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Filed under: Motorsports , Hatchbacks , Mazda , Australia Click above for a high-res gallery of the Targa Tasmania-ready Mazda3 MPS. Mazda is heading Down Under to compete in the Targa Tasmania for its eighth campaign. The team, consisting of Rick Bates and Alister McRae, will be charging through the outback in one specially prepped Mazda3 MPS (or Mazdaspeed3 to those of us in NA). The 2WD Showroom Targa rules dictate that the vehicle has to remain somewhat stock, with the carpeting, power windows and audio equipment keeping things civil as the driving duo covers over 2,000 km during the six-day race. Naturally, the Mazda is outfitted with the necessary safety equipment, including a PCD roll cage, racing seats, five-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher, but the performance modifications are kept to a minimum. The MPS is equipped with upgraded springs and struts, brake pads, a new steering wheel, navigation equipment, cat-back exhaust (cats are still fitted), some additional ducting to...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Euro , Mazda , Australia The current Mazdaspeed6 has good performance, an attainable price point, and aggressive (if slightly homely) looks, but it hasn't exactly set the world on fire on the showroom floor. Part of the problem is that car buyers can get 268 hp Camrys and Accords with near-equal performance and superior fuel economy. The Speed6 weighs as much as a Sherman tank, too. We were hoping that the next edition of the Speed6 would succeed where the current generation didn't, but it doesn't look like there will be a next time. Mazda6 program manager Ryuichi Umeshita points out that the next 6 will be larger in the US than in other regions, which means Mazda would be paying for two different development programs. Any Speed6 would play for a smaller audience too, since the US edition would need different tuning than Europe/Australia and visa verse. In the end, Umeshita basically said that he doesn't see big enough potential demand to make...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Mazda , Misc. Auto Shows , Australia Click image for hi-res gallery var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/motorsport/Aussies_get_exclusive_281_horsepower_Mazda3_MPS_Extreme'; You know how the Mazdaspeed3 is a pretty spiffy package, what with its 263 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque? The Australians have a better one. I know, I know -- shocking. Mazda Australia revealed the Mazda3 MPS Extreme at the Sydney Motor Show today, and it's a pretty compelling package. PCM reprogramming results in boosted mumbers of 281 horsepower and 313 lb-ft of torque. The fun doesn't end there either, as the Extreme gets a 2-inch exhaust and a suspension tuned by Murray Coote, who does the same for Australian race and rally cars. 19" BBS wheels with red MPS center caps fill out the fender cutouts, and the car itself is finished in red paint with black stripes and a black roof. It looks mean both in pictures and on paper, and it's just for our friends Down Under. Follow the jump...
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