Excellent news, Mazdaspeed fans: The next-generation Speed 3 is on track and will be appearing at this fall’s Frankfurt auto show in concept form, if a report from Australia’s Motoring is accurate.
-This timing jibes nicely with the most recent intel on the car, which suggested that the Mazdaspeed 3 (which once again will be marketed under the MPS banner in other markets) would arrive in mid-2016 as a 2017 model. Previewing the production version with a concept a few months before is standard practice, so we’d expect to see the real deal at the Detroit show in January, the Geneva show in March, or the New York show in April .
-The car will have a fantastic foundation in the current 3, which is stylish, is great to drive, and sports a top-shelf interior—and is also one of our 10Best Cars. The Mazdaspeed version will be powered by a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder already on offer, and we expect it will make something in the order of 300 horsepower. All-wheel drive is looking more and more likely, which would solve the last Speed 3’s hellacious torque-steer issues.
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- Mazda 3 Refresh, Mazdaspeed 3 Coming for 2017
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- 2015 Mazda 3 2.5 Manual Tested: Right-size Your Life, Starting with Your Garage
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- Mazda 3 Full Coverage: Photos, Build Your Own, Reviews, News, and More
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The Mazdaspeed 3 will compete with the VW GTI, Ford Focus ST, and Subaru WRX. Combine all of those with the next tier of hot compacts—the upcoming Focus RS and U.S.-bound Honda Civic Type R, as well as the WRX STI—and it’s clear we’re pretty much in the golden age of pocket-sized performance.
-from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1Dlf6Qp
via Agya
