Comments on: Mazda Performance Drive Day

By: Jason Scott

Jason Scott — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:23:56 +0000

Damn you had no mercy on the MPS, and I would like to reiterate,first of all you do not know how to drive I do not care what your creditials are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I own an MPS it has got 51000kms on the clock and it is an absolute dream,driven merc BMW VW etc etc and to this day I have not driven a car that puts a smile on my face on a daily basis like the MPS.

The secret on the track is 3rd gear,I have had the car in all environments track, drag, and road etc and it has been absolutely superb it has a very unquie driving demand but once you have adapted believe me you will be smiling,it does have it faults heatsoak(top mounted intercooler) and brakes however you learn to drive around those issues.

Bridgestone Track Day Kyalami 12 Laps on the 3rd lap I had over taken a Subaru(modded to the teeth) and a standard M3 current model believe it or not this car has the potential you just have to educate yourself on how to utilise the potential!

Do not knock what you do not understand!!!!!

Regards

m3mps

By: FRUGAL_ONE

FRUGAL_ONE — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:53:44 +0000

alborz Says:
July 12th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Yes yes, yes, we are trying to get the CX7. I’ll see what I can do.

WHEN? Been waiting more than a year…………..

Cheers

F-0

By: Glenn

Glenn — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:42:19 +0000

I also managed to go on the Mazda Performance Day unfortunately on the same day the Peter Brock died. Dick Johnson received the news only prior to my MPS hot lap with him.

But I digress.

I loved your review, but thought you were a little harsh on the MPS. Tacking into account the price and the fact that the MPS3 is a RWD, I think it’s one heck of a fun car.

As Z said above, it’s the wild child.

It was by far the least stable of the four, but it lacks the chassis and RWD/4WD of the others. It’s also far quicker than the others.

The first car to drive was the MX-5. Unfortunately I can’t sit comfortably in the MX-5. Driving it around the track is fine, but I require a car I can drive both in the city and on long country trips.
Compared with the others, it’s also the slowest.

The RX-8 fit like a glove and did the business of racing around the track without even blinking. That said, my heart didn’t beat any harder either.

The MPS6 needs credit where credit is due. It’s more of a tourer rather than a racer. With that in mind, it does it’s job perfectly – and seats 4 friends just fine. On the Oran park raceway, it almost put me to sleep. You’re right about the straight though. If given a long strip of road, it would tear strips of the two above. Overtaking on the highway is where this would come into play.

The MPS3 is a compromise. But by saving $10,000 I think Mazda had really injected a lot of crazy into the 3. First of all the 3 has a decent driving position for everyday driving. You’re not sitting too low like the RX-8, or having to lift the knees like in the MX-5. Just seated normally, I knew that I could drive this around the city/highway without fuss.

Having also taken the MPS3 on normal roads and compared with both of its siblings (the SP23 and Maxx), I can say that in first and second gear (the buzzing around the city gears), that this thing is more sedate. It makes the car park not terribly difficult to get around.

At Oran park, pushing the car hard was the most fun I’ve had in a while. It’s like a noise child screaming on a rollercoaster. I really wasn’t prepared for the fun I was about to have.

It’s quicker than the RX-8. A tad, but it feels quicker and is so on paper.

I was in the US late last year when the “Mazdaspeed” 3 was being released. The three main car magazines must have had their own tests drives and independently decided on the same story. Putting the Suburu WRX head to head against the 3, they all came up with the same result. The MPS3 managed to out race the WRX on the track (different tracks, different magazines, different drivers – same result). But of course at the end of the day the MPS3 is made for the road, not the track. If chosing a car for a decent amount of laps one would choose the WRX over the MPS3. Less energy required for a similar effect.

Your C30 article had me convinced to take a look at the T5. I’m looking forward to a test drive, although I hope that inside the C30 somewhere is a wild child waiting to have their license revoked.

