Mazda 3 MPS 260CV, road test (part I)

I’ve been eager to show you this very special car. It’s not Italian technology but Japanese, and it doesn’t bite like a scorpion, but it leaves its mark all the same, in a different way. The bug is already inside me, and it’s very hard to shake; once you’ve driven it, it stays with you forever.

Just looking at it is a delight for sports car enthusiasts. It’s very eye-catching (not to be confused with flashy), exclusive, and suited to the most purist drivers and lovers of passion and strong emotions. It is not a tuned car as some may think, but a car developed by the manufacturer with the aim of delivering a sporty driving experience. The adrenaline rush is guaranteed.

Engine and performance

The Mazda 3 MPS features an engine evolution available only for this version. It is a high-performance DISI petrol turbo engine with a 2.3-litre capacity, delivering 260 CV at 5,500 rpm, while its peak torque of 380 Nm (a figure similar to a TDI) arrives at 3,000 rpm. Its aggressive character starts with the large air intake in the bonnet that cools it, which makes you realise this is no ordinary engine.

Its full potential shows in the numbers: 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, and its top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Of course, not everything is positive: its drawback is CO₂ emissions of 224 g/km, with a registration tax of 14.75%.

The engine Mazda has developed is no ordinary engine. It is a technologically advanced unit with new catalyst materials that stop particles from moving against each other, which can be reduced, lowering production costs. In addition, the engine is able to deliver a different torque depending on the steering wheel angle and the gear engaged.

Thus, in 1st and 2nd gear the maximum torque drops to 320 Nm and 360 Nm respectively, and if the steering angle is less than 15º all the torque is transmitted, but if it is greater, it is reduced to ensure the inside wheel grips in the bend and does not spin in vain. Overall, peak torque can be reduced by up to 60% depending on the circumstances. The front limited-slip differential is set at 66%, and can be lower depending on the wheels’ loss of traction.

The feeling in the car is one of total security. We pushed the car hard on several occasions and the result was always the same: no scares, no running wide on corners or taking a different line. The setup can be described as nothing short of perfect.

The intervention of the passive safety systems such as ESP and traction control can at times be somewhat intrusive for the kind of driving the car invites, but they can always be switched off, at the driver’s own responsibility. It is better to enjoy the drive a little less for a few thousandths of a second than to push too hard.

The 6-speed manual gearbox has gear ratios long enough that you never need to chase the gears to get maximum power. Although the gears engage quickly, the shift is precise and the lever is comfortable, one misses a sequential gearbox. Looking at its rivals, it could well have been considered and offered something more technologically advanced. I’m certain that with this gearbox it would reach 100 km/h in under 6 seconds.

On starting the car, sitting well in the seat with the belt fastened, the sensation is special. On one hand, you hear the engine roaring through the exhaust pipes like an orchestra, with so much power under the accelerator. On the other, once you start rolling, contact with the car comes through the steering, which is firm but just right. The suspension is also optimally calibrated, with specific coil springs for this version. We come away with a very good impression…

When it comes to braking, more of the same. The ventilated discs of 320 mm diameter on the front axle and solid discs of 280 mm on the rear axle allow a braking performance that needs very little space and time. Nothing has been overlooked to match all the components to the engine’s power. We’ll look at the details later on.

Whether we’re travelling at high or low speeds, the cabin noise is practically nil. With the radio off, at low revs you barely hear the wind (its drag coefficient is 0.32), and when we accelerate, the engine is what you hear most. On the motorway, testing our luck, you could hear a fly buzzing. The engine can be heard, but not as much as at low speed, where a sudden burst of acceleration turns heads among pedestrians. Unfortunately, we can exceed 150 km/h barely noticing, which can cost you more than one nasty surprise at the petrol pump.

Official consumption, far from the reality

And if many of you were waiting for the bad news, it isn’t so bad after all. Official consumption figures are not so hard to achieve. Of course, you have to be driving with an egg under your foot. At just under 90 km/h, the consumption over a little more than 100 kilometres was 6.9 litres per 100. It was a slight downhill stretch, it must be said. But as soon as we started enjoying a winding road, consumption shot up to 12 and even 14 litres in some stretches.

The official data sheet gives 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the extra-urban cycle. Cruising near 120 km/h, it’s hard to get below 8 litres and even 8.5, but there’s the figure. In town it exceeds 13 litres, and on the combined cycle the official figure is below 10 litres. Like any powerful car, it is thirsty, though, admittedly, 0.1 litres less than the previous generation.

Now it’s time to rest after burning through so much adrenaline and petrol, and having enjoyed the drive. Tomorrow we’ll look at the exterior and interior of this sports car, with the details we mentioned earlier.