mazdaspeed3 Archives

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Mazda, Rumormill

Mazdaspeed3 rendering

The new Mazda3 is a stunner, both aesthetically and from a driving perspective. As with all good things, though, there’s always room for improvement. That’s where the wizards from Mazdaspeed come in. Mazda’s in-house tuner has been tweaking and turbocharging the five-door Mazda3 since 2007, with impressive results.

We’ve shown you renderings of what the third-generation Mazdaspeed3 could look like, and for the most part your response was quite positive. Now, AutoExpress has come out with details of just what might be under that long hood. According to our friends across the pond, the new Mazda3 MPS (that’s what the Speed3 is called in Her Majesty’s auto industry) will be arriving with a new, high-revving, naturally aspirated engine. Wait, what?

Yes, if the rumors are to be believed, the next Mazdaspeed3 will ditch its turbocharger. According to an anonymous engineer, the new MS3 will arrive in December (this is for the UK market, mind you) with a 200-horsepower, naturally aspirated engine. The 2.0-liter mill is based on the Skyactiv engine in the new 3, and should be capable of a sub-seven-second run to 62 miles per hour.

Now, we strongly encourage you to take these rumors with a grain of salt. There are a lot of things that don’t add up here. With 200 horsepower, the new Speed3 would be down over 50 horsepower on the original model. It’d also be easily outgunned by the competition from Ford, Subaru, and Volkswagen. And what about torque? The only way we can see a 200-horsepower Mazdaspeed3 working is if it weight is dramatically reduced. Considering weight savings is a tenet of Mazda’s Skyactiv philosophy, that seems like a possibility.

We’re still a long way from the new Mazdaspeed3’s debut, and a lot can change between now and then. What do you think – does a Mazdaspeed3 work without a turbo? Would you buy one with the more powerful alternatives available? Let us know in the comments.

Next Mazdaspeed3 could go naturally aspirated? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hatchback, Mazda, Rumormill, Diesel

Mazdaspeed3

2010 Mazdaspeed3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

File this in the drawer labeled “Only Remotely,” but Mazda U.S. VP of product development Robert Davis allowed that the company is considering a diesel engine for the next Mazdaspeed3. Based on the report in Car and Driver, it looks like that’s as far as this has gotten: a diesel is on the table. Beyond that, none of the ‘pros’ mentioned seem to make a case for it, and the ‘cons’ make a case against it.

The idea is made possible by the fact that whippersnappers getting into a Mazdaspeed3 aren’t against diesel engines, being more familiar with modern clean diesels than the particulate monsters of yore. But if Mazda boosted its diesel Sky engine for the purpose of being a high performance engine, the frugality benefits of the engine would be erased. Then there’s that whole issue of additional heaps of diesel torque, and the additional heaps of torque steer that Mazda would have to engineer out of the car.

So it is perhaps best to take from this that a diesel engine for the next Mazdaspeed3 is a distant option, which could be seen as another crack in the wall. And while “Only Remotely” doesn’t mean impossible, we wouldn’t place any wagers on such a thing happening this next go-round.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3