The rejuvenated Mazda group has been making some effort to promote the sporting aspects of its volume models. The effort was ended when the refined Mazda Company recently took a bold step and brought its whole range to Castle Combe, a fast, flowing racetrack near Chippenham in the English shires.
It is a step which manufacturers are usually reluctant to take because experience tells them they can lose a few cars. It is becoming harder to find anywhere to research the boundaries of modern cars. They grow faster and more capable as years pass by, yet are built for roads that are ever more crowded and regulated for profit instead of safety.
Because the cars were not designed for a closed track, it was at one time seen as an irrelevance. But now, it is almost the only wise choice. The differences between segments of the market remain large if strong competition and massive legislation have brought conformity in styling and dynamics.
The mid-sized 3 MPS, (from â‚?35,995) was spiced up by a new aero bodykit and suspension package. Its 260bhp already lays the claim to the title of most powerful front-driven hatch. A quite more understated version of the same body has been featured with a new 141bhp turbodiesel, since no range is complete without a performance oil-burner.
There was also the bigger, four-wheel-drive Mazda6 saloon (â‚?45,395). Moreover, there are also the latest versions of the MX-5, the small two-seater that has almost become a separate brand (â‚?29,995 to â‚?33,895), and the four-seat, four-door coupe that is the rotary-engined RX-8 (â‚?38,995 to â‚?46,895).
First up was the diesel, which was followed by the earlier, non aero-kitted MPS. It is an awful lot of muscle to put in a relatively small hatch and 260 horsepower made the traction control work overtime through most of Castle Combe's fast and bumpy bends.
The RX-8 is a front-engined, rear-drive layout; its nose pointed into the corners and the rear follows - unlike the front-driven hatchback, which was quick but worked its front tires too hard. Each in it really gives that zoom-zoom feeling.
The Wankel turns out less than the MPS's turbocharged, two-liter piston engine.
In a rotary's power curve, there are no spikes and the output flows consistently all the way to almost 9,000rpm - unlike the turbo, which has a massive, tire-spinning wallop at nearly 2,000rpm then tails off as the revs rise towards the 7,000rpm maximum.
So although the lap times were about the same, the RX-8 feels almost slow. And without a doubt, it is classier on track.
