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Mazdaspeed 3 prices announced


coty061885

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Not bad, but that's a whole $7k more than I paid for my 06 3s Hatch 6 months ago. I'm sure I could get more power for less than that, but again, AWD is a plus and factory warranty. Maybe I'll check them out after a year or so.
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Wow. That is a good deal. Question, is the engine strong enough to mod/turbo/spray?

uhhh...it already is a turbo...

 

Modifing a direct injection engine is asking for trouble. There are so many more parameters that go into tuning a DI engine vs. port injection that you could easily screw things up. It also depends a lot on the fuel system and what they use to drive the pump. (accessory drive, cam lobe, etc...)

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uhhh...it already is a turbo...

 

Modifing a direct injection engine is asking for trouble. There are so many more parameters that go into tuning a DI engine vs. port injection that you could easily screw things up. It also depends a lot on the fuel system and what they use to drive the pump. (accessory drive, cam lobe, etc...)

 

Didn't realize it was turbo.

 

Basically, what I was getting at...is that I know the SI's and such can easily be modified with a big turbo...spray..on stock block.

 

Still a good deal.

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If I had to make the choice would rather get the Dodge Caliber SRT-4. Right around the same price and weight and but the SRT-4 is stated to have 300hp. And we know how Dodge understated the SRT-4 before. I am not a big fan of either of them still would rather take the Caliber over the 3.
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Yeah, the Calibur is AWD, but it's uglier than shit. I'm sure you could get the Mazdaspeed 3 at 300 hp pretty easily. Maybe later they'll offer an AWD version.

 

im almost positive the Caliber srt-4 will be FWD. They may offer an awd model but i dont think it will be available with the srt-4 package.

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I stand corrected. Here's a quote pulled from a Car and Driver preview of the Calibur SRT-4:

"All-wheel drive, an option in the regular Caliber lineup, would damp out torque steer, but the system isn’t capable of handling the turbo engine’s higher output. As you’d expect, the new hot rod’s underpinnings are upgraded to keep pace with the turbo motor’s big punch: heavier front knuckles, heavier hubs, beefier wheel bearings, higher spring rates, stiffer dampers, heavy-duty knuckles up front, heavier front and rear anti-roll bars, and a quicker ratio for the rack-and-pinion steering system."

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To increase drivability and minimize torque steer and wheel spin in what is a very powerful front-wheel drive car, a sophisticated torque-management system combines with equal-length hardened driveshafts and a cone-type Super LSD limited slip differential.

 

 

Under the watchful eye of an advanced powertrain control module (PCM), the waste-gate bleeds off excess boost to control the torque spikes in first and second gear that would result in wheel spin, providing full boost only in third gear and above. Also, because the throttle is a drive-by-wire system, the PCM can control how quickly the throttle body reacts to driver inputs, smoothing intake volume to further minimize torque spikes. This results in different torque characteristics in first, second and third (and above) gears, minimizing torque-steer and wheel-spin and maximizing traction and acceleration.

 

 

Torque control is also linked to the steering angle, limiting power delivery when the front wheels are turned. A Super LSD cone-type limited-slip differential also minimizes wheel-spin on the inner wheel during hard cornering for smooth, predictable power delivery. Mazda also fits a similar Super LSD unit to the rotary-powered RX-8 sports car and the high-performance MAZDASPEED6 sport sedan.

 

I can attest that driving a high HP FWD car with an LSD provides pretty bad torque steer in first and second gears. I'm interested to drive this to see how much slower it feels in first and second, but overall I think this is a good thing.

 

The new MAZDASPEED3 employs a six-speed manual transmission shared with the MAZDASPEED6, allowing the driver to maximize the engine's potential.

It shouldn't be hard at all to make this car AWD then. Swap the MS6 drivetrain from the transmission back.

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I can attest that driving a high HP FWD car with an LSD provides pretty bad torque steer in first and second gears. I'm interested to drive this to see how much slower it feels in first and second, but overall I think this is a good thing.

 

 

It shouldn't be hard at all to make this car AWD then. Swap the MS6 drivetrain from the transmission back.

 

 

just hte center dif would be needed from the MS6 you could use the rear diff and components from the AWD s40s should bolt right up. or just use the whole drive train they offer a s40 with a 6sp manual and AWD.

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Yeah I don't like the look of the Caliber's either, but I would still take one over the 3. And yes the Caliber SRT-4 is FWD. You can get the regular Caliber in AWD, but not the SRT-4 version. And don't forget we are compairing the Mazdaspeed 3 to the SRT-4, not a Mazda 6.
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