In the world of the auto industry, car manufacturers have been coming up with improvements for their current models. Some of these changes include tuning existing models for a sportier application. One concrete example of this is the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed Mazda3.
The popular hatchback is made even sportier by the Asian car company in response to the growing number of tuned hatchbacks in the market. Basically, Mazda improved the car's suspension by tuning it for a better performance on cornering. To do that, the company installed a turbocharger to increase the car's engine's power, and that also gives the Mazda vehicle with a limited slip differential.
To start with, the Mazda3 is already a nimble compact car which has already gain popularity among American car buyers. It is no surprise though that the Mazdaspeed is made even more powerful and better performing than the Mazda3.
One of the problems found in the Mazdaspeed though is turbo lag. This is the effect of using a turbocharger to provide more power to the engine. Since turbochargers uses a car's exhaust gases to propel its turbine, the device would not readily start unlike when a car uses a supercharger. Turbo lag management is one of the focuses of car manufacturers when installing a turbocharger on their cars.
Unfortunately, the Mazdaspeed or all of Mazda's efforts suffers from turbo lag. Other aftermarket parts can be added to the Mazdaspeed to give it better fuel economy like systems.
The Mazdaspeed's power comes from a 2.3-liter direct injected and turbocharged engine that is capable of producing 263 horsepower. The drivetrain that the Mazdaspeed uses is the same as that used by the Mazda CX-7.
What makes up for the turbo lag is the Mazdaspeed's limited slip differential feature. This allows the car's tires to grip the road completely enabling the power produced by the engine to be utilized without a substantial amount of waste. The limited slip differential is complemented by the suspension system of the tuned-up hatchback. Together with the steering system, the suspension gives the hatchback a good handling which is of course the main reason for tuning the car for sportier performance. Unluckily though, giving the car a sportier suspension setting decreases the ride comfort that it offers to passengers. This harsher suspension setting is a threat to everyday commuters. But with the overall performance that the Mazdaspeed brings to the table, consumers who are in need of high performance vehicles will surely like the hatchback.
While performance enthusiasts are guaranteed to like this car, music lovers would think twice before buying the Mazdaspeed. While the car is equipped with a six-disc in-dash CD player with seven Bose speakers, its user interface is a bit confusing according to auto journalists who has taken the Mazdaspeed for a test drive. The lack of user-friendliness is somehow contradicted by the Sirius satellite radio that the Mazdaspeed is equipped with.
