Sometimes automakers come up with strange names for their cars. Some add an additional letter value to the name, for example, "RS", "GTR", "MPS". This designation is worth it for a reason. Usually, “charged” versions of civilian cars are marked in this way. And today we will consider one of these instances, namely the Mazda MPS. It will be interesting.
Design
The Japanese manufacturer produced two Mazda MPS. This is a charged hatchback based on the "troika" and a sedan. The latter was made on the basis of the Mazda-6. The MPS version practically does not differ from the civilian one in appearance. That's the whole point.
After all, seeing the usual, vegetable Mazda in the stream, no one will guess about its character, teristics. But as soon as the driver presses the gas pedal, this “zipper” rushes to a black dot in a couple of seconds. If we consider the MPS of the third series, the distinguishing features here are xenon optics, a slightly modified bumper and a small aerodynamic skirtbottom.
Only true Mazda fans will be able to distinguish this car from the usual, civilian version. The same goes for the sedan. Here are the same slanted headlights, a recognizable grille with a company badge and a raised hood. The only way to recognize the charged version of the MPS is by the huge 18-inch wheels on low-profile tires. Moreover, such wheels are on both the third and sixth series of the Mazda MPS. Despite their year of manufacture (which is 2005 and 2006 for the sedan and hatchback, respectively), the cars look quite stylish and modern. This car is universal and will suit both strong and weaker sex.
Dimensions, clearance
In terms of dimensions, the sedan had the following dimensions. The length was 4.76 meters, width - 1.78 meters, height - 1.43 meters. The hatchback was more compact. So, its length was 4.4 meters, width - 1.76 meters, but the height - 1.46 meters, which is slightly higher than that of a sedan. Ground clearance is a common problem for both the "troika" and the "six". Without loading, it was about 15 centimeters.
And if the MPS hatchback somehow coped with bumps due to short overhangs, the sedan often hit the thresholds because of the long wheelbase. Still, the main element of these machines is smooth asph alt.
Salon
The inner part is also not much different from stock. The exception is the red trim on the instrument panel and on the center console. The radio and "twists" of the air conditioning system have a red backlight.
The instrument panel contains three "wells", brightly separated from each other. On the sides are convenient power window buttons and large slots for speakers. The music in the Mazda sounds very good. But the quality of the plastic remains the same. Still, additional soundproofing the car will not hurt. Trunk volume in the "troika" - 290 liters. The sedan can fit up to 455 liters of luggage.
Technical characteristics of the "troika"
So, first, let's look at the junior series of MPS. It is in the engine compartment that the full potential of this Mazda is hidden. The Mazda-3 MPS was equipped with a different, larger and more powerful engine.
It is a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit with multiport fuel injection. The working volume of this engine is 2300 cubic centimeters. Maximum power - 260 horsepower. Torque at three thousand revolutions - 380 Nm.
The Mazda-3 MPS, which was released in 2006, simply "teared to pieces" the newfangled "Mercedes" and "BMW". It was a real success for the Japanese manufacturer. After all, for the first time he installed a turbocharged engine on a serial, cheap car. This car wiped its nose even in the premium segment in terms of dynamics. As for specific numbers, acceleration to hundreds took only 6 seconds. Top speed was 250 kilometers per hour.
The car had high fuel consumption. In the city, the figure was at least 13 and a half liters. In the mixed cycle, the "troika" fit into the top ten. By the way, for this motorfit only the 98th gasoline. Some install gas-cylinder equipment on the Mazda in order to save money. After all, the octane number of propane-butane is more than a hundred. This means that the fuel is suitable for use in a motor of this type. But among motorists there is a lot of controversy about HBO on turbocharged engines. However, this can often be seen on loaded Foresters and other cars of the Japanese car industry.
Technical characteristics of Mazda-6 MPS
This car came out a year earlier than the "troika". An engine with a volume of 2260 cubic centimeters with an overhead camshaft was installed here. The unit had a capacity of 260 horsepower. With similar characteristics (the torque of the "troika" and "six" is also identical), the sedan lagged behind in acceleration by half a second. The fact is that the curb weight of the car was higher. And this greatly affects the dynamic performance. By the way, the maximum speed was also lower and amounted to 240 kilometers per hour.
As for fuel consumption, the minimum figure in the urban cycle was 14 liters. On the highway, the owners fit into 8.2. In the combined cycle, the car consumed 10 and a half liters. Oddly enough, but this turbocharged engine is designed for 95th gasoline.
Transmission
Mazda MPS sedan and hatchback were equipped with the same gearbox. This is a six step mechanic. Since this is a sports version, there were no automatic transmissions here. Although the same Germans often used the machine gun on AMG versions.
Chassis
Suspension on both axles was independent. Front are MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar, as well as transverse triangular levers. Behind the independent suspension is built on longitudinal and transverse levers. There are also coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The latter are located separately, not in a rack.
As for the type of drive, there are already disagreements. Thus, the MPS sedan version had a front-wheel drive with the ability to connect a rear axle thanks to a viscous coupling. But the hatchback was equipped with a non- alternative front-wheel drive. Torque was not transferred to the rear axle. As for the brakes, they are disc type on both axles and are ventilated in addition. But the sedan version had non-ventilated discs at the rear. Otherwise, there are no differences in the brake system.
Conclusion
So, we found out what the Mazda MPS is. As you can see, this is a pretty fast car "from the people." But the pioneers of this trend of "hot hatch" are truly the Germans. It was with the Volkswagen Golf GTI that this race of manufacturers began. Now these cars are very popular among the people. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to buy an expensive luxury car or a sports car. Some people just don't need it. It is enough just to have a charged "budget", which, without standing out in any way from the general flow, will be able to overtake any sporty "Mercedes" or "BMW".