MAZDA6 MPS
Despite Its Awesome Spec Sheet, The Mazda6 MPS Is Less Rally Refugee And More A-Road Blaster. Andy Enright Reports
The Mazda6 MPS sounds a mouthwatering proposition. A Japanese saloon with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive may have you thinking of Subarus Impreza or Mitsubishis Lancer Evo but the
Mazda is cut from very different cloth. Rather than looking like an émigré from a rally stage, the MPS is a rather more mature proposition that offers sophisticated and subtle thrills.
The problem with Imprezas and Evos is that most of the target market cant afford them. By the time youve reached a station in life whereby you can afford a £25,000 car, you may well have grown out of this sort of vehicle, its unremitting ride, astronomical running costs and unwelcome attention from an army of neer-do-wells and the boys in blue growing a tad wearing. The problem is there arent a whole lot of options if you just want to notch the extreme level back a click or two, That sort of money doesnt buy a very thrilling
BMW, Mercedes or
Audi saloon and then youre looking at rather compromised front-wheel drive offerings from the likes of
Honda,
Ford,
Volvo and
Saab. If you want a sporty, capable but refined car with genuine all weather capabilities, it would appear to be a toss up between the
Subaru Legacy 3.
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0R and this Mazda6 MPS. Both are very good cars and fill a definite niche, but if styling is important, the
Mazda wins hands down. The Mazda6 is a good looking car even in standard specification and in Sport trim, its a real head turner. The MPS (which stands for Mazda Performance Series if youre interested) takes things a step further with an aggressive but well integrated front spoiler and bumper assembly, subtly flared side skirts, more pronounced wheelarches (that house 18-inch aluminium wheels) and a rear bumper section that houses a diffuser and integrated tailpipe.
Theres also a small rear spoiler that represents a welcome change to the vision-obscuring tea trays often found on Japanese sports cars.
"The Mazda6 MPS offers a more refined spin on the all-wheel drive turbo sports saloon theme"
With 256bhp on tap, the Mazda6 MPS isnt slow off the mark and the sprint to 60mph figure of 6.4 seconds seems conservative. Indeed, its top speed of 148mph suggests a low gearing that would hint at even more impressive performance. The engine note itself is slightly disappointing and a custom exhaust would probably be the first port of call for owners who feel their MPS is a little too subtle.
The four-wheel drive system is designed to be unintrusive and never directs more than fifty per cent of drive to the rear wheels. Because of this, the Mazda6 MPS feels more like a very well engineered front wheel drive car with magnificent traction rather than a hairy handful. Perfect for the target market, in other words. An onboard computer automatically determines driving and road conditions with three different modes of front/rear torque distribution available.
The car runs in Normal mode for most driving with Sports mode instantly selected when you turn up the wick. If the computer detects wheel slippage, it defaults to Snow mode for maximum grip. The Power Take Off system directs torque to the rear axle and is fitted with its own water cooling set-up. Recognising that the MPS will be driven enthusiastically, Mazda have taken a number of steps to increase body rigidity.
Diagonal bracing behind the rear
seat backs, additional cross members below the cabin, bigger suspension mounts, more joints between the instrument panel and the body, strengthened engine mounts and reinforcing gussets welded into the roof rails all signal the cars intent. The net effect of these changes has been to increase overall torsional rigidity and to ensure that grip was improved at the rear not a priority when designing the original front-wheel drive Mazda6 models. The benefits of a stiffer chassis can be felt in the way the car drives. The steering is even sharper than the excellent system fitted to, say, the Mazda6 2.
3 Sport, and the lowered and stiffened suspension gives a suppler ride than you might expect. Spring rates, stabiliser bar sizes and bushing materials have all been revised for a sharper and more dynamic feel. The brakes have been beefed up as well with 17-inch discs front and rear fitted with ABS and brake assist. A Dynamic Stability Control package aims to keep the Mazda on the straight and narrow during overenthusiastic manoeuvres.
First presented in Paris at the 2004 Motor Show, this car is a truly global venture, carrying the MPS name into European and Australasian markets, while US versions are dubbed Mazdaspeed6 and Japanese models carry the Mazdaspeed Atenza badge. The engine is a development of the existing 2.3-litre unit, fitted with direct injection and a turbocharger. One of the characteristics Mazda were looking to avoid was spiky power delivery, and they appear to have succeeded, the maximum 380Nm torque figure spreading across a broad plateau from around 2,200rpm right up to 4,000rpm.
This helps to make typical A-road driving a far less labour intensive experience than with many other sports cars. When you do have recourse to use the gearbox in anger, youll find a very sweet shifting six-speed manual set-up with a little more weight built into the shift than in conventional Mazda6 models. Although the Mazda6 MPS niche is clearly defined, its not a very big one. Company car users will likely take one look at the 243g/km carbon dioxide emissions and look for something a little more wallet-friendly, leaving the car to campaign largely to private buyers.
Its a tough ask. Good car though it is, the Mazda6 MPS will never be a common sight on our roads. It just goes to show that popularity should never be confused with merit.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mazda6 MPS
PRICES: £25,000 [est] on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 243g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 6.4s / Max Speed 148mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 27.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual and Side, front and rear roof airbags ABS, EBD, Dynamic Stability Control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4670/1780/1435mm
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