Sometimes car manufacturers come up with strange names for their cars. Some add an additional literal meaning to the name, for example, "RS", "GTR", "MPS". This designation is not just. Usually in this way they mark “charged” versions of civilian cars. 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 IPU version is practically no different from the civilian in appearance. This is the whole "trick".
After all, seeing in the stream the usual, vegetable "Mazda", no one will guess about its character, characteristics. But as soon as the driver presses the gas pedal, this “whack” 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 skirt from the bottom.
Only true Mazda fans will be able to distinguish this car from the usual, civilian version. The same goes for the sedan. Here, all the same slanting headlights, a recognizable radiator grille with a corporate badge and a relief hood. The only way to recognize the charged version of the MPS is by the huge 18-inch wheels on low-profile rubber. Moreover, such wheels are on both the third and sixth series of the Mazda MPS. Despite its year of production (and this is the 2005th and 2006th for the sedan and hatchback, respectively), the cars look pretty stylish and modern. This car is versatile and suitable for both the strong and the weaker sex.
Sizes, clearance
As for the dimensions, the sedan had the following dimensions. The length was 4.76 meters, the width was 1.78 meters, the height was 1.43 meters. The hatchback was more compact. So, its length was 4.4 meters, its width was 1.76 meters, but its height was 1.46 meters, which is slightly higher than that of the sedan. Ground clearance is a common problem for both the “three” and the “six”. Without loading, it was about 15 centimeters.
And if the MPS hatchback somehow managed to cope with irregularities due to short overhangs, the sedan often clung to the thresholds due to the long wheelbase. Still, the main element of these machines is smooth asphalt.
Salon
The inner part is also not much different from the stock. The exception is the red trim on the instrument panel and on the center console. The radio tape recorder and “twists” of the air conditioner 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 at Mazda sounds very good. But the quality of the plastic remained the same. Still, additional noise insulation does not hurt the car. Trunk volume in the "troika" - 290 liters. The sedan can accommodate up to 455 liters of luggage.
Technical characteristics of the "troika"
So, first, consider the younger series of MEAs. It is in the engine compartment that the full potential of this Mazda is hidden. The Mazda-3 MPS was equipped with another, more voluminous and powerful engine.
It is a gasoline four-cylinder turbocharged unit with distributed 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 "tore into pieces" the new-fangled 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 was wiping its nose even in the premium segment in terms of dynamics. With regard to specific numbers, acceleration to hundreds took only 6 seconds. The maximum speed was 250 kilometers per hour.
The car had a high fuel consumption. In the city, the figure was not less than 13 and a half liters. In the combined cycle, the "three" fit into the top ten. By the way, only the 98th gasoline was suitable for this engine. Some are installing gas cylinder equipment on the Mazda in order to save. After all, the octane number of propane-butane is more than a hundred. This means that the fuel is suitable for use in a similar type of engine. But among motorists there is a lot of controversy over HBO on turbocharged engines. Nevertheless, this can often be found on charged "Foresters" and other cars of the Japanese automobile industry.
Technical characteristics of the Mazda-6 MPS
This car came out a year earlier than the "troika". An engine 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 “three” 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 in 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" in the sedan and hatchback was equipped with the same gearbox. This is a six-step mechanics. Since this is a sports version, there were no automatic gearboxes. Although the same Germans often used the machine gun on the AMG versions.
Chassis
The suspension on both axles was independent. In front are MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar, and wishbones. Independent rear suspension is built on the trailing and wishbones. There are also coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The latter are located separately, not in the rack.
As for the type of drive, there are already disagreements. So, the MPS sedan version had 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 did not translate to the rear axle. As for the brakes, on both axles they are disk type and in addition are ventilated. But the sedan version had unventilated 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 discoverers of this trend of "hot Hatch" are truly Germans. It was with the Volkswagen Golf GTI that this race of manufacturers began. Now these machines are very popular among the people. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase an expensive luxury car or a sports car. Some just don't need it. It is enough just to have a charged "budget", which, not standing out from anything from the general stream, will be able to overtake any sported Mercedes or BMW.