Go-fast-goodies don’t overwhelm hyper little sedan

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/08/2003 (8281 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OF all the vehicles I have driven in the past year, from $15,000 econo-beaters to $200,000 supersonic babe magnets, three cars stand out not only for their innate, yet budget-minded sportiness, but for their abilities to make me yearn for twisty roads less travelled: the Mini Cooper S, the Subaru WRX and Mazda’s surprising Mazdaspeed Protege. (None of these cars carries a base sticker price exceeding $35,000.)

What isn’t unexpected about the $26,995 Mazdaspeed is its performance; I had a taste of it last fall on an autocross course during the limited-edition compact’s launch. It was reinforced on the track and road during the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s annual Car of the Year test fest. The uber-Protege eventually took the Best New Sports Coupe/Sedan Under $35,000 award, besting the aforementioned Mini, plus the Civic SiR, Hyundai Tiburon, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Saab 9-3.

Two things do surprise: The first is the Mazdaspeed essentially comprises factory-sourced tuner parts bolted to a four-year-old economy sedan — a senior citizen by competitive standards. That these parts seem to work in harmonious fashion is astounding. The second surprise is that I, like many “car guys,” have the loyalty of an amoeba — I live for the latest and greatest, fastest and sexiest. Yet this hyper little sedan continues to hold my attention.

In creating the Mazdaspeed, Mazda worked with prominent aftermarket automotive performance suppliers. Callaway Cars’ turbocharging expertise was tapped to assist in taking the 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine to a significantly higher performance level. The company, renowned for its work with Corvettes, bolted on its T25 turbocharger, providing about seven psi of boost. The result is a 40-horsepower jump from the base engine to 170. To handle the fortified engine’s urge is a Tochigi Fuji Sangyo KK limited-slip differential, assisted by larger 24-millimetre driveshafts (versus 22 mm for the standard Protege). Mazda also added a heavy-duty clutch disc and pressure plate.

Racing Beat, a Mazda tuner for more than 30 years focused its efforts on chassis refinement, suspension upgrades and the installation of a high-performance muffler. The Mazdaspeed is fitted with re-engineered front MacPherson struts, a strut tower brace, higher-rate coil springs, re-valved Tokico dampers and larger-diameter stabilizer bar bracket and bushings. The rear suspension boasts Racing Beat-tuned independent struts with twin trapezoidal links, coil springs and larger stabilizer bar.

Performance wheel manufacturer Racing Hart developed alloy rims for the Mazdaspeed; a five-spoke design on which Bridgestone Potenza 215/45ZR17 uni-directional tires are mounted. Finally, the whole performance package is tarted up in a full aero body kit and a Spicy Orange paint job that is about as subtle as a Mob hit.

AJAC’s numbers show that the Protege hits the 100-kilometre-an-hour mark in 7.5 seconds, accelerates in third gear to 120 km/h from 80 in 5.7 seconds and, thanks to powerful, European-spec, four-wheel disc brakes, panic stops from 100 km/h in a sports car-like 38.8 metres.

More than the hard data provided by the performance figures is the fact the Mazdaspeed, like the other two cars on my fave list, is so easy to drive quickly and so rewarding of a job well done. The close-ratio five-speed is a joy. Clutch take-up is perfect. It requires a firm hand to slide the lever from gate to gate, but it is next to impossible to blow a shift. The gear ratios are well chosen, keeping the engine in the healthy part of its powerband. Turbo lag is non-existent and the mild boost feeds the four-cylinder in fairly linear fashion — some hesitation in the boost is noticeable under heavier applications of throttle, however, and there’s not a whole lot of point to revving the engine much past 5,000 rpm.

The limited-slip diff does its job as well, keeping the power apportioned at the front wheels and torque steer to a minimum. The downside is the Protege loses a portion of its well-known steering crispness — the weight of the rack-and-pinion is decidedly heavy. There is also some driveline binding in low-speed, full-lock turns, such as when backing out of a parking space.

Still, the Mazdaspeed lives for the tight and twisty, requiring only small steering inputs and holding its line in the corners with minimal roll. Tire grip is huge, wet or dry. As should be expected, the ride is firm, although no worse than any proper sport sedan. When needed, the Euro-spec brakes, with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution, scrub off speed with great efficiency.

The Mazdaspeed’s cabin is almost as overt as the externals. Sparco, a racing accessory manufacturer, provides drilled aluminum foot pedals with rubber inserts and a slim, aluminum shift knob. (Minor beef: The shifter is almost too dainty. Those of us with big hands want something meaty to hold onto; something Hurst-like, perhaps). Other interior revisions include silver-faced analogue gauges, suede-like seat bolsters (very grippy), leather-wrapped Nardi steering wheel with colour-keyed stitching and aluminum and carbon-fibre-look trim pieces. Not exactly subtle, but a couple of notches below garish.

Oh yeah, there’s also a 450-watt, Kenwood MP3 audio system, which I appreciate for its superb tonal qualities, but little else. It’s all very trick, including its video game graphics and the motorized, self-hiding faceplate that flips and folds out of the centre panel. The Kenwood should be a delete option, with a simpler, user-friendlier audio package for technology-challenged old guys such as myself.

Among the few, but growing, numbers of factory-built sport compacts available, the Mazdaspeed Protege is one of the better balanced, with none of its go-fast goodies overwhelming the car. History should prove kind and I can easily see the sporty sedan achieving cult status in a few short years.

What I wish, more than anything, though, is for Mazda to consider a similar model for its upcoming Mazda 3, the car that will replace the Protege in 2004. If such a model comes to be, I would expect great things from it.

The specs

Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive, sport-compact sedan

Engine: Turbo 2.0L DOHC four-cyl.

Power: 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 160 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS

Tires: P215/45ZR17 performance

Base price/as tested: $26,995/same