turbo four.
- Lots of low-end torque.
- Stylish interior.
- All-wheel-drive handling.

Cons :
- May not have enough visual flash for some buyers.
- Most cannot see the difference between this and a normal 6.
- Only offered in sedan body style.
- Tires for those 18-inch rims will kill the wallet.
- Rear seat won't fit very tall people.

EVOIIIM3

iTrader: (1)

This was in 1995, that's what they called, and badged it, I'll try to dig up some pics and scan them. It was before the club spec.

Ok, lets get back to basics.
Any BMW 3 series, what are they known for? Being a drivers car, great handling with good power. This makes it a good platform for the M cars.

My M car was NOT built by BMW, but my Motorsports. It has a different vin. The only body panel it shares is the hood. Not even the glass is the same. Even the chassis is modified. So is the suspension, it's totally different, down to the bushings. It has only have 5% Parts share with the rest of the 3 series.

A stock lancer, have you driven one? They handle quite well, and feel like a EVO that's more complaint over bumps, sure it's not there, but you can see the potential, it even feels & looks sporty.

The lancer EVO shares how much from this car? Hardly anything.

The Mazda, while it will be a sweet car. ( I did some research, it will be AWD, and have some other cool things) is just not in the same class as the EVO. I'm sure most of the brakes & suspension will be from the RZ8. The car is more a modified 6, then a whole new car, like the Mazdaspeed Mitia.

Mostly the car has a turbo motor, AWD and better shocks, struts & brakes. I hardly doubt it will out handle the BMW or EVO.

I'm not knocking the 6 at all, I drove one for about a year. It's a good comfortable car. It just doesn't have any sole. It didn't make me happy driving it, the car had the V6, 5speed, and "sports package". From what they are saying about it, the car will basically look just like the stock 6, subtle, even in the interior.

Again, this is IMHO, it's just not a car that gets me excited for $30,000.

staatz

iTrader: (12)

0-60 mph : 6.2 sec.
0-¼ mile : 14.7 sec @ 96.5 mph(estimated)

^^That says it all as the original post of being compared to the Sti/Evo

Evolution Racer

iTrader: (3)

I have driven a Lancer, its not comparable to a Evo. I even think the Mazda6 handles better than the Lancer. We actually have a few used Lancers on sale currently. 05 Lancer ES with 30K miles. I guess the Mazdaspeed6 just doesn't float your boat. It's not compared to the Evo and STi and it never was. People assume just because its AWD turbo it has been set to compete against the cars. In reality it really competes against the Legacy GT, the Lexus IS250 AWD, the BMW 3-Series XI models, the Audi A4 Quattro... do you see where I'm going with this? This car will no doubt take sales away from the Evo and STi mainly because its a Japanese maker that is producing an AWD turbo with a lot for luxuries than the Evo and STi. The car is much more "civilized" for day to day driving. And by the way, there are some parts that the Mazdaspeed6 shares with the regular Mazda6 but there isn't a huge list of it. Just like the Lancer sharing some cosmetic features with our Evo, the Mazda6 shares some cosmetic features with the Mazdaspeed6.

The Pros and Cons cannot be really looked at on its own. You have to look at other cars in its class as well and compare the Pros and Cons of those as well. 18" tires being expensive? That's a given most of the time for AWD cars. Not enough space for adults in the back seats? What AWD Turbo car out there is going to have gigantic seats for extremely tall adults to sit in without problems? I'm 6'-0" and I don't have any problems getting in and out of the back seat of the Mazda6. There is about 3-4 inches left for my knees as well as around 3 inches for my head. There is definitely room in the back seat... What I'm saying is that the comments are very vague because there is no hard data given.

Illinest

If I had 30,000 to spend, I'd be looking at the Legacy GT and MSsix first, followed by Mustang GT, and RX8. If I had 25,000 to spend, I'd be looking at Solstice, Accord, RSX and Cobalt SS. If I had 35,000 to spend, I'd start looking at BMW and Audi.

I think the MSsix and the Legacy GT are VERY interesting cars.
I want a fun car but I'm not going to purchase the fastest car available if they have significant deficiciencies.
Take the SRT-4 for example. They are probably the fastest car I could get for the price but I'd rather get a tamer car with a good warranty than a POS like a Neon.
I wouldn't touch an Impreza with a ten foot pole because they're ugly, and I wouldn't buy an EVO cause my friend already has one. (I like the car but I'd rather have a different car than him)
For 30k, the MS6 represents a nice looking car with a well designed interior, AWD for safety, and 260 HP for driver enjoyment.