Deep Six: Mazda6 gets the MazdaSpeed treatment, and all the goodies that go with it
NATALIE NEFF
Published Date: 12/20/04

2006 MAZDASPEED 6 ON SALE: Summer
BASE PRICE: $29,000 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 2.3-liter, 274-hp, 280-lb-ft turbocharged I4; awd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3630 pounds (est.)
0 TO 62 MPH: 6.6 seconds (mfr.)

Two years ago we let you in on a secret. We told you about a splendid little automobile that could not only fulfill familial obligations as well as any ol’ Toyota Camry, but it would slake an enthusiast thirst nearly as well as the standard-bearer BMW 3 Series, and for just about half the price.

Sounded like big talk at the time, we know, but you listened. And then you blabbed. To date you’ve helped convince about 135,000 to take the plunge on a Mazda6.

Well, lean in close, here’s another secret: Next summer Mazda will roll out the MazdaSpeed 6.

Penned with the enthusiast foremost in mind, the newest 6 arguably looks more its part than any MazdaSpeed-specified car in the stable. Its chunky, purposeful design remains largely true to the MPS concept car from the 2002 Paris show that foretold its coming, trading in only its five-door hatchback shape for that of a stiffer-bodied four-door sedan. A supersized lower air dam dips down deep in front, gulping up volumes more air than the base-model 6, beefed-up side sills wrap around the body and its five-point grille gets accentuated by a thick crossbar. Restyled taillights highlight the rear, with new twin exhaust pipes poking out below. The biggest change inside is the addition of nicely bolstered bucket seats. It’s a sleek design punctuated by forceful elements that speak to its sporting bent.

It’s a far cry from the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and purposefully so. Mazda said it never considered a hood scoop or “the boy-racer look,” instead concentrating more on using richer materials and finishes to elevate the look of the car over its stock brethren. In fact, Mazda has its sights squared more on the Subaru Legacy GT as its primary competition, a 250-horse sport sedan styled in a similar manner: sleek and sporty. Whatever the philosophy behind the design, we think the MazdaSpeed 6 looks darn good.

And that ain’t even the half of it. Its conspicuously bulging hood doesn’t just hint at the goodies that lie beneath, it practically screams. And why not? Mazda took the base model’s four-banger, strapped it to a six-speed manual, slapped on a turbocharger and intercooler and shuttled power through the whole shebang to all four wheels. Ergo, MazdaSpeed.

Actually, the MazdaSpeed’s engine is a mostly new unit, based on the 2.3-liter four found in base 6s but equipped with steel connecting rods and crankshaft and direct gasoline injection. By injecting fuel directly into the cylinder, the atomization of the spray allows for a sort of cooling effect to occur, resulting in a denser charge and a 9.5:1 compression ratio, or much higher than is typical in turbocharged engines.

Combine that high compression with 15.6 psi of turbocharger boost and you get a whopping 274 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque—a full 54 more horsepower than in a standard 6, with 88 more lb-ft of torque. Better still, that torque band sits virtually flat between 2000 and 6000 rpm, making for easy access to power just about anywhere in the rev range, particularly in combination with its all-new wide-ratio six-speed manual.

That sounds like plenty of grunt to challenge the likes of the mighty Lancer Evo, with its 271 horses and 273 lb-ft of turbocharged four-cylinder power; the MazdaSpeed, however, falls a bit short on performance. Mazda claims its car will pull a 6.6-second 0-to-62-mph time, putting it more than a second off the Evo’s best—just 5.19 seconds (AW, Sept. 1, 2003). You can blame a hefty curb weight for much of that discrepancy. The MazdaSpeed 6 tips the scales at roughly 3630 pounds, almost 340 pounds heavier than the Mitsu and closer to 400 pounds more than a base-model 6.

Like the Evo, Mazda also equipped the MazdaSpeed 6 with a no-nonsense all-wheel-drive system to aid in laying down all that power. Depending on the car’s steering angle, yaw rate and lateral acceleration, and data gathered from the wheel-speed sensors and ABS control module, the hydraulic-type center differential can transfer up to 50 percent of the power rearward.

During our brief on-track time, we found the MazdaSpeed 6 incredibly easy to drive, and overall very satisfying. It tends to understeer on entry at every turn when pushed hard, requiring a serious amount of steering input to get the nose pointed toward the desired direction of travel, but the steering itself gives plenty of feedback and has a solid, weighty feel. After the initial turn-in you can feel the awd kick in, which allows for some rotation of the rear end, and from there the front end can in large part be directed by the throttle. The ride isn’t overly harsh; in fact, we found it to be surprisingly comfortable without being soft. It is difficult to power out of the turns at times, especially on damp asphalt, and the stability control tends to cut in a little too eagerly for our tastes. On dry pavement, however, the car easily charges out of turns, whether the DSC is activated or not. Overall, the 6 is tremendously forgiving of every gaffe, small and not so small, though we’d prefer perhaps a little less understeer.

Prices for the MazdaSpeed 6 haven’t been announced and probably won’t be until much closer to its on-sale date sometime next summer, but we’re guessing it will start at less than $30,000. And as the car only comes in one specification—awd, six-speed manual, sedan—prices shouldn’t climb much from there.
As for getting your hands on one, Mazda probably won’t make more than 5000 or so available, so if you’re in the market for upgrading your Mazda 6, you might want to keep this secret to yourself.

