Maybe it's the aftermath of the last Malibu fire, or it could be the brakes on this Mazdaspeed3 GT, but standing here on a turnout, overlooking the ocean, the acrid smell of burning hits my nostrils. I'm on a favorite canyon road that heads east off Pacific Coast Highway and twists its way into the hills. It's the kind of place where, with the right car, you want to keep driving all day.
Any Mazdaspeed3 would be the right car, but this particular one is even more so. It's the recipient of some Mazdaspeed accessories: cold air intake, exhaust system and coilover kit. Improving the turbocharged, 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine's breathing has resulted in a healthy 264 wheel-hp at 5500rpm and an almost belligerent 302lb-ft of torque at 3500rpm-gains of 14hp and 18lb-ft. But check the graph and elsewhere on the powerband are gains of 32.8 in both respects. A new Mazdaspeed coilover kit has been tuned to accommodate stickier 225/40 Toyo Proxes RA1 tires. These are on 18-inch Rays wheels exclusive to Mazdaspeed. The three-inch exhaust ends in a black tip.
The ocean can only distract for so long; it's time to hit the road again. The first striking feature is the steering. It's quite light, but it's sharp, lively and communicative. And the way the front end holds tight through a corner is a pure joy. The line can also be adjusted by modulating the throttle.
Then the power comes in, with a greater jolt than the stock MS3. At 4000rpm, the turbo gets the engine singing. It really is a case of hold the wheel tight, because here comes the torque steer-along with the horizon. Change up and the cable-operated shift slices sweet and clean to the next ratio. Sometimes it's fun to change gears just for the hell of it.
By now the momentum is creating a buzz, Mazda has chosen its mods wisely. The next bend is approaching. With discs at each corner, the car scrubs off speed easily. The brakes feel strong and there's plenty of feel through the pedal. The pads have been uprated to stand weekend track use, but they still work fine on the street.
There's always the feeling of being in complete control. Everything is balanced, every driver input-throttle, brakes or steering-needs the same (fairly minimal) amount of effort. The ride is two or three degrees firmer than the pliant and well-composed standard set-up.
It's almost impossible to unsettle the chassis. It would take a tragic combination of recklessness and clumsiness, and even then I'm not so sure. The car has as much poise and agility as any member of Cirque Du Soleil. Yet another corner is conquered, yet another straight shortened.
Could this car be any better? In some ways, perhaps. The engine note is not that thrilling, only the occasional noise from the turbo's breathing sparks a sporadic tingle. And it's obvious that, torque steer notwithstanding, the chassis could handle even more power.
Yet trying too hard to improve the Mazdaspeed3 might be counter-productive. Call it the Honda S2000 Syndrome. Very few have made an S2000 appreciably better and/or faster without serious effort and expense. Is the extra cost of this model really worthwhile?
The standard Mazdaspeed3 is already a wonderful machine, so any subsequent changes need to be considered ultra-carefully. Otherwise, the car's fabulous and inherent balance could be lost. Then again, some people love that kind of challenge.
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-R AeroNissan doesn't sell Silvias any more. This one's a 2000 and it's got about 60,000 miles on the clock. You're probably wondering what we're doing with it.