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2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
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2010 Mazdaspeed3: 263 HP Explains The Evil Grin
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2008 Mazdaspeed3, Part Three

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bmoreDLJ
08/25/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
With that red paint, "Lobster Martini" sounds like a decent nickname for this Mazdaspeed3. The reskin has certainly hurt its sleeper status.

Also, whenever I see that ear-to-ear grin, I start snickering in my mind...in Chester Cheetah's voice. I think this is just me. It's just a dangerously cheesy grille.
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Edited by bmoreDLJ at 08/25/09 10:59 AM bmoreDLJ was starred bmoreDLJ was unstarred

Tibu Jenkins
08/25/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive

Hi! I own an WRX and I think the Mazdaspeed 3 is ugly so I wouldn't ever think of buying it...
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
Enough with the complaints about the styling, already. At least it's something different and the overall shape isn't much of a departure from the old car.

What? Do you want it to look like a cheap econobox, like an Impreza, Corolla or Sentra? Or maybe you'd prefer that it have that mini Pontiac Trans Sport feeling you get with the Civic? Or maybe, just maybe, you're still convinced that the Cobalt isn't a complete piece of shit in every fathomable category?

Honestly, this Mazda is as good as it gets, in terms of looks or anything else, in the compact class.
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area_educator
08/27/09

@FromaBuick6: Honestly, this Mazda is as good as it gets, in terms of looks or anything else, in the compact class.

Not entirely true. The Volvo C30 beats the Mazda on looks, by a wide margin.
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GV_Goat
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
As far as new cars go, probably the most fun you can have for $23,000.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@GV_Goat: Close, you got the right brand anyway.

The Miata for that price ain't quite as powerful, but there's a lot to be had from a rwd ragtop.
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GV_Goat
08/24/09

@mr_dude: I like the Miata's too... It's just, every time I get in one my testicles say "hey man, it's cool, you drive the miata, we'll just hang out here... wait for you to get back... maybe dangle over a running garbage disposal, you know, man stuff." Of course, I have a policy to never leave my nuts behind so...
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despisethesun
08/24/09

@GV_Goat: Would you feel more manly driving a Miata with an LS3?

[www.flyinmiata.com]
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GV_Goat
08/24/09

@despisethesun: Yes. Yes I would.
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LionZoo
08/24/09

@GV_Goat: The "girly" look (why is anything small in America automatically girly?) of the Miata is part of the attraction. It's one thing to blow someone's doors off in a car that everyone knows is fast, quite another thing to do it in a capable car that most unaware laymen think is useless. The same mentality has other men racing station wagons.
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Ben Wojdyla
08/24/09

@LionZoo: I dunno, but I recently had a bright orange 09 miata, and it was a riotously fun, purpose built distillation of all things good and pure about driving. At legal speeds you feel like you're breaking the law and the motor, though seemingly underpowered, delivers everything you could want. It has been, and is one of the best sports cars on the road.
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Turboner
08/25/09

@mr_dude: Word.
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GV_Goat
08/25/09

@LionZoo: Racing station wagons is cool. I owned a 323i Touring. I get that.

Besides, I did say I like the Miata; it's light, chassis is great, handles brilliantly. Nut joke aside, it's just not my cup 'o tea.
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Edited by GV_Goat at 08/25/09 9:23 AM GV_Goat was starred GV_Goat was unstarred

The Cheat
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
well, there's another one to look at when my lease is up... now it's down to:

volvo v30
suburu wrx hatch
mazdaspeed 3
hyundai genesis 2.0 track
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eggwich is the man on the silver mountain promoted this comment Edited by The Cheat at 08/24/09 3:35 PM The Cheat was starred The Cheat was unstarred

eggwich del fiero
08/24/09

@The Cheat: This was my list, too. The Volvo is boring to drive but looks good and has some giddyup, and the genesis wasn't out yet, so I can't compare it, but for the money, I went with an 09 Mustang GT. Maybe not the best handling of the choices, but with the arrival of the 2010 model, it was the cheapest. Still love the Speed3, but I had to go V8 when it came down to it. Really tho, you can't go wrong with any of these cars.
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The Cheat
08/24/09

@eggwich is the man on the silver mountain: I'm getting out of my VW GLI, which has proved to be a pretty good car but not particularly exciting to drive. I should have never gotten out of my 03 GTI, that had more personality than the MKV GLI.

