Just Driven: Mazdaspeed6In so many ways, the Mazdaspeed6 is a technological wonder. From its turbocharged and direct injected four to its advanced all-wheel drive system and very well sorted chassis, this thing just oozes forward thinking and engineering. But, if you're old enough, don't mistake it for the rowdy 323 GTX that was Mazda's last all-wheel drive with a turbocharged-four. And no matter who you are, don't think it's a substitute for the Mitsubishi Evolution either. This is the most sophisticated sedan Mazda has ever offered for sale in America, and it drives like a sophisticated sedan.
Originally, the Mazdaspeed6 was to have gone on sale here last spring. However, it wasn't until late autumn that the car finally made it onto American roads. And the road is where this car belongs.
Though the Mazdaspeed6 looks pretty much like the Mazda6 upon which it is based, in fact, just about everything in the car is different. It starts with where it's built. The Mazda6s sold in America all come from the same Auto Alliance plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, where Ford builds the Mustang. All the Mazdaspeed6s, on the other hand, come from Mazda's plant in Hofu, Japan. There's little apparent difference in assembly quality between the two sister cars, but detail differences are apparent if you look hard enough.
There's no huge rear wing on the Mazdaspeed6, and it takes a trained eye to notice the unique elements of its appearance. But once pointed out, they're obvious. Up front, the bumpers and grille are much deeper and the modified hood has a bump along its center. Under that hood bump, cold air from the front grille is channeled to the top-mounted intercooler. The front fenders are wider to cover the 18-inch wheels and the P215/45R18 tires around them. Along the body, there are skirts, twin exhaust outlets and a small deck spoiler to help define the rear. It's not a radical-looking car, and it would look better if those wheels had more style than they do spokes, but it's still solidly attractive.
The really attractive part of this car, however, is in the engine bay. Though it's based on the all-aluminum 2.3-liter, DOHC, 16-valve four that's standard in the Mazda6, it behaves like the completely different animal. Thanks, in part, to what Mazda calls Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI), which injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber-instead of the intake tract. Then there's the turbocharger; hustling a peak 15.6 psi of boost into the engine from as little as 2500 rpm.
While the engine is rated at 274-horsepower at 5500 rpm, the more impressive number is the 280-pound feet of torque it produces at just 3000 rpm. In comparison, the 3.2-liter V6 in an Acura TL is rated at 258-horsepower at 6200 rpm and just 233-pound feet of torque at 5000 rpm. The Mazdaspeed6's four doesn't have the authoritative off-idle grunt of a V-8, but it's more tractable and easier to live with than many of the V6s that crowd the entry-level luxury market. Particularly since it's mated to a very sweet six-speed manual gearbox that doesn't shift with absolute precision-but the gears are perfectly matched to the engine's character.