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MazdaSpeed 6.. reviewed!

jaymesbry

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jaymesbry Veteran

jaymesbry

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just saw this on the autoweek forums.. thought you guys would finally wanna see a review of it!! this article just makes me more glad i have my legacy :) and ill live with my gaudy hood scoop.. 15-Dec-2004 00:53 EST: COVER STORY [url]http://autoweek.com/images/articles/101394[/url] Among the enhancements to the MazdaSpeed 6: more aggresive fascias, sport seats and a cool new turbocharged direct-injection engine. Deep Six: Mazda6 gets the MazdaSpeed treatment, and all the goodies that go with it NATALIE NEFF Published Date: 12/20/04 2426-1520-2517-0118 PHOTOS: MAZDASPEED 6 PHOTO GALLERY [url]http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/galleries/mazdaspeed6/pages/index.htm[/url] 2006 MAZDASPEED 6 ON SALE: Summer BASE PRICE: $29,000 (est.) POWERTRAIN: 2.3-liter, 274-hp, 280-lb-ft turbocharged I4; awd, six-speed manual CURB WEIGHT: 3630 pounds (est.) 0 TO 62 MPH: 6.6 seconds (mfr.) Two years ago we let you in on a secret. We told you about a splendid little automobile that could not only fulfill familial obligations as well as any ol’ Toyota Camry, but it would slake an enthusiast thirst nearly as well as the standard-bearer BMW 3 Series, and for just about half the price. Sounded like big talk at the time, we know, but you listened. And then you blabbed. To date you’ve helped convince about 135,000 to take the plunge on a Mazda6. Well, lean in close, here’s another secret: Next summer Mazda will roll out the MazdaSpeed 6. Penned with the enthusiast foremost in mind, the newest 6 arguably looks more its part than any MazdaSpeed-specified car in the stable. Its chunky, purposeful design remains largely true to the MPS concept car from the 2002 Paris show that foretold its coming, trading in only its five-door hatchback shape for that of a stiffer-bodied four-door sedan. A supersized lower air dam dips down deep in front, gulping up volumes more air than the base-model 6, beefed-up side sills wrap around the body and its five-point grille gets accentuated by a thick crossbar. Restyled taillights highlight the rear, with new twin exhaust pipes poking out below. The biggest change inside is the addition of nicely bolstered bucket seats. It’s a sleek design punctuated by forceful elements that speak to its sporting bent. [url]http://www.autoweek.com/files/weekart/2004/1220/1220cover_interior.jpg[/url] It’s a far cry from the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and purposefully so. Mazda said it never considered a hood scoop or “the boy-racer look,” instead concentrating more on using richer materials and finishes to elevate the look of the car over its stock brethren. In fact, Mazda has its sights squared more on the Subaru Legacy GT as its primary competition, a 250-horse sport sedan styled in a similar manner: sleek and sporty. Whatever the philosophy behind the design, we think the MazdaSpeed 6 looks darn good. And that ain’t even the half of it. Its conspicuously bulging hood doesn’t just hint at the goodies that lie beneath, it practically screams. And why not? Mazda took the base model’s four-banger, strapped it to a six-speed manual, slapped on a turbo*charger and intercooler and shuttled power through the whole shebang to all four wheels. Ergo, MazdaSpeed. [url]http://www.autoweek.com/files/weekart/2004/1220/1220cover2.jpg[/url] Actually, the MazdaSpeed’s engine is a mostly new unit, based on the 2.3-liter four found in base 6s but equipped with steel connecting rods and crankshaft and direct gasoline injection. By injecting fuel directly into the cylinder, the atomization of the spray allows for a sort of cooling effect to occur, resulting in a denser charge and a 9.5:1 compression ratio, or much higher than is typical in turbocharged engines. Combine that high compression with 15.6 psi of turbocharger boost and you get a whopping 274 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque—a full 54 more horsepower than in a standard 6, with 88 more lb-ft of torque. Better still, that torque band sits virtually flat between 2000 and 6000 rpm, making for easy access to power just about anywhere in the rev range, particularly in combination with its all-new wide-ratio six-speed manual. [url]http://www.autoweek.com/files/weekart/2004/1220/1220cover3.jpg[/url] That sounds like plenty of grunt to challenge the likes of the mighty Lancer Evo, with its 271 horses and 273 lb-ft of turbo*charged four-cylinder power; the MazdaSpeed, however, falls a bit short on performance. Mazda claims its car will pull a 6.6-second 0-to-62-mph time, putting it more than a second off the Evo’s best—just 5.19 seconds (AW, Sept. 1, 2003). You can blame a hefty curb weight for much of that discrepancy. The MazdaSpeed 6 tips the scales at roughly 3630 pounds, almost 340 pounds heavier than the Mitsu and closer to 400 pounds more than a base-model 6. Like the Evo, Mazda also equipped the MazdaSpeed 6 with a no-nonsense all-wheel-drive system to aid in laying down all that power. Depending on the car’s steering angle, yaw rate and lateral acceleration, and data gathered from the wheel-speed sensors and ABS control module, the hydraulic-type center differential can transfer up to 50 percent of the power rearward. [url]http://www.autoweek.com/files/weekart/2004/1220/1220cover_rear.jpg[/url] During our brief on-track time, we found the MazdaSpeed 6 incredibly easy to drive, and overall very satisfying. It tends to understeer on entry at every turn when pushed hard, requiring a serious amount of steering input to get the nose pointed toward the desired direction of travel, but the steering itself gives plenty of feedback and has a solid, weighty feel. After the initial turn-in you can feel the awd kick in, which allows for some rotation of the rear end, and from there the front end can in large part be directed by the throttle. The ride isn’t overly harsh; in fact, we found it to be surprisingly comfortable without being soft. It is difficult to power out of the turns at times, especially on damp asphalt, and the stability control tends to cut in a little too eagerly for our tastes. On dry pavement, however, the car easily charges out of turns, whether the DSC is activated or not. Overall, the 6 is tremendously forgiving of every gaffe, small and not so small, though we’d prefer perhaps a little less understeer. Prices for the MazdaSpeed 6 haven’t been announced and probably won’t be until much closer to its on-sale date sometime next summer, but we’re guessing it will start at less than $30,000. And as the car only comes in one specification—awd, six-speed manual, sedan—prices shouldn’t climb much from there. As for getting your hands on one, Mazda probably won’t make more than 5000 or so available, so if you’re in the market for upgrading your Mazda 6, you might want to keep this secret to yourself.
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D-2.5-GT Experienced

