Mazda3 MPS racing car

By Alborz Fallah | February 18th, 2010

While the previous generation Mazda3 MPS race cars have earned their reputation at beating competitors at numerous motorsport events, such as three class wins at Targa Tasmania and a class win and two top ten finishes at the recent 12 Hour Bathurst endurance race, the new-generation Mazda3 MPS is starting to take shape.

Thew new 2010 Mazda3 MPS has been on sale since June last year and has taken the MPS badge a step forward in all regards. Although Mazda Australia is yet to confirm the specific events in which the new generation Mazda3 MPS racing car will compete in, Mazda Motorsport chief Allan Horsley said developing a racing version of the new model was a no-brainer.

“Given the improvements made to the New Generation model and the success of its predecessor, there is no doubt we’re going to have another competitive little car on our hands.” Horsley said.

Little else is known about the Mazda3 MPS racing car at this stage.

2010 Mazda 3 MPS Review.

technofreak

Tops! looking forward to the results here Should look fantastic!
davie

How does the race car differ from the production model?

Devil’s Advocate

IIRC like most other production race cars regardless of brand. This would include brake pads, cage, ecu, suspension (shocks/springs) and limited exhaust mods as well as other small items to improve safety ie. harnesses/seats etc.
Items like cams/turbos/intake runners/intercooler position should remain the same as the production version.

CrustyTheClown

FWD in a hi-po vehicle, YUK!

Get back to us when Ferrari, Maserati, Lotus, Porsche, BWM, Lexus etc etc are doing FWD

Bob

Get back to us when you know what you’re talking about.
Devil’s Advocate

BMW do in fact have a turbocharged FWD car Crusty, it is called the Mini!
dusty the drongo

Hey crusty which wheels are driving your better halfs new mitsu lancer hunchback

CrustyTheClown

NO!

Won’t be here till early March, ordered a 2010 build, think long-term resale for the sake of a few extra weeks

Lancer has around 110kW, and TRC/ESP etc

The MPS3 has maybe 200kW+ or more, electronic-nanny disconnected no doubt..

How do you spell torque-steer and understeer>?

How many wins has it had at ANY race against a RWD, NONE, not now, not ever.

Devil’s Advocate

The 3MPS often wins races in it’s class, including against AWD and RWD cars. In fact, in qualifying for a race at Symmons Plains during the Australian Manufacturers Championship, Jake Camilleri’s 3MPS qualified on pole position on a SOAKING WET race track against WRX STIs/HSVs and the like, which are in the class above the 3MPS and are RWD or AWD.

In class B it races against numerous RWD BMW 130is etc and which car won class B last year? The 3MPS, with Jake Camilleri scoring over twice as many points than second in class. In more than one race the 3MPS was the fastest 2WD car WRT lap times, including against HSVs etc. In the 2008 Tasmania Tarmac Challenge, the 3MPS was the fastest 2WD car in the field. There is also a 3MPS in New Zealand in it’s production car championship that often wins races outright against both AWD and RWD cars. Crikey, even this article mentions how successful it has been in motorsport. I would get your facts straight before you start dribbling nonsense or talk about things you don’t understand/haven’t experienced. Unless you like constantly getting egg on your face that is!!

If you want to talk about understeer, we better not mention how bad the earlier model WRXs were then. Having driven both of the cars mentioned in anger on a track, the 3MPS understeers no where near as much as the earlier WRXs. In fact, if you drive it PROPERLY, the 3MPS doesn’t understeer too much at all, it is quite neutral for a FWD car. Not to mention, the 3′s chassis has quite entertaining ‘lift off oversteer’ dialled into it if you wish to explore it!

NOTE, I am NOT saying it is the handling king, I am just pointing out that IN MY EXPERIENCE it is a FAR quicker and better handling car that you give it credit for, you just have to drive to it’s characteristics. Exactly as you do for ANY car REGARDLESS of performance or which wheels drive the car. I own a previous model 3MPS and whilst it doesn’t have the handling balance etc that my old E36 BMW 325i coupé had, the 3 is by far NOT the worst handling car I have owned and is close to the quickest point to point on a twisty/hilly road. This is against a variety of high performance/turbo AWD/RWD/FWD cars I have owned over the years.

scatman

i did like the mazda 3 MPS, until you just whar whar whared about it
Whitbomb07

I bet you think your the perfect antagonist don’t you Scatman?

If you want to diss something at least put forward a reasonable argument rather than silly childish school yard trash talk.

