Every Mazdaspeed3 made 263 hp at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. Mazda sold the car for the 2007 through 2013 model years, across two generations, and never changed those figures. Both used the same 2.3-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder, which Mazda called the MZR 2.3 DISI. Mazda announced the first car on September 1, 2006. It was based on the Mazda3 five-door hatchback, and its engine was a version of the turbo four in the Mazdaspeed6 and the CX-7. The crankshaft and connecting rods were forged. Mazda said direct injection cooled the cylinders enough to allow a 9.5:1 compression ratio, which it credited with about 10 percent more low- and mid-range torque than a conventional turbo engine. Europe got the car as the Mazda3 MPS, and Japan got it as the Mazdaspeed Axela.
The second generation arrived for 2010. Mazda's April 8, 2009, release listed the same 263 hp and 280 lb-ft and said that, with "no need to increase power," engineers had worked on putting it to the ground better.
Getting 280 lb-ft through the front wheels
The Mazdaspeed3 was front-wheel drive, and Mazda knew torque steer was the risk. Its 2007 release says boost pressure control smoothed out sudden torque peaks, and torque in first through third gears was electronically controlled to cut torque steer and wheelspin. Torque control was also tied to steering angle. Car and Driver described the effect: with the wheels pointed straight you got full power, and with the wheel turned a few degrees, the computer trimmed the throttle by a couple of percentage points. Mazda balanced the stiffness of the left and right driveshafts and added a limited-slip differential. Car and Driver identified it as a mechanical unit supplied by GKN and borrowed from the RX-8. Stiffer springs, thicker stabilizer bars, and firmer dampers gave the first car 60 percent more roll stiffness than a standard Mazda3, according to Mazda. For 2010, Mazda listed a torque-sensing conical limited-slip front differential as standard, recalibrated the torque management, and made second through fifth gears slightly taller.
There was one gearbox. The first car used a six-speed manual shared with the Mazdaspeed6, and MotorWeek noted in its 2010 test that a six-speed manual was still the only transmission.
Launching it was the hard part. Car and Driver made more than 30 hole shots in its 2007 test car before it ran 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds at 99 mph. The same car pulled 0.87 g on the skidpad. Mazda's tip to the magazine was to pop the clutch at 2,900 rpm and flat-shift through second and third. MotorWeek's 2007 car was slower, at 6.4 seconds to 60 and 14.7 seconds at 97 mph. Its 2010 car, with new tires, revised driveshafts, and updated torque management, ran 5.2 seconds and 13.9 seconds at 102 mph. Top speed was 155 mph for both generations, a governor-limited figure in the Car and Driver test.
The grin, the scoop, and the end of the name
The 2010 redesign changed the face far more than the numbers. The first car fed its intercooler through the upper grille. The second moved that job to a hood scoop, which Mazda said also freed grille space for a fresh-air intake duct. Below it sat a metallic-black grille framed by round fog lights. That was a sharp turn from 2007, when Mazda called the first car sporty and strong "without exaggerated styling cues."
Mazda's own release opened with a story about siblings, some "happy and always smiling" and others wicked. Reviewers saw a grin too. MotorWeek called the 2010 car cartoonish next to the first one and singled out the grille's "leering mouthful of black plastic gills." Jalopnik headlined its story on the US version "263 HP Explains The Evil Grin."
The price stayed low through both. Car and Driver listed the 2007 car from $22,800, and Mazda's 2010 fact sheet put the MSRP at $23,195.
The second generation was the last. Motor Authority reports the Mazdaspeed3 was discontinued after the 2013 model year. In 2020, Mazda brand communications senior manager Drew Cary said the company had "no immediate plans to return the MazdaSpeed brand or line to our product offerings," and tied that to a push toward a more premium, upscale image.
The nearest follow-up is the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, which Mazda announced on July 8, 2020, for the 2021 model year. Mazda rates its 2.5-liter turbo four at 250 hp and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane fuel, or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on 87 octane. On premium, that is 13 hp less than the Mazdaspeed3 and 40 lb-ft more. The layout flipped, too. Autoblog reported that the Turbo comes only with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic.
Quiet first car or grinning 2010? Rate the Mazdaspeed3 against other hot hatches on WhipJury.
Sources:
The 2007 output, engine details, torque management, differential, gearbox, roll stiffness, styling, and the MPS and Axela names: Mazda
The 2010 output, hood scoop, grille, gearing, differential, and top speed: Mazda
The 2010 MSRP: Mazda
The 2007 test, skidpad result, launch tips, throttle trim, GKN differential, and price: Car and Driver
The 2007 MotorWeek test: MotorWeek
The 2010 MotorWeek test, transmission, and grille description: MotorWeek
The Evil Grin headline: Jalopnik
The end of the Mazdaspeed3, the Cary quote, and the hp and torque comparison: Motor Authority
Mazda3 2.5 Turbo output and announcement date: Mazda
The Turbo drivetrain: Autoblog
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Elise240SX (CC BY-SA 4.0), BrokenSphere (CC BY 3.0), and Alwayzamd (public domain)
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Cam Walsh has been obsessing over cars since before he could drive one. Based out of Atlanta, Cam covers automotive design, car culture, and the eternal debate over which whips actually look the part.
