Yes, I know it was wrong, but you see, I'm on a mission. I've been tasked to find the upper limit of the Mazdaspeed 3 and get it on video. It's the whole reason I'm in Germany and, while the light fades, I'm increasingly aware that I've yet to hit the claimed 155mph top speed. Plus, I have an axe to grind: a few readers wrote in accusing me of being on Mazda's jock-so I'm here to prove that the Mazdaspeed3 is really worth the cover and the many encomiums we've showered upon it. So I hit the blinker and pull out of my lane.
I don't pass, though. We exit and get back on the A-95 in the other direction. Idiot. Why didn't I think of this before? All the traffic was heading into Munich, but now the autobahn is opening up and I'm not boxed in behind frauleins in Polos. After a few minutes, traffic clears ahead, except for one Audi A6 pilot who seems determined to invalidate everything James has written about courteous German drivers. I'm surgically attached to his bumper with no traffic in front of him or in the next lane over. I'm so close, in fact, that flashing the lights is pointless. And creeping up behind me is quite possibly the riciest-looking 3 Series BMW this side of Max Power-lime green, with a wide bodykit and missing intercooler gap. I bet it's a 318ti rockin' an M3 badge.
I can practically taste frustration when, magically, the A6 pulls to the right. I readjust my grip, mat the throttle, and begin to pull away like a tractor beam in reverse.
To the driving senses, hitting the top speed in a Mazdaspeed3 is a strangely dull affair. Only trained eyes can tell the difference between 80 and 120mph on unmarked stretches of road. My few visual indicators of terminal velocity in this instance consist of the rapidly fading green speck in my rear-view mirror and the increasing flash rate of the markers along the road.
If you had the gonads to close your eyes for the several seconds it takes to reach 155mph, only your ears would be able to discern the difference. It's quite a bit louder on the far side of the dial, with tires spinning furiously over the pavement and wind rushing all around, but your hands and backside won't notice a thing.
The brain does, however. And if it's anything like mine, it might notice that the little Mazdaspeed3 is surprisingly solid at 155mph. There is no wobbling or instability, though it gets a bit light on the tires as the needle swings past 145. The European version of the Mazdaspeed3 includes a smaller rear wing for reduced drag and an extra undertray for greater high-speed stability.
After 15 to 20 seconds at 155mph (roughly 260kph), I ease off and let two of Germany's most perplexed drivers catch up. Then I mat it two more times for good measure. Had to make sure we got it on tape, right? The next day, after a photoshoot gone sour, we chase down a new Audi S6 at 140mph. In the rain. People, the car is for real. -Ed.
To see the video of our Mazdaspeed3 autobahn run, log on to www.sportcompactcarweb.com.