19 Nov 04
Don't be fooled. Mazda's hot MPS6 performance flagship may have the rally-rocket prerequisites of four-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine, but it's no Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru Impreza killer. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Rather than try and rub shoulders with other banzai specials, Mazda optimistically hopes the MPS6 will be seen as more of a BMW and Audi rival. Hence the company has heavily emphasised the balance of refinement and performance.
This also explains why, in line with the proposed smooth and sophisticated image, the MPS6 has no mad wings, bonnet intakes, gaping scoops or flared wheelarches. The revised head and tail lamps and new nose are new to the car, but they will feature on the facelifted 6 out next summer. Performance clues include a hump-backed bonnet, chunkier reworked bumpers, subtle body kit, stubby twin exhaust pipes and a neat rear bootlid lip. That and a set of rather fussy 18-inch spoked alloys is your lot.
The rest is pure 6. The wheelbase and tracks are the same, as is the ride height - a disappointment given all the effort the MPS6 team of engineers poured into its drive and powertrain. But then, Mazda makes no bones about ensuring the MPS6 maintains the company's value for money policy. The cabin gets a few minor tweaks - the instruments are chrome-ringed, the electrically adjustable seats are grippy semi-bucket types and the centre console has been restyled.
The MPS6 is powered by a Ford-based 2.3-litre petrol engine that combines both the mundane and the advanced. The four-pot engine breathes through a high-tech direct injection system that significantly boosts efficiency and enhances throttle response throughout the rev range. The crankshaft and con-rods are now steel and the engine is fitted with a balancer shaft to smooth out high-rev engine speeds. That's the clever bit.
