Taken from Autoexpress


Turbo Mazda 6




The new cars just keep coming from Mazda! This is the hottest-ever version of the 6 - and it's on course to take the performance saloon market by storm when it arrives in showrooms.

To be badged MPS - which stands for Mazda Performance Series - the newcomer will go head-to-head with the likes of the Ford Mondeo ST220 and Alfa Romeo 156 GTA. However, we will be able to see a production version of the car in the metal long before it appears on British forecourts in August next year. That's because bosses at the Japanese company are hinting that a left-hand-drive model will appear at the Paris Motor Show in September.

The magazine's spies caught the car undergoing hot-weather testing in the Mojave desert in America, where Mazda's men have been assessing the engine's cooling ability. The photographs show how the manufacturer has used the look of the MPS concept, which debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2002. They reveal how the manufacturer is aiming for a slightly different appearance with the MPS, to distinguish it from less performance-oriented 6 models. At the front, there's more of an overall RX-8 look, while the headlamps get a darker tint to give a more aggressive feel.

The standard 6's two-bar grille is replaced by a more prominent three-bar arrangement, while the front bumper includes an air splitter, and has three separate air vents to aid cooling and deliver a beefier physical appearance.

At the rear, the MPS features exclusive tail-lamps, while the lean and low body style continues, with individual side skirts and a chunky rear bumper, which the model's twin exhaust pipes poke through. Larger wheels and tyres, as well as a discreet boot spoiler, complete the picture, although Mazda main dealers are expected to offer a bigger aerofoil to those buyers who want their cars to make more of an impact.

And making an impact is something the MPS promises to be good at, as it looks like beating competitors in terms of its power output. Unlike its main rivals, the Mazda will make do with four cylinders instead of a V6, but the 2.3-litre engine, based on that fitted to the 6 Sport, will have a turbocharger bolted on to develop in excess of 280bhp.
This will be enough to give the MPS a 0-60mph sprint time of less than six seconds, while the maximum speed is expected to be more than 150mph.

Power will be transmitted to the tarmac via a four-wheel-drive transmission, already used on the AWD estate version of the 6, but modified to deliver more rigidity. The MPS's gearbox will be a close-ratio six-speed manual, with the possibility of a clutchless sequential unit being added at a later date. Mazda has also hinted that an estate version of the newcomer could be in the pipeline - although if the load-lugger does get the green light, it isn't expected to appear before 2006. But the best news for performance car fans is the price - even though the MPS will have more power than class rivals, the company says the car will be available for well below £25,000.

 

Sounds good, but what's it look like?

 

Good question...no pics available so far! (Not that I could find anyway! )

 

here you go...

 

ah ha! How about this.

Supplied by Wurzel!

 

Like it, front is Holdon HSV



Rear is a bit late shape Nissan P11 Primera

 

There have been rumours about since they launched the 6 a while ago. Would have thought the 3 would be more likely as it shares the platform with the new volvo/focus.

 

I was chatting to our Mazda dealer at the weekend about the MPS (they had a big open day, new showroom etc.). He belives the MPS will be based on the 3 rather than the 6 because the 3 uses the new generic chassis that the new Focus and the new Volvo.

He also thinks it will be the 3 as the 6 has made fleet status, at least in the UK and hence = not desirable.

We shall see. Whatever happens it is all good. If they are playing with turbos again, then an RX8 turbo may be on the cards.

Cheers

Ian

 

I spoke to a chap on the Mazda stand at the motorshow, not sure who he was, but seemed to know a bit about the MPS.
Asked if they were ever going to actually produce one (how long ago did they make noises about the 626 MPS?), and was told that it would be available - some time reasonably soon - 6 MPS not 3. He also talked of the 4 cylinder engine rather than the V6. Always had a soft spot for Mazdas - will be interested to see what emerges.

 

Where do I sign ?


T.

 

The 6 MPS was at the NEC motorshow and has been previewed for the last 2 years.

Anorak time now. Not the first 4x4 Mazda:-

- My Mazda 323 4wd Turbo Lux was a brilliant drive in its day. I really enjoyed it.
- They also did the 626 hatch and estate with 4wd but no turbo so I didn't buy.

 

They also did a 323GTX and 323GTR with the later 1.8 16v lump, but there were very few UK sales and most of them are import only.

see www.mazda323gtx.co.uk

 

I hated Mazda for not officially importing the GTX/GTR when I sold my 4x4 turbo. Still, their loss was Toyota, Audi and Subarus gain for the 12 years after.