D-2.5-GT

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"equipped the MazdaSpeed 6 with a no-nonsense all-wheel-drive system to aid in laying down all that power. Depending on the car’s steering angle, yaw rate and lateral acceleration, and data gathered from the wheel-speed sensors and ABS control module, the hydraulic-type center differential can transfer up to 50 percent of the power rearward." Seems like they made it way too complicated. Would hate the see the cost of fixing / replacing whatever unit that is. I am not a fan of the AWD systems which are transfering power around for you. Basically its a FWD vehicle which can transfer power when it thinks it needs to, no necessarily when it should. I think the Subaru mechanical version is far more simple and effective.
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Guest JessterCPA

Guest JessterCPA

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OK. So there it is. We can stop worrying that the 6 is a LGT killer. Can it beat a LGT? With a good driver of course. But I will not be shaking in my boots the next time a 6 pulls next to me, wondering if its a MazdaSpeed. Good car, but not a great car. Oh and at 3600 or so pounds, this car is a little portly. Shave 200 lbs off, and this could be a serious monster.
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Nick360 Apprentice

Nick360

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[quote name='JessterCPA']OK. So there it is. We can stop worrying that the 6 is a LGT killer. Can it beat a LGT? With a good driver of course. [/QUOTE] I don't think that even with a good driver it could beat the legacy. Too much trouble with understeer, aceleration out of corners, and then the weight issue. I think the LGT will be the better car. Only time will tell. Nick
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rao Grand Master

rao

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You shold be able to buy one of those for way under invoice about 2 months after they are introduced (Though why you would want one is a mystery :lol: ). A stock Legacy GT should leave that thing in its wake without too much trouble. As always the TSX oWns :lol:

Rob

 

 

 

IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT

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Beanboy Grand Master

Beanboy

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Hey, Subaru advertised the WRX 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds with their first ad campaign. The times are also 0-62, which may mean a shift is in there. A fair number of cars for the US market have a shift to third at 60-62 just so they can get a better 0-60 time. Still, I had better not drive on any gravel roads for the next month or so, hehe. -B

-B

http://www.standardshift.com

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Drift Monkey Veteran

Drift Monkey

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[quote name='Beanboy']Hey, Subaru advertised the WRX 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds with their first ad campaign. The times are also 0-62, which may mean a shift is in there. A fair number of cars for the US market have a shift to third at 60-62 just so they can get a better 0-60 time. Still, I had better not drive on any gravel roads for the next month or so, hehe. -B[/QUOTE] True, but 6.6 is still slowAr! :p Gravel, gravel, gravel!!11
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Xenonk Grand Master

Xenonk

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oh man, they are using the brake system to force torque to the rears.. blah! Expect to smell brake pads burning up as you take a corner harder than usual. Sorry, but that's what left foot braking is for if you want the car to rotate a bit under slower speeds and keeping the boost up. At least they could have put in some better gear ratios to bring the 0-60 time to 5.0 secs.. it can't be that hard, hell, they quoted 2000 to 6000 rpm torque curve! Use some better gear ratios! Keefe
Keefe
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BacDoc Apprentice

BacDoc

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As a former Mazda owner I looked at the 6 and the MS6 before I bought the LGT. Mazda is a day late and a dollar short to the AWD turbo party. Suby has been doing it for years....case closed. And the HORROR of those wheels!!!:eek:
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Driver72 Proficient

Driver72

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The Mazda 6 was a nice looking car when it came out. But I've said it many times over the last several months that photos of the Mazdaspeed 6 have been released. The styling now looks a bit old. The buldging hood looks SVT Cobra-ish. The front end now has this gaping open mouth look. And, I don't like the stock wheels on the MS6. And overall it's just a year too late. And unlike the LGT, the Mazdaspeed 6 power ratings are probably exaggerated by just a tick (ala RX-8 and Miata). We all know, the LGT more than likely puts out 5-10 hp and 10-15 lbs ft of torque more than it's 250/250 rating. And with 300 pounds more weight than the LGT, the MS6 surely won't be faster. It's AWD system is FWD based on a FWD based platform. And did you guys see the shots of the engine? It's placed SO HIGH up in the engine bay, the car has GOT to be top heavy up front. It's so high up they needed to buldge the hood to make it fit. Even if it was out NOW, for $29K I'd still go get a LGT-L before the MS6!
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legandrex Proficient

legandrex

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Can anybody say RX-8? With those projected performance numbers it sounds to me that Mazda is overstating the HP like they did with the RX-8 I owned for a few months this year. Well, maybe buyers will want $500 gift cards to Target again. Those wheels are hideous too. Well, I am sure all of us "Boy racers" don't regret our purchase that's for sure!
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