Regards

Whitbomb07
Andrew

i dont get what it is with MPS owners. always on the defensive. why do you even listen to what other people have to say about their lack of knowledge for the mps when you guarantee by their comments they have no idea what these cars are like (everyone should drive one just to understand how good these things are). iv driven a couple 07-08 mps’. im an 09 wrx owner. my rexd still came with rediculous understeer issues through corners. $450 on sway bars and my car is now perfectly balance. the mps is fast. very fast. handles extremely well for FWD. chasis is very good. gives confidence. iv even had a few spirited runs against a couple mps’ in a straight line on boost there is nothing in it between the two cars. off the launch is a different story. i feel mps owners should just enjoy their cars. not worry what anybody else has to say. stop dropping the manufacturers cup/targa tasmania successes etc etc this car needs no justification to people that won’t understand.

Valet Dabess

put a wide bodykit on it! and change the front bumper plz make it look mean!
dan

Just dont do it for me these boy racer jap cars. Sure the figures are great but in the real world I personally think you need something more practical to lug around mates, tow boats, bike trailers etc etc.
Are these tin box’s just for loners with no friends or hobbies?
Sure they might be quicker around a track than say a ss sportswagon, but thats all they are good for.

Freddy

Mate your absolutly right, I had a 03 Sti, it was awesome when i wanted to squirt some gas into the engine but hopelessly impracticle when u start thinking about, jetskis, boats, go karts and 4 of your mates in the car. Im in my mid 20′s now so im thinking V8 with my maturity. SS!!

davie

?

The Mazda3 is pretty practical, it has fold down seats and a hatch body.

I reckon the Forester XT is probably a good mix of power and practicality for a young family.

Tom22

Can’t wait for it to have a head on collision into something.

CrustyTheClown

Not sure what that’s meant to mean?

Me think it will be doing a fair rate on knots and under/skid-steer off the track, wont be pretty v concrete wall or other.

Hung Low

This car is the reason why you will never see a Golf GTi entrant in the same race. Game over before it even started!
VBE

This is the fastest Mazda to ever make our shores.
It deserves a little respect in being that it’s not a bogan’s car, civil enough for the wife to drive and fast enough to hold its own against a large majority of cars on the road today.

CrustyTheClown

Just it costs more than a VW Golf GTi, which is why the sell around 4 MPS a year.

Just wait till hyundai release a GTi/turbo of the i30, all the fanbois will go gaagaa, it too will be more expensive than the MPS!

Devil’s Advocate

Specify a GTi in a 5 door with the same level of equipment as a 3MPS, things like HIDs, Sat nav etc and then come back and tell us if the Golf is cheaper! In base trim, the base 3MPS is actually cheaper than the GTi 5 door manual RRP, only the 3 door is cheaper, but even then by only a few hundred dollars. However once again, specify the 3 door with Sat Nav to be closer in specification to the Mazda, then the advantage goes the other way. European manufacturers love using the relatively low “base” price to get people in and then bring out the multi page, expensive options list to bring it up to specification with the competing Japanese/Korean cars which only really have colour as an option!

Don’t get me wrong, the Golf GTi is a better car in the majority of areas and would be the car I would pick out of the two if the waiting list wasn’t so long. However it is not cheaper by the time the average person gets one on the road with options. Order a GTi with all the fruit and you would be struggling to get ANY change out of $50,000.

CrustyTheClown

@^^ “ANY change out of $50,000. ”

Yeap, and as much as it pains me, it’s worth every penny of it.

NO other brand has built a better overall sporting hatch than the Golf GTi

The Real Car Fanatic

Hmmm, tough call there crusty and I’m inclined to give you that but only just. Be thankful that VAG haven’t brought SEAT back to oz, cause the new Leon Cupra R would spank the GTI hands down.

Pierre

$50,000? Try $65,0000 for a fully loaded GTI – on the road. You might get it for under 60k if you bargain, but you’ll be waiting over 6 months for it. I bought the first fully optioned GTI available upon release, paid full price, and I certainly don’t regret it.

KT

Kruzty – you nimrod if you want to compare the BMW to the MZ3 then lets do two coparisons –each car at equivalant prices toe to toe —that leaves you with possibly some form of a mini cooper–entry level which will also be left gobbling the dust of the Mazdas exhast –maybe for the first second then you’ll need binoculars to find the Mazda in the Mini—second take the closest 3 series–made where–yeah south africa – and send em off –you get the 323 or such and its still eating the 23K$ Mazdas dust storm and even when the corners arrive its still no contest –FWD well guess it didnt make much difference