autoevolution
 

Next Mazda3 MPS / Mazdaspeed3 Could Drop Turbo

We know Mazda is not going to give up on making a new Mazda3 MPS or Mazdaspeed3 as it's called in America, but we have no idea right now about what it will be like. We thought it was going to be an awesome hot hatch with almost 300 horsepower coming from a 2.3-liter turbo engine, but a new report suggest something a lot more disappointing.
2014 Mazda3 1 photo
Photo: Mazda
During the recent Mazda3 prototype drive event, Auto Express magazine talked to engineers who said the next MPS could simply use a tuned 2.0-liter engine. No, not a turbo 2-liter like every other hot hatch in its class has, a naturally aspirated Spyactiv unit based on the one that's already available.

This would be tuned to produce somewhere around 200 horsepower at 7,000rpm, a lot less than the monster that's currently power the car.

If this is true, fans of the Mazdaspeed/MPS badge will surely be disappointed. But after the much-rumored demise of the Evo, nothing surprises us that much. The only way to make sense of this report is to look at it from another perspective.

Honda still makes a car like this, the Civic S, which has a 2.4-liter VTEC engine producing only 201 hp. It's their only hot compact in America and goes up against the much more powerful Ford Focus ST by undercutting it in terms of price.

Mazda could be looking at a similar let's just do it and be done attitude to hot models while it tries to tackle much more important projects, like the Mazda2 and CX-3.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories