MotorAuthority

Spy shots: 2010 Mazda3 Mazdaspeed (MPS) hot-hatch

Posted Wed Oct 22 2008 3:05 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Mazda3 hatch won’t be revealed until the new model’s sales launched planned for early next year

Mazda released images of its upcoming 2010 Mazda3 sedan recently and confirmed the car would make an appearance at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The carmaker also confirmed that the five-door hatch would be launched alongside the sedan early next year but that it won’t be revealed until closer to the sales launch.

While that is still several months away, we can get a rough outline of what the newly styled Mazda3 hatch will look from these latest images of a prototype for the sporty Mazdaspeed (MPS) model spotted near the Nurburgring. The hatch will feature an almost identical face to the sedan and as revealed by these spy shots it will also include a chiselled character line starting at the top of the front fender and recedes back into the waistline. It then appears again on the rear fender to give the car a wider stance.

Both 2.0L and 2.5L petrol engines are confirmed for the 2010 Mazda3 and the Mazdaspeed model could feature a turbocharged version of one of these, or stick with the current 2.3L mill. While actual specs for the car are hard to come by, there are also rumors that the engine in the Mazdaspeed version could be based on the 300hp (224kW) turbocharged 2.5L Duratec unit destined for the upcoming Ford Focus RS. There’s also the chance that Ford’s new RevoKnuckle FWD suspension system could be used in the Mazda to help get all that power to the ground as an AWD set-up is unlikely to be adopted.

Differentiating the Mazdaspeed from the regular Mazda3 lineup will be a large hood scoop for the turbo, oversized air-intakes in the front bumper, a rear diffuser, large-diameter twin-exhaust pipes, and a chunky rear wing.

story Tags:

• 2010 Mazda3 Mazdaspeed hatch
• 2010 Mazda3 MPS
• Axela
• Hatchbacks
• Mazda
• Mazda Axela
• Mazda Mazda3
• Mazda Mazdaspeed3
• Mazda3
• Mazda3 Mazdaspeed
• Mazda3 MPS
• Mazdaspeed
• MPS

Reader Comments

• Wed Oct 22 2008 6:47 AM

  mlevere1992 says

  I would so love to see a 4wd version of this car. I hope they make it happen. All that power and torque split between 4 wheels instead of the front would make for a monster.

• Wed Oct 22 2008 6:52 AM

  Mike says

  Wasn't the Mazdaspeed 6 AWD? It looks like they're using the grille design of the Furai/all the other recent Mazda concepts. I like that.

• Wed Oct 22 2008 7:11 AM

  Ivan says

  Hood scoop, wider fenders, dual exhaust, over sized rear wing . . .
  It used to be a sleeper, not it turned into WRX wannabee.

• Wed Oct 22 2008 2:05 PM

  NoNameDenton says

  AWD would make this car too heavy

• Wed Oct 22 2008 2:59 PM

  c_jetta says

  front wheel drive.......AGAIN..but i wouldnt mind having one though