Clearly the Mazdaspeed3 would need an LSD and a lot of fine tuning to utilize all that torque without smoking the front tires at every stoplight. The development team decided against mechanical clutch and Torsen types in favor of the smoother response and everyday driveability of a Tochigi Fuji conical seat-type LSD. But there were still fears that torque steer would make the car undriveable. So Mazdaspeed engineers deployed the standard set of torque steer countermeasures; they optimized steering, alignment, and suspension geometry and sourced large diameter, equal length driveshafts. Then they developed a system that uses PCM (Mazda's term for Engine And Chassis Control Unit) calibration and electronic throttle valve-opening control strategies. Steering angle and wheel slip compensation factors were programmed into the PCM to assist in transferring the power without upsetting the chassis, dynamic handling and steering performance.
This complicated electronic system addresses the two root causes of torque steer: too much power too soon, and unequal loading of the tires. To combat the former, the PCM dials back the amount of power available in first and second gear by recalibrating the engine, reducing the throttle angle, and/or adjusting boost pressure. A steering angle sensor assists with uneven tire load, by telling the PCM to reduce power in similar fashion when it senses a sharp or abrupt steering angle input. It's a complicated system that some might distrust, until the very first time they go for a drive.
The Test
So why are we here, really? Well, the final production confirmation is basically Mazda's version of an exit exam before it sends its 'latest star pupil' out into the real world. There is still a lot to know about how the Mazdaspeed3 behaves when driven very hard, so two test mules have been brought over from Japan and set up for US roads and conditions. The white one is the official test monkey, while the silver one is a backup being used to scout local roads. There is also a dark grey version of the car being used by Mazdaspeed Accessory Engineer Jonathan Butts as his development mule for a soon-to-be-released Mazdaspeed coilover kit.
Back to the test. Every possible nook and cranny of the white car has been plumbed, probed or wired with data-logging sensors - even down to individual ball joint temperatures. Wire looms snake throughout the car, eventually connecting up to an array of Mazda R&D laptops, a Hioki datalogger and a VBOX GPS unit.
But data logging is not the only reason we are here. A month and a half after my drive, around the time this magazine will hit newsstands, other automotive journalists from the US and Canada will test drive the Mazdaspeed3 at its official press launch. It's no coincidence that this event is planned for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Along with dialing in the car, Tod and his crew want to see how the final production version will handle on the actual racetrack where the industry's most influential critics will flog it.
The folks at Mazda are not stupid. They know we in the motoring press are notoriously hard on cars we don't own. In fact, the track drive was originally planned for three laps - one out, one flying, one cool-down - but then cut back to two. Why? Because journalists don't do cool-down laps.
Of primary interest is the performance of the stock brakes. While it is common in the industry to substitute high-peformance pads, fluids, and sometimes even rotors and lines for track events like this, Mazda wants to see if its stock brakes will last during the rigorous press launch. The tech guys tell me the stock pads and fluid performed without any problems during a prior testing session at Buttonwillow, in which the Mazdaspeed3 was lapped continuously at 20-minute intervals under hot summer conditions. But the setup for the day-long press event is actually much more abusive; pitting every two laps to switch drivers with no cool-down laps in between could cook the pads and boil the brake fluid. The potential for poor braking performance and damning reviews aside, this could be a serious safety issue. But so far, it's all speculation; we're here to lap the cars hard to find out. Should the stock brakes fade or fail, the Mazdaspeed guys are prepared to outfit the vehicle with Endless race pads and Motul brake fluid.
The Drive
The particular Saturday we have for testing is exactly two weeks before MotoGP invades Laguna Seca. The grandstands, Yamaha and Repsol tents are already up and seedlings spelling out a massive Red Bull have already been planted trackside. Since MotoGP arrived at the track in 2005, MRLS has undergone a major overhaul.
Yamaha put up two million dollars to help make the track smoother and more bike-friendly. Changes include kinder, gentler cornering strips and much larger gravel pits. Any portion of the track that isn't gravel has been paved over to allow downed bikes and riders to slide instead of tumble. Though the overall course is much nicer, with a super-smooth track surface, many of the familiar reference points are gone and it's like driving on a new track.
It would be easy to blame the new conditions for my terrible driving, but it's the fact that I'm not a patient person that makes me slow. Fast driving requires waiting until the last second to brake and waiting longer still to corner. The feel of the Mazdaspeed3's beefy calipers and rotors give me the confidence to brake exceptionally late, but somehow l still manage to turn in early. In my first lapping session in the car, I often found myself tightening my line halfway through the corner, which is irritating because it means I could have gone much faster.