Mazda 3 MPS tests and reviews!

[ZEEROLLA]

will be interesting to see how the mazda responds to exhaust mods. Other modern turbo cars are known to flag CEL's and hit boost cut once the exhaust is free'd up.

How much boost do they run to make 190kw?

from memory i think its abt 12psi. the thing is once i touch the car my warranty is stuffed :( i can't even add a turbo-timer (as its llegal) or some cool sounding HKS BOV.. :P

Edited July 16, 2006 by ZEEROLLA

[ZEEROLLA]

Just found another very ineteresting short review by UK tester, drove it in Japan.

UK review

The Mazda 3 MPS doesn't just share Volvo chassis, in the article it also says it has the Volvo S60's brakes!! :D

Edited July 16, 2006 by ZEEROLLA

[negatron]

Well Zee, I'm glad to see that your're lovin the new beast.

I'd wait a while and see what chipping options come out by the time your warantee runs out.

Depending on how much give left in the turbo, chipping is usally the best bang for buck option, then of course you do the zorst and what nots.

[INASNT]

Turbos must be new to you guys??

My gfriend has a 05 3 SP23 and we are going to go test drive the MP3 on the weekend and look at upgrading.

My cars are a 325kw@wheels skyline and Lexus LS400.

Edited July 18, 2006 by INASNT

[evo]

i would've thought it be more like 6-9psi given one of the articles mentioned a 9.5/1 comp ratio

how does it get air to the i/c without a bonnet vent? is there a special piping sys running on the underside of the bonnet from the front grille to the i/c?

oh... v nice car too and congrats zee!

[Ashs Red Rolla]

i would've thought it be more like 6-9psi given one of the articles mentioned a 9.5/1 comp ratio

how does it get air to the i/c without a bonnet vent? is there a special piping sys running on the underside of the bonnet from the front grille to the i/c?

oh... v nice car too and congrats zee!

The next time you see one you will notice the bonnet has a noticable bulge in it like the 6 MPS, with the special duct from the grill (you will also notice the duct in the grill) to feed the air straight to the top mount.

[ZEEROLLA]

i would've thought it be more like 6-9psi given one of the articles mentioned a 9.5/1 comp ratio

how does it get air to the i/c without a bonnet vent? is there a special piping sys running on the underside of the bonnet from the front grille to the i/c?

oh... v nice car too and congrats zee!

The next time you see one you will notice the bonnet has a noticable bulge in it like the 6 MPS, with the special duct from the grill (you will also notice the duct in the grill) to feed the air straight to the top mount.

Thanks! Will post pics as soon as i get it. Not many nights left to go :D

The under bonnet scoop also splits into 2 ducts one for the intercooler and one for the battery!? i wonder why.. and the bonnet is damn heavy! and i mean really heavy compared to the Stivo's.

in regards to the stock boost level i am not sure, i read somewhere b4 but cannot find the article again.. the 9.5:1 compression ratio is acheieved via DISI which helps cools the engine internals and allows the tubo to spin quicker (maybe thats why more boost?).

[SILVABULLIT]

Turbos must be new to you guys??

My gfriend has a 05 3 SP23 and we are going to go test drive the MP3 on the weekend and look at upgrading.

My cars are a 325kkw@wheels skyline and Lexus LS400.

Test driving a MP3??? Hope it accelerates forward fastly, reverses, selects the right gears and most of all doesn't skip with the bumps in the road. I've heard that the seats ain't all that comfy and headroom in the MP3 cabin is limited with visibility only being a small horizontal gap. :P :P :P :P

Sorry mate couldn't resist :D

[ZEEROLLA]

Turbos must be new to you guys??

My gfriend has a 05 3 SP23 and we are going to go test drive the MP3 on the weekend and look at upgrading.

My cars are a 325kkw@wheels skyline and Lexus LS400.

Test driving a MP3??? Hope it accelerates forward fastly, reverses, selects the right gears and most of all doesn't skip with the bumps in the road. I've heard that the seats ain't all that comfy and headroom in the MP3 cabin is limited with visibility only being a small horizontal gap. :P :P :P :P

Sorry mate couldn't resist :D

LOL :D upgrade! upgrade! upgrade!

[Northy]

took one of these for a test drive last night, was very impressed with the out of the box performance/handling. Car was fun to drive and i found it quite easy to drive fast, even going up/down the mountain. The trackion controll/DSC worked like a charm and i had it going the whole way up down and it didn't faulter. Even when i turned the DCS off the car was still very stable even when i tried to unsettle it. My biggest gripe with the car is that you cant turn off all the computer gizmo's and IMO it takes away some of the fun. I launched a hard 1>2 and couldn't get the thing even to chirp and it was alittle dissatisfying.

Road noise was good, it was alot better then the rolla, seats were quite nice too, the one i took had the leather pack but you still get fabric inserts in the seats and doors and for the price that was bit of a letdown, the car has alot of potential, the exhaust is alot like an S13 (i think) as it has a set of 90 degree bends in it to cut the noise/performance down i would imagine, with a good exhaust this could easily be rectified.

spend about 6-7K on one of these (exhaust, coilovers and few other things) and you would have yourself a very nice little hatch and it would be pretty dam quick too.

