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MazdaSpeed 3


dmyers151
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I went and washed my car after work yesterday, then took the long way home, it was perfect driving weather. Some tough guy and his buddy in a MS3 followed me outta the lot and down the road, kept getting close and backing off, I knew they were curious. They followed me for a few minutes and onto this 2 lane road, not really a highway, but 55mph and fairly straight, they stayed about 4 lengths back. The on-ramp is a subtle right turn with a yield, good visibility for incoming traffic. I looked, nothing, so I floored it in 2nd, from about 25mph, up to 5k, they did the same. As I grabbed 3rd they were creeping up on me, I ran 3rd out to 4.5k and shifted to 4th. They were coming on stronger at that point, then I went for 5th, probably doing 90mph or so.

 

Dude walked right past me.

 

I know they are quick little cars, and I'm still on the 12A, but I'm a little upset. Mazda claims 263hp/280tq & 3272lbs.

 

Looked just like this.

http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2010MazdaSpeed3BeautyLeftWide01small.jpg

 

-_-

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The MS3 is like my HHR SS.....it makes 90+% torque from like 1800 RPM's and up where a 12A SQ has a quick little torque peak and then it's done. That's why he pulled away. I've beaten buddies in cars with maximum HP/torque way higher than my peak numbers in the HHR.

 

No worries though....the Valencia will be faster...LOL.

Edited by jonboyb
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HHR=homo hot rod. sorry... i had to. ive been waiting to use that for a while now. at least its not a PT loser. otherwise youd get peter gazer.
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HHR=homo hot rod. sorry... i had to. ive been waiting to use that for a while now. at least its not a PT loser. otherwise youd get peter gazer.

 

A Volvo wagon guy talkin' smack....J/K :lol: Everybody makes fun of my HHR till they line up against it B)

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With the numbers you post he is defiantly making more power then you with about the same weight, You need to step up to an 18g @ 20psi and have some real fun. :o

Yeah, 05H-18G is the plan. Just recently started getting a list of parts together.

 

Haha, why only 4.5k??

 

-Robert

It stops pulling up top, so I shift early to keep things moving. I feel like the way the 12A makes power, if I had 8 or 9 gears and shifted at 4k, I'd be hauling, haha.

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I use to have an 06 MS6. They are wicked fast cars.

 

I had the optional mazdaspeed cold air intake that let her actually rev up past 5k rpms without falling on their face (they have a poor design stock intake system). Only problem is that it put the air filter down next to the front wheel. Well coming home from work one day, it started to pour. water got high on the road, that cool little air intake sucked up a quart of water hydrolocking the motor....in which left me stranded with the water rising on the road to the point where a little bit got into the passenger compartment. State Farm totalled the car over it. Still pisses me off to no end.

 

Way off subject....all in all, they are quick. But they have a boost cut in the first three gears. First and second pull like a conquest, third starts really pulling you back, once you hit fourth...hang on. sixth gear in an MS3 or MS6 is similar to our 5th...you are pulling about 3K rpms at 65mph, so she is geared low.

 

I test drove three brand new MS3's before I bought my slightly used MS6. The MS6 really is a step above the MS3 due to the AWD (plus it is a more roomy car and has move of a luxury look to it rather than the little hatchback that remindes you of a 16yr olds car). Seat of the pants, they both accelerate the same (although I imagine if you put them on a track that the MS3 would be faster due to less weight and non-awd).

 

 

I'm not sure a quest with a 16G and mild mods would outpull an MS3 (maybe with 18psi, the quest I drove with a S16G was only running around 14-15psi if I remember correctly). It would be a fairly close race though. The modded quest would take it off the line but the MS3 would catch it pretty quick. Now if the MS3 had the COBB tuner, thus eliminating the boost cut, the MS3 would win.

 

kev

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I recently trading in my 08 MS3, got sick of warranty/dealer b.s. & it was a pretty quick car for the price. It had a stock 93 Cobb AP tune on it & a Forge OE style BPV & it dyno'd at 228hp/255tq at the wheels. Not an easy car to launch but the top end was impressive especially with a tune. It would easily beat your average 13 second car on the highway, from a stop not a chance. The best was when I ran another MS3 from a 60 roll to about 120. He had maybe 30-40hp more than I did but I guess with the tune smoothing out the boost in the higher rpm range I easily put 4 cars on him.

 

Fun car, miss the top end power, may end up with another someday.

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I recently trading in my 08 MS3, got sick of warranty/dealer b.s. & it was a pretty quick car for the price. It had a stock 93 Cobb AP tune on it & a Forge OE style BPV & it dyno'd at 228hp/255tq at the wheels. Not an easy car to launch but the top end was impressive especially with a tune. It would easily beat your average 13 second car on the highway, from a stop not a chance. The best was when I ran another MS3 from a 60 roll to about 120. He had maybe 30-40hp more than I did but I guess with the tune smoothing out the boost in the higher rpm range I easily put 4 cars on him.

