The 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 was recently caught being put through the motions on the world famous Nurburgring race track in Germany and it’s definitely a big departure from the current generation. Often criticized as being too staid looking to be a “hot hatch” worthy of competing with the likes of the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic Si and Subaru Impreza WRX, the next generation Mazdaspeed 3 has been designed to be anything but ordinary.
In the front, the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 takes on styling cues from the upcoming 2010 Mazda 3 with a smooth, sleek front end but adds one significant difference: a huge hood scoop. Unlike the previous Mazdaspeed 3, the new generation will introduce more air through a hood scoop which will likely cool off a larger, more powerful turbocharged motor. Before getting into rumored motors, the remainder of the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 exterior includes flared out wheel arches similar to the RX-8, more aggressive side skirts and a redesigned rear bumper that includes sculpted openings for a new dual exhaust system.
As of this writing Mazda hasn’t confirmed what motor will be used in the new Mazdaspeed 3 but rumor has it the new ‘Speed will either use the 2.5 liter four cylinder from the next generation Mazda 3 (plus a turbo) or a Volvo sourced T5 (turbo five cylinder) producing around 300 horsepower. One popular online car site predicted the current 2.3 liter four cylinder in the Mazdaspeed 3 will be carried over into the next generation at the same power output. We question the logic behind why Mazda would bother adding a large hood scoop to the new Mazdaspeed 3 if they aren’t going to use an engine more powerful than the current iteraiton.
There is much concern over the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3′s ability to manage a three hundred horsepower engine while maintaining its front wheel drive only configuration. It’s widely expected that Mazda will either offer all wheel drive standard or take advantage of Ford’s new RevoKnuckle FWD suspension system that reduces torque steer and allows automakers to put more power to the front wheels. If the RevoKnuckle FWD system is in fact a possibility then it conflicts with rumors that claim the upcoming Mazdaspeed 3 will not have a limited slip differential.
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Even since I was young I had a fascination with exotic sports cars. I was the little kid with all the car books and I even loved reading the “wheels” section of our local newspaper to see if I could spot an exotic car for sale.
The first time I saw an exotic sports car in real life was when I was about 8 years old. We were going to visit my Grandmother a few hours down the road. Since it was a long boring drive, I dosed off until my Dad woke me up to ask what kind of car was driving beside him. I awoke to see a Lamborghini Countach driving next to our car! What a thrill for a little boy that was infatuated with exotic sports cars.
As I got older the novelty of seeing exotic cars has somewhat diminished, but it’s not gone. I live in a very wealthy community in Canada and in the summer I will see Ferrari’s, Maseratis and Porches everyday. In fact just yesterday I was driving down a side street in the rain when I saw a car approaching that was incredibly low to the ground. To my amazement, it was a Charcoal Lamborghini Muircielago. I have never actually saw one on the street so this was an exciting day for me. Just to taunt me, a young man, likely in his late 20′s or early 30′s likes to show off his Ferrari 360 on my street quite often.
So what does an adult do with their fascination of exotic sports cars, especially if you’re not in a position to take on a $5000+ per month lease payment! One option that you could choose would be to rent an exotic car. A company close to my home rents Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s for around $3000 for the day, with a 100 km mileage allowance for the day. Each additional kilometer will set you back $1.99. Obviously if one can drop $3000 for a one day test run, you’re still wealthier than the majority of the population. For most of us, exotic car wallpapers, exotic car key chains and posters of exotic cars are the closest that we may get to owning an exotic sports car.
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One of the most crucial factors that will make a race car competitive on the race track is the weight of the race car. The typical race car, however, that is used in amateur auto racing is a street car that undergoes modification. And one modification is the removal of many parts of the interior, which may reduce 10 to 15% of the curb weight of the car. When parts of the car’s interior are removed, horsepower is freed up to add speed. But speed is not the only basis for the interior preparation of a race car. In this article, I will describe the preparation of the interior of the Acura Integra that will race in the Honda Challenge 2.
The Acura Integra has raced in the SSB (Showroom Stock B) category in the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). The SSB rules require that the majority of the interior be intact with some allowances for installation of the roll cage and a racing seat. The Honda Challenge rules allow the removal of just about everything with the exception of the instrument panel. This meant that all of the carpet, front passenger seat, trim pieces, and mounting brackets can be removed. The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) stuff under the instrument panel can be removed also. This adds up to a lot of weight reduction.
I’ve talked to some guys that like to leave these systems intact to keep the windows clear but the potential weight savings was too tempting and I’ve had good success keeping my windows clear with anti-fog treatments. The sunroof looks great on a sports car but unnecessary in a race car. The sunroof can also be removed for a substantial weight savings. The rules allow the opening to be covered with a metallic panel.
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