As I blip the throttle and downshift for yet another blind corner on a road that surely rivals some of the best in the country, two things are running through my mind: I can't believe I'm having this much fun driving a Miata, and that thought could be my last if there's a truck around the other side of this corner. Still, I persevere on and modulate the throttle ever so slightly hoping to get an acceleration advantage out of the corner because in front of me is an RX-8 that I desperately want to catch.
This scene and a trip to Laguna Seca for some spirited laps and an autocross were the backdrop for Mazda's introduction of its '10 fleet of vehicles. I'll spare you my reviews on the CX-7 or Mazda3 since you can read those in the newest issue of Motor Trend. Instead, I'll stick to the three cars that tickled my senses and brought the "zoom, zoom" out of me.
Mazdaspeed3
Probably one of the more anticipated launches for Mazda was the new MazdaSpeed3. The sporty five-door hatch has some big shoes to fill from its older sibling, which it manages to do in every department except one. Just look at that front end, because I really cant. Its awkward-looking front grille reminds me of gills on a fish. I get it-Mazda is becoming more organic with its styling by trying to resemble the human face, but it's not working for me. There's hope, though. Apparently, the Mazda3's grille will swap right in if you, like me, just can't look past the factory MS3 piece.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I have nothing but good things to say about the rest of the car. The 265hp, 280-ft-lbs, 2.5-liter TISI engine is fantastic. It delivers gobs of midrange power and has had a 500-rpm redline bump over the older model. It's out of breath after 6000 rpm, but the extra revs are a welcome addition on the track where sometimes it's better to hold a gear then to shift.
Also new is a digital boost gauge in the center of the cluster, which will let you know when you've hit the max boost of 15 psi. Unfortunately, that wont be happening in first or second gear because the MazdaSpeed3 limits boost pressure in those gears to reduce torque steer. The one complaint Mazda had about the previous generation was too much torque steer from the FWD hot hatch. Come on, people! It's what makes FWD cars so much fun. I don't doubt an aftermarket solution, perhaps a reflash, will soon uncork the full 280 ft-lbs in first and second gear. Cobb Tuning, which has supported the last gen MS3 with a large assortment of go-fast goodies, will undoubtedly support this generation.
Through the high-speed bends and turns on Laguna Seca raceway, the MS3 was confidence-inspiring and incredibly composed. There's no doubting that unlike the previous generation, the '10 MS3 can handle the twisties with ease. With all that power and improved handling prowess, along with the large amount of cargo space, it's right up there with EVOs and STIs as a worthwhile track car/daily driver.
Mazda RX-8 R3
One word comes to mind after driving the RX-8 R3: handling. The R3 version of the RX-8 is what I would consider one of the best handling OEM-spec cars I've ever driven. It's superb how tight, precise, stable and neutral the car is. There's never an instance where you are fighting the car, instead you provide input and it follows.
I worry modifying anything suspension-wise will result in less-than-stellar results. Yes, it's that good. Mazda engineers, one of whom you may have heard of, former Sport Compact Car editor Dave Coleman, worked painstakingly hard on the newest gen RX-8 to make the above statements possible. The RX-8 is now significantly stiffer, it retains a flat-bottom midsection for high-speed stability and has received many exterior aero upgrades that make it one of the best-styled cars on the market.