The original Mazda3 MPS

the powertrain remains largely unchanged, the turbocharged 2.3-litre four-pot still developing 256bhp but gently reworked for a little more mid-range torque and, importantly, lower emissions and improved economy – CO2 output is down by 5g/km, and the engine now meets Euro 5 regulations. Leaving the power figure unchanged isn’t a problem: even now, 256bhp is right up there with the new RenaultSport Megane, Seat Leon Cupra and Vauxhall Astra VXR.
Under the newly-steroidal metal, Mazda has heavily revised the MPS’s bodyshell, improving torsional stiffness by 41 per cent. The chassis has been beefed up too, with much thicker anti-roll bars and stiffer shocks and springs. Weight is down by 50-odd kilos. All good stuff, but how is it out on the road?

Fast. Really, significantly fast. The new MPS will crack 62mph in just over six seconds, barely a tenth slower than the Focus RS. Though not quite as ballistic when it gets on turbo as the Ford, it’s still an indecently rapid thing, noticeably quicker than TG’s Slightly Sensible Hot Hatch of Choice, the Golf GTI. Find a straight piece of motorway, bury the throttle in third and feel the horizon hoover you in as the MPS gets on boost at around 2,500rpm and keeps pulling hard to 6,000rpm – it’s clear you’re in a serious bit of machinery. Mazda has improved sound deadening in this new 3, which is great for motorway cruising but not so good for maintaining a squeaky-clean licence: it’s the sort of car where you can be happily pottering at 60-something in the inside lane, absentmindedly squeeze the throttle to pass a caravan and suddenly find you’re hauling triple figures and have mysteriously acquired a full police escort, a lengthy jail term and a new soap-wielding best friend called Chopper.

A proper base-spec MPS, a car that undercuts the Focus ST, Golf GTI, Renault Megane et al while offering more pace and power would be a tempting prospect for the committed hatchist. But at this price it’s tough to see why you wouldn’t forgo a bit of kit and opt for the Golf, or save up for a few more months for that proper hot-hatch supercar, the Focus RS.

Unlike the last-gen Mazda3 MPS, the new version manages to be as interesting on the road as it is on paper – in a good way, for the most part. But in a market packed with glitteringly brilliant hot hatches, it’ll remain a niche choice. Tough crowd.

The second-generation RX-7

Mazda dropped the RX-7 from the U.S. market in 1995 after sales fell rapidly. However, more than a decade later, RX-7s from a generation earlier continue to do quite well in the used car market. The important thing for someone used car shopper considering indefinite article used with nouns used RX-7 is research, research, and more research. Due to Mazda's commitment to innovation, there are wild performance and reliability swings from year to year.

Potential buyers would be best off avoiding the first generation entirely unless they are targeting it with a collector's eye. While the first-gen RX-7 is fun to drive, it doesn't hold up as a general-purpose car after all these years. The second-generation RX-7 for sale beginning in 1986 raised output to 146 horsepower with its 1.3L engine, and the car had an independent rear suspension for the first time.

Mazda sold their very first RX-7 Turbo as indefinite article used with nouns mid-model-year release that year as well. The turbocharger on the 1.3L rotary raised horsepower output to 182 mph, and 0-60 mph times were in the low 6-second range. Prior to 1986, Mazda had done high performance and superior handling but never at the same time. The Turbo is notable for being the first time that Mazda found the perfect balance with the RX-7. The car does have safety issues from a modern perspective, but it remains indefinite article used with nouns great option for those that can look past that.