Mazda MazdaSpeed Protege

Mazda MazdaSpeed Protege
Using the same formula that other Asian automakers have found successful, MazdaSpeed takes the sensible, thrifty, well-built four-door Protege subcompact and develops it as a low-cost platform for off-the-shelf aftermarket engine, suspension, body, and sound-system mods. Aside from the much pricier rotary-powered RX-7 and RX-8 coupes and traditionalist Miata roadster, Mazda has had little or no street image in recent years. Last year, Mazda first showed the direction it was moving toward with the MP3, a sport compact that pushed all the buttons except the one on the nitrous bottle.

The new '03 MazdaSpeed Protege packs the power and torque to back up its sport-compact looks. Courtesy of a Garrett T25 turbocharger and a phone-book-size air-to-air intercooler developed by Callaway Cars, Inc., power jumps 35 percent over the base Protege and torque gets a 19-percent boost. Racing Beat is the source of the car's stainless-steel exhaust system with polished oval tip. A heavy-duty clutch disc, Tochigi Fuji Sangyo KK Super limited-slip differential, and extra-large 24mm driveshafts help get the power to the ground. Its 170 horses make it the strongest Mazda four-cylinder car in recent memory.

Underneath, Racing Beat adds such chassis refinements as low-friction front MacPherson struts with revalved Tokico twin-tube low-pressure gas shocks and stiffer coil springs, a strut-tower brace, plus larger anti-roll bar bushings. In the rear, Racing Beat retunes the struts and substitutes a larger-diameter anti-roll bar. Large-diameter European-specification four-wheel disc brakes and sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE040 215/45ZR17s round out the picture. It appears Mazda shopped wisely.