Mazda3 TCR: the racing version arrives

The Japanese compact receives its racing version, called the Mazda3 TCR, and it’s built to make waves on the circuits.

A year after the new Mazda3 was unveiled to the world with a design that won everyone over, we are eagerly waiting to see whether the long-awaited Mazda3 MPS version will arrive. What we do know is that Mazda plans to launch its first electric vehicle in 2020.

However, the manufacturer wants to give us a taster: this is the Mazda3 TCR, whose construction complies with the regulations imposed by the TCR rulebook, which is valid for competing in up to 36 different touring car championships. The Japanese brand has already chosen its stage, though: it will debut in the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. It will therefore make its debut at the Daytona Four Hours, a mid-distance race held next January.

Despite being a racing car, it loses not an ounce of appeal compared with the road version; on the contrary, it is spectacular. The bumpers are new, making them wider, lower and featuring a lip at the bottom. The wheel arches have also gained width, to which the side skirts have also contributed.

The most aggressive part, however, is the rear, which features a generously sized rear diffuser with a single round exhaust outlet in the centre. Yet what impresses most is the huge rear spoiler resting on the rear window.

The Mazda3 TCR is a beast on the circuits

The mechanicals must conform to what the TCR regulations dictate, so it fits a turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing no less than 350 horsepower. This is mated to a sequential manual gearbox with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Mashiro Moto, President of Mazda North America, stated: “The TCR represents a great opportunity for us to showcase the new Mazda3 and give our customers another great chance to race the Mazda in high-level motorsport competition. Some of our biggest successes in IMSA and SRO TC Americas are owed to dedicated customers who decided to race the Mazda, and we hope the next generation of Mazda drivers will recognise the potential of the Mazda3 TCR.”

Therefore, the Mazda3 TCR is a race car/customer car that will go on sale in the United States at a price of $175,000, which is roughly 160,000 euros. So if you’re thinking of buying a toy to enjoy on the circuits, you will hardly find anything that gives more bang for the buck.