By: Stavros

Stavros — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:12:38 +0000

Interesting story. Have done the mazda track day and proudly own a 3mps and have always owned fwd cars. Yours is one of the only articles that I,ve read that slates the 3 to that degree. While others mention lack of steering feedback and some torque steer (in the wet), your comments seemed a bit out there. I agree with the other comments that you struggled to drive the fwd 3 to its potential but you are correct on one thing that everyone is intitled to an opinion. I was quite reserved track driving my car but had the opportunity to be the passenger for a couple of laps with a professional driver. I now have a huge respect for what these guys do. I could also see the potential of the 3. For me though the negatives are that while the fwd is good, AWD would be better. Though some of the characteristics would be lost too. I do still like the fact that the 3 can be a bit wild. I love the pull the car has in 3rd and 4th. It’s not all about drag racing from 1st. Turning circle is crap and I’ve got it stuck twice on my drive way. Its a steep drive with a right hand hairpin at the top. I think the electronics accidentally cut in for some reason. luckily no damage. I like the wolf in sheeps clothing and anyone who knows anything about cars knows what the mps is. 3 is brilliant on long trips and handles beautifully over a 100k’s. Would like to compare it to a GTI one day…

By: Simon

Simon — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:17:48 +0000

Coming from the other side of the fence (I used to be one of the driver trainers that accompanied Dick and the Mazda Team around Australia running these performance prospect days) I was interested to see a punters verdict of the day. I agreed with everythinbg you wrote bar one thing. The MPS3. Having driven the car to its full limit on every track around this country, I can see a very good reason why you disliked the car in this environment.
Willowbank is a crap track for high powered front- drivers as the track rewards slow-in, fast-out method (causing the ferocious power delivering MPS to wander like a Land Rover with shagged shocks) if the power is placed applied too early (read-if the wheels are turned). If you ever get out there again, leave your braking until well after turn in, and power out after the apex. Believe me its quicker – but only in this car (try it in the RX-8 and you will be left wondering).
But I totally agree with your comments about Dick. One-handed (the hand holding the gear knob in case it moved)around a very wet Sandown and the closest I could get to him (flat out) was about 3 seconds a lap (and he wasn’t even trying!). It humbles even the best of us when you get into a car with a 61 year old man who proves that sometimes, experience is everything. I also learnt a lot from this man.
One last thing, your “decision” to leave the stability control on was wise as the Trainers are very adept at picking quickly the “heroes” who think they dont need it…I bet you didn’t even feel it working at Willowbank eh?!.

Good story.

By: Eli

Eli — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 05:59:55 +0000

I thought Alborz review was informative and enjoyable to read. I too attended the Mazda Drive Day on the 19th of October and thoroughly enjoyed it. After expecting to dislike the MPS3, I can safely say I disagree with Alborz. I’m not going against you or saying you are wrong, however I think it’s interesting how different people have completely different views towards a certain car.
I’m really keen to post up my review but can’t think of a website that would allow me to do so. It’s got quite a few words (2000-ish) and I don’t have my own website.
Any suggestions?

By: Velocity

Velocity — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:19:58 +0000

What the F%$K are you on Justin
Dude…give up the drugs, or learn to at least partially string some words together – sheeesssh !!
Hard to believe someone who can’t spell or write can afford a $55-60k car or is it because your only 12yrs old and trying to be cool

justin Says:
September 26th, 2007 at 1:31 am
my RX-8 is a represintation of what all spart cars should be. it rediculiciuosly priced and is a 10 in my book. it gets u to point a to point b in still and excilleriating speed not to mention a panty dropper. lol

By: justin

justin — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:31:26 +0000

my RX-8 is a represintation of what all spart cars should be. it rediculiciuosly priced and is a 10 in my book. it gets u to point a to point b in still and excilleriating speed not to mention a panty dropper. lol

By: Swfitly

Swfitly — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:21:54 +0000

Well said RedEye.4 Opinions on cars are like a***holes – everybody has one. Realistically 80% of the people who buy performance cars are incapable of driving them safely and spend too much time talking, driving beyind their capabilities in inappropriate places, and not enough learning. God help me and my family on the road with people bumbling on about horsepower and understeer etc. most of whom are like giving a 4 year old a loaded assault rifle.

By: redeye.4

redeye.4 — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:10:06 +0000

I think all you wankers should take a pill. How many people drive their cars at 10/10ths on public roads anyway? Hoons? Driving a car on a race track bears no resemblance to real driving on public roads. I’m sure that driving any car on public roads you wouldn’t get past 8/10ths anyway. Having driven as a courier for 6 years, I have rarely seen anyone drive a high powered car in anger. Usually I find myself stuck behind these cars driving at 10 kph below the speed limit. People tend to drive these cars with kid gloves. I often wonder why people bother to buy these cars if they don’t drive them properly. Just wankers I suppose.