 

Fun car, miss the top end power, may end up with another someday.

 

 

I hear you there. My MS6 was in the shop at least once a month during the year that I owned it. Everything that could have possibly leaked on the car did...coolant, rear diff, xfer case, tranny, oil pan, etc. Had issues with light bulbs burning out prematurely too. Car only had 30K on it when I totalled it. My local mazda dealer is a rip-off joint that just made my blood pressure surge every time I went there. One of those dealers that put more focus on snacks/coffee in the waiting lounge, and crappy detailing of the car rather than focusing on fixing the problem you pay them to do.

 

I actually just purged the folder in my file cabinet of receipts for that car. It was a practically 'new' car and the receipts folder was bulging out.

 

It was a blast too drive but I could see how reliability will be an issue on them.

 

In the end, I went back to a $2500 22 year old conquest with 80K on the clock. No payments, no worrying about dealers, I know the car in and out, turns more heads, and still a fun to drive. Only negative is that I can't fit my two boys in the conquest so I just use it for my own commute back and forth to work.

 

kev

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From what I hear the rods like to run for daylight.

 

Not sure where you're getting that from? I've known many MS3/6 owners & none have ever run into this problem, nor heard of it. But than again like any car that is improperly modified I'm sure it's possible.

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Not sure where you're getting that from? I've known many MS3/6 owners & none have ever run into this problem, nor heard of it. But than again like any car that is improperly modified I'm sure it's possible.

 

It's actually pretty common even in stock MS3/6 cars (but far more prevalent on tuned MS's). If you know people with them....I find it hard to believe they haven't heard of the issue (unless they never visit any of the 2.3 sites). They even have a sticky for it on their boards to try and track the cause :lol:

 

Blown 2.3's

 

Just read through some of the last pages and it seems they've figured it out now.

Edited by jonboyb
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Not sure where you're getting that from? I've known many MS3/6 owners & none have ever run into this problem, nor heard of it. But than again like any car that is improperly modified I'm sure it's possible.

 

It's well known at about 385hp the rods like punching windows in the blocks.

 

Sounds like the OP's buddies car is slower than he thought, not the MS3 being faster.

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  • 2 weeks later...
a local around here to me, some of you know him as he comes to meets but doesnt post, cregg, used to own a speed 3. after riding in it with him a few times (notreally safe) i can attest to the power these things produce. we actually had his opn the dyno and it was about as close to produceing the numbers that mazda quotes for it as i have ever seen. it was one of the mobile type dynos with the water hoses going into them, that you actually take off the wheels and bolt directly to the car. i understand these are really accurate.
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I went and washed my car after work yesterday, then took the long way home, it was perfect driving weather. Some tough guy and his buddy in a MS3 followed me outta the lot and down the road, kept getting close and backing off, I knew they were curious. They followed me for a few minutes and onto this 2 lane road, not really a highway, but 55mph and fairly straight, they stayed about 4 lengths back. The on-ramp is a subtle right turn with a yield, good visibility for incoming traffic. I looked, nothing, so I floored it in 2nd, from about 25mph, up to 5k, they did the same. As I grabbed 3rd they were creeping up on me, I ran 3rd out to 4.5k and shifted to 4th. They were coming on stronger at that point, then I went for 5th, probably doing 90mph or so.

 

Dude walked right past me.

 

I know they are quick little cars, and I'm still on the 12A, but I'm a little upset. Mazda claims 263hp/280tq & 3272lbs.

 

Looked just like this.

http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2010MazdaSpeed3BeautyLeftWide01small.jpg

 

-_-

No no no, you didn't actually lose. It LET the MS3 win, out of pity for how much cooler a SQ is. :lol:

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I test drove three brand new MS3's before I bought my slightly used MS6. The MS6 really is a step above the MS3 due to the AWD

 

Interesting. I knew someone with an MS3 that used to scare me when I rode with him so, owning an '02 626, I was naturally curious about the MS6. There's one in town that I see once in awhile. looks tough & fast but in a subtle way I like. I'm suprised of all the maintenance problems you had though - I've pretty much ignored my 626 once it got off warranty except for fluid changes and it's been pretty much flawless. Just got hit for $2k plus to take care of all the deferred maintenance this spring though! :lol: (Hey, timing belt, brakes, etc, it adds up quick!) Oh and btw, for warranty service I did NOT go to the nearest Mazda dealer (who are lying dolts, IMO) but drove to the other side of the metro area to the GOOD Mazda dealer that I knew since the '80s... ^_^

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