Nothing VW has now or in 2010 is very exciting unless you're talking about a W8 with 4motion and that's just way out of my price range. It's like VW thinks that the 2.0 turbo with an open diff is all anyone needs.
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eggwich del fiero
08/24/09

@The Cheat: I really like the looks of the CC, but they are pricey. I don't have much experience with VWs, but yeah, the 2.0T seems to be eternal. I'm going to Hyundai's site right now to configure and price a Genesis coupe.
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engineerd
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
All you people hatin' on the looks, listen up. Sure, the grin is goofy. However, did you not RTFA? We...us...North Americans of the US and Canada...are getting a better car than the rest of the world. Mazda, unlike Ford, GM, BMW, and nearly every other carmaker on the planet is not detuning or softening a car for the NA market. They are tightening it up and making it *better*.

I know the looks are polarizing, but save those complaints for the base 3 and other, lesser Nagare design language cars. Just this once, let's applaud someone for giving us a car that is better than the ones sold in the JDM or Euro markets. Right now we sound like a bunch of spoiled brats the sort of consumer we mock. Y'all are fixated on the looks and not talking about how great it is that we get a car that is *better than the rest of the world*. This doesn't happen.

Keep it up and Mazda might just say, "Screw you, America." Ford might follow and say they aren't bringing the Focus RS because all we'll do is complain about its looks, and Fiat might say nyet to giving us the Abarth 500 because performance doesn't matter to us.

/rant
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Mad_Science
08/24/09

@engineerd: In a way, I agree with you.

On the other hand, I'd rather have a WRX.
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Deartháir II
08/24/09

@engineerd: I'm sorry, I can't get that excited about it. Yes, North America gets the best version. But, as you said, RTFA. The reason ours is the best version is not that they've made ours so much better than an already-excellent European or JDM version... it's that those versions are largely crap. They're also-rans in a field of excellent cars. That's not something for us to jump up and down and celebrate... it's just an opportunity for us to say to all the other manufacturers, "Listen up. This is our MINIMUM expectation for a hot hatch. Meet this, or GTFO.

"Oh, and try not to make it this goddamn ugly."
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engineerd
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: That's not what I'm reading here, though. All I'm reading is, "It's so ugly!" "Get that stupid grin off its face." Blah, blah, blah. You're absolutely right, we need to be telling Mazda, "Bad ass! Now make it less Joker-looking."

We need to tell the rest of the carmakers, "See those cats at Mazda? They know what's up. Take your Euro cars and bring them over here. If you are starting off with a better product and a better-looking product, then you should have no problem beating them in sales."

Instead, people are fixated on the looks and not what's under the hood, or that finally WE get a better product than the rest of the world. Even if it is an also-ran in the Euro market, it's still better than the current US Focus, or the US Astra, etc.
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Turboner
08/25/09

@Mad_Science: You don't like wrong wheel drive?
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B1663R
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
so it's the same turbo eating engine as before but now with that stupid front end?

i'll save me a few bucks and pick up an 09 while supplies last thanks...
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
Lobster Martinis??? Jeez!
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Ben Wojdyla
08/24/09

@Formerlythegreatestdriver: sound pretty gross to me. I'll take mine dirty please.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@Formerlythegreatestdriver: I can't wait to see Wes's top 10 bribe dinners listicle.
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/24/09

@Ben Wojdyla: I know there are quite a few martini places around SE-MI but have you been to the one in Dearborn? Called Double Olive. It's not bad. Have a pretty decent Martini selection, reasonable prices plus lotsa eye candy. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days to hang out. Too many d-bags on the weekends.
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/24/09

@mr_dude: Prolly will include snorting lines of WD-40, getting lap dances of garage mechanics etc etc.
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Mad_Science
08/24/09

@Ben Wojdyla: Dirty Lobsters?

I dunno, man. You could get really sick from that.
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/24/09

@Mad_Science: Dirty Martinis. Ummm..
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Ben Wojdyla
08/24/09

@Formerlythegreatestdriver: I have been to the Double Olive, used to live in Dearborn during my Ford days, but anymore for my money, the best dirty martini in Detroit comes from Cliff Bells. Half the flavor probably comes from the setting, but it's worth every penny.
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Turboner
08/25/09

@Mad_Science: The "dirty lobster" is my new favorite sexual position.
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SirNotAppearing
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
Hotter than say, the 5-door 2009 WRX? Inquiring mind(s) tiring of German engineering want to know.
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Wes Siler
08/24/09

@SirNotAppearing II: Electric Boogaloo: They're really close, I'd need to drive the two together before making up my mine.
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SirNotAppearing
08/24/09

@Wes Siler: This calls for a C&D-style comparo! Feel free to not refer to it as such though.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
So this will be the best car to buy for the FF events in Forza 3. Is that what you're saying? Sounds like some nice, cheap power even if it goes to the wrong wheels.