[negatron]

My biggest gripe with the car is that you cant turn off all the computer gizmo's and IMO it takes away some of the fun. I launched a hard 1>2 and couldn't get the thing even to chirp and it was alittle dissatisfying.

Ahhh, the Hoon awakens

spend about 6-7K on one of these (exhaust, coilovers and few other things) and you would have yourself a very nice little hatch and it would be pretty dam quick too.

Yes, but then again at that price you can actually buy a whole lot of other things, entry level lux cars, the original zoom zoom mx 5, a fleet of bomb 180 SX *fUlLy sIk*

Lets see... the usual shopping list would be:

*coilies

*sway bars

*strut

*zorst

*rims

*tyres

*body kit (Wide body?)

*Giant GT Wing

*Chipping

*big turbo

*HIDS

*fully sik audio system

*Fully sik BOV *Kasssstttt*

*hoon powered external waste gate

*black hole like tint

*Momo shifter

*Recaros

*fully sik FMIC

*CF Bonnet

Did i forget anything?

FYI CAIs do jack squat for a turbo car IMO, the FMIC in the list was to do the trick

[CHA54]

the CAI I put on my chaser made a good difference. They also make a good difference on rex's too, and lots of other turbo cars.

[DANZZT231]

Just to add to rollamods comment about modern turbo car modifications, its true that some modern turbo car do less with aftermarket exhaust. For example, Evolution 8, adding intake and exhaust alters the ecu and made it run rich, so you need piggyback ecu to tune the air/fuel. I think its the same as XR6 turbo, can't remember which other car, but i remember it was evolution 8 that had this issue with aftermarket intake and exhaust.

[INASNT]

All new car's try to take away the fun when you start modifying them.

But there will always be a company that comes up with a piggyback ecu to over ride this.

Even the LS1 ecu's retart the timing etc when you start to modify them, but LS1Edit took care of that problem.

[DANZZT231]

I guess its the tough emission law that causes all this. Well, looks like buying aftermarket ecu is a must for new performance car.

[sportiyo]

Turbos must be new to you guys??

My gfriend has a 05 3 SP23 and we are going to go test drive the MP3 on the weekend and look at upgrading.

My cars are a 325kkw@wheels skyline and Lexus LS400.

sorry mate, i cant help but to think u are a bit of a showoff :)

[INASNT]

Turbos must be new to you guys??

My gfriend has a 05 3 SP23 and we are going to go test drive the MP3 on the weekend and look at upgrading.

My cars are a 325kw@wheels skyline and Lexus LS400.

sorry mate, i cant help but to think u are a bit of a showoff :)

Nope, just saying I know abit about turbos and other related issues with turbochraged cars ;)

[ZEEROLLA]

The MAzda 3 MPS has 15.6psi of boost stock although people have been seeing boost spikes in winter of 18-20psi. Apparently sources say the engine is good for 30psi. ;)

[Northy]

The MAzda 3 MPS has 15.6psi of boost stock although people have been seeing boost spikes in winter of 18-20psi. Apparently sources say the engine is good for 30psi. ;)

show us zee.....SHOW US!!! hehe :P

[INASNT]

The MAzda 3 MPS has 15.6psi of boost stock although people have been seeing boost spikes in winter of 18-20psi. Apparently sources say the engine is good for 30psi. ;)

The turbo on the MPS will be a similiar size to a Garrett GT28. Anything more than 1 bar (14.5psi) and it will be out of its efficiency range, so creating more heat than useful air to create power.

And as for boost spikes in the winter, that would be BS as boost spikes only occur when you install a manual bleed valve style boost controller. The MPS will be running an electronic boost comtroller connected to the main ecu.

And as for the engine handling 30psi, unless its running forged pistons and rods special valves it may last a few runs at 30psi with a bigger turbo before it starts to melt the pistons and throw a rod.

[CHA54]

my rex used to boost spike with just a 3" exhaust from the turbo, with the stock electronic boost control solenoid in place.

My chaser also used to spike more in winter with no boost control in place at all. but that car made 195kw atw on just 10.4psi ;)

[CAP]

I think it's fantastic that we're seeing more 'Complete' cars coming from manufacturers

By that I mean cars that also stop and turn as well as go well in a straight line.

With so many offerings out there 3MPS, XR5, SRi/VXR, etc, it will be interesting to see if Toyota come to the party with a well thought out package rather than the usual half @rsed effort.

[DANZZT231]

Something in the form of 3S-GTE equipped Corolla would be nice. Well, Toyota wants sports image, now perhaps is the time.

Or, 2zz-ge Kompressor.

[vitagen]

my brother's my05 boost spikes to about 17 psi

[oodee]

pffft.... toyota wouldnt do that.... they would be part of the "hot hatches" debate again then...