2006 MAZDASPEED 6 ON SALE: Summer
BASE PRICE: $29,000 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 2.3-liter, 274-hp, 280-lb-ft turbocharged I4; awd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3630 pounds (est.)
0 TO 62 MPH: 6.6 seconds (mfr.)

Two years ago we let you in on a secret. We told you about a splendid little automobile that could not only fulfill familial obligations as well as any ol’ Toyota Camry, but it would slake an enthusiast thirst nearly as well as the standard-bearer BMW 3 Series, and for just about half the price.

Sounded like big talk at the time, we know, but you listened. And then you blabbed. To date you’ve helped convince about 135,000 to take the plunge on a Mazda6.

Well, lean in close, here’s another secret: Next summer Mazda will roll out the MazdaSpeed 6.

Penned with the enthusiast foremost in mind, the newest 6 arguably looks more its part than any MazdaSpeed-specified car in the stable. Its chunky, purposeful design remains largely true to the MPS concept car from the 2002 Paris show that foretold its coming, trading in only its five-door hatchback shape for that of a stiffer-bodied four-door sedan. A supersized lower air dam dips down deep in front, gulping up volumes more air than the base-model 6, beefed-up side sills wrap around the body and its five-point grille gets accentuated by a thick crossbar. Restyled taillights highlight the rear, with new twin exhaust pipes poking out below. The biggest change inside is the addition of nicely bolstered bucket seats. It’s a sleek design punctuated by forceful elements that speak to its sporting bent.

It’s a far cry from the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and purposefully so. Mazda said it never considered a hood scoop or “the boy-racer look,” instead concentrating more on using richer materials and finishes to elevate the look of the car over its stock brethren. In fact, Mazda has its sights squared more on the Subaru Legacy GT as its primary competition, a 250-horse sport sedan styled in a similar manner: sleek and sporty. Whatever the philosophy behind the design, we think the MazdaSpeed 6 looks darn good.

And that ain’t even the half of it. Its conspicuously bulging hood doesn’t just hint at the goodies that lie beneath, it practically screams. And why not? Mazda took the base model’s four-banger, strapped it to a six-speed manual, slapped on a turbocharger and intercooler and shuttled power through the whole shebang to all four wheels. Ergo, MazdaSpeed.

Actually, the MazdaSpeed’s engine is a mostly new unit, based on the 2.3-liter four found in base 6s but equipped with steel connecting rods and crankshaft and direct gasoline injection. By injecting fuel directly into the cylinder, the atomization of the spray allows for a sort of cooling effect to occur, resulting in a denser charge and a 9.5:1 compression ratio, or much higher than is typical in turbocharged engines.

Combine that high compression with 15.6 psi of turbocharger boost and you get a whopping 274 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque—a full 54 more horsepower than in a standard 6, with 88 more lb-ft of torque. Better still, that torque band sits virtually flat between 2000 and 6000 rpm, making for easy access to power just about anywhere in the rev range, particularly in combination with its all-new wide-ratio six-speed manual.

That sounds like plenty of grunt to challenge the likes of the mighty Lancer Evo, with its 271 horses and 273 lb-ft of turbocharged four-cylinder power; the MazdaSpeed, however, falls a bit short on performance. Mazda claims its car will pull a 6.6-second 0-to-62-mph time, putting it more than a second off the Evo’s best—just 5.19 seconds (AW, Sept. 1, 2003). You can blame a hefty curb weight for much of that discrepancy. The MazdaSpeed 6 tips the scales at roughly 3630 pounds, almost 340 pounds heavier than the Mitsu and closer to 400 pounds more than a base-model 6.

Like the Evo, Mazda also equipped the MazdaSpeed 6 with a no-nonsense all-wheel-drive system to aid in laying down all that power. Depending on the car’s steering angle, yaw rate and lateral acceleration, and data gathered from the wheel-speed sensors and ABS control module, the hydraulic-type center differential can transfer up to 50 percent of the power rearward.

During our brief on-track time, we found the MazdaSpeed 6 incredibly easy to drive, and overall very satisfying. It tends to understeer on entry at every turn when pushed hard, requiring a serious amount of steering input to get the nose pointed toward the desired direction of travel, but the steering itself gives plenty of feedback and has a solid, weighty feel. After the initial turn-in you can feel the awd kick in, which allows for some rotation of the rear end, and from there the front end can in large part be directed by the throttle. The ride isn’t overly harsh; in fact, we found it to be surprisingly comfortable without being soft. It is difficult to power out of the turns at times, especially on damp asphalt, and the stability control tends to cut in a little too eagerly for our tastes. On dry pavement, however, the car easily charges out of turns, whether the DSC is activated or not. Overall, the 6 is tremendously forgiving of every gaffe, small and not so small, though we’d prefer perhaps a little less understeer.

Prices for the MazdaSpeed 6 haven’t been announced and probably won’t be until much closer to its on-sale date sometime next summer, but we’re guessing it will start at less than $30,000. And as the car only comes in one specification—awd, six-speed manual, sedan—prices shouldn’t climb much from there.

As for getting your hands on one, Mazda probably won’t make more than 5000 or so available, so if you’re in the market for upgrading your Mazda 6, you might want to keep this secret to yourself.