Someone at autocross swapped the cx7 awd into one of the last gens, too bad Mazda didn't do the same, even if it pushed the price closer to 25.
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Deartháir II
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
Every time I see one of these cars, my brain automatically dubs in the sound of Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants laughing incessantly.

I don't care if it does 200 MPH and can take off vertically and fly you to work and back... if it looks so ridiculous that my brain conjures up Patrick the Starfish... it's not a car I can consider buying.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: I don't know Spongebob, you could just buy 1/4 of a body kit and fix the problem.
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NewbiusMaximus
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: "Hey Spongebob, do you wanna go jellyfishin'?" At 22 years of age I still catch Spongebob when I can. And I can totally see Patrick's buck-teeth and laughter when I look at this car
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Jo Schmo
08/24/09

@Deartháir II The Return: If I had a dollar for every brain you dont have,I'd have one dollar.
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Deartháir II
08/24/09

@mr_dude: Or a ball-peen hammer. Regardless, I prefer to buy cars that DON'T need repairs before I even get them home.

Oh, and Volkswagens.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: Laf! Cotd.
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Deartháir II
08/24/09

@NewbiusMaximus: Dude, I'm 30 with no kids, and I watched almost all of the Spongebob Squarepants marathon a few weeks ago. Do you realize what that means? I watched almost 12,000 diaper ads, and 284,518 ads for Fruit-By-The-Foot, just to watch more SpongeBob.
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pauljones
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: Only in Canada...
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: So, you're getting the carbon fiber pipe, then?
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skitter
08/24/09

@Deartháir II: The Return: This is why I cannot wait for cable sold by the show, and the opportunity to pay extra for no ads.
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PatFromGundo
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
"...catching air in Mazda5s in a school zone."

My co-workers are asking me what's so damn funny.
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@PatFromGundo: Kids make good ramps.
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NewbiusMaximus
08/24/09

@mr_dude: For something like a Mazda 5, true. For the F-150 Raptor, most kids are too small- you'll roll over them and the silky smooth suspension will absorb all of the lumps.

Though I suppose if you find the fat kid ...
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mr_dude
08/24/09

@NewbiusMaximus: Michelin kid FTW. I really don't want to subject people to that photo though...
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tonyola
08/24/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: First Drive
It sounds like a great drive. However, much as I want to like this car, I still can't get past the goofy looks. It's like having for yourself a really terrific lover who insists on dressing as a birthday party clown all the time.
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Clown Shoe Pilot
08/24/09

@tonyola: that sounds kinda hot.

(i keed. i keed.)
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Edited by Clown Shoe Pilot at 08/24/09 3:25 PM Clown Shoe Pilot was starred Clown Shoe Pilot was unstarred

Bret
04/09/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: 263 HP Explains The Evil Grin
Geez, what are you, a bunch of Cam-Cord-axima drivers, frightened of the slightest bit of wheelspin or feedback? I don't understand the worries some folks have about "too much power" or "dreaded torque steer" in a front drive car. Sack up, you Nancy boys!

I have never driven a car with too much power. I have a very high powered front drive car (mid '90's Saab Aero) which is apparently known for it's rapacious torque steer. Funny, when it's chirping the tires on the freeway in 3rd during overboost acceleration, I've never been bothered by the little tugs the steering wheel gives as we're walking by the surprised gentlemen in their hard accelerating S-whatever Audis.

Honestly, my Miata with modified suspension (SCCA Street Prepared stuff - 0 toe on all 4 wheels) tramlines on freeway ruts harder than any torque steer I've experienced in the SAAB. But then the Miata also has a tendency to step out in the back, so perhaps that might be frightening for this cohort of "enthusiasts".

If you are more concerned with your car pampering you with overly damped torque control, perhaps you need to step back and assess your level of Jalopitude.

I hear the Buicks are nice these days.
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Uncle Bo
04/09/09

In reply to 2010 Mazdaspeed3: Sleeper No More
I'm waiting for the MazdaSpeed 9, the Mazda for adults.

This 3 is too 20-something boy racer for me, but that's its target market, I'm sure.
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