What helps out are the upgrades that come courtesy of Racing Beat in Anaheim, Calif., a company that loves to turn Honda Civics into Honda Un-civils, with aftermarket ad-ons. Not great power, but decent given the vehicle’s weight.Īnd because what’s around the engine is tuned so tight and lightweight – supportive bucket seats, a shifter with a short throw and an engine that wants to rev – the MP3 maneuvers and grips the road, eating up challenges. Handling is responsive and the 2- liter twin-cam four-cylinder gets a boost of 10 horsepower (140 total) and seven pound-feet of torque over previous models. With 17-inch wheels tied to a leatherwrapped three-spoke steering wheel, it is truly form and function melding into one. With revised steering this year, the MP3’s roadability is still topshelf, and maybe slightly above the other Protege’s we’ve driven. Fortunately, when the designers tweaked the sound system they also bolstered a few other parts. It clobbers the compact sedans and valiantly spars with the bigger boys, and for good reason: It’s fun. The Protege has always been a critic’s friend. Modified from an original auto manufacturer’s show car (called the MPS), Mazda took its traditional Protege, spruced up the exterior like a tricked-out street racer, added fatter, 17-inch wheels, a spoiler and (did we mention?) the radio. Topped out and loaded at $18,530, it might be hard to get either away from it. The sales folks at Mazda thought it would be a good idea to build a niche vehicle, something appealing to either the teen-age son in the family or the father who hadn’t yet lost his hearing, but wanted to. They’d like you to believe, in this case, a good car starts with a great set of tunes, ergo: the MP3.Īlthough you’d have reason to believe Mazda brought in a set of 16-year-olds to tweak its Protege, the MP3 idea actually came out of a meeting with straight-as-plaid sales managers. The MP3’s real charm is in its firmer springs, stiffer control-arm bushings and an upgraded engine that keeps it fun even when your only musical selection is tires on pavement. Sure, the MP3’s 280-watt Kenwood Excelon Z919 head unit is a disco ball of flashy electronics and fancy buttons all hooked to a thub, thub, thub of a subwoofer better suited for Rage Against the Machine than Ray Charles. It’s 20 teen-agers in a 5-by-9 cell with ‘N Sync. But to say it’s just a stereo is to say sled dogs generally prefer red meat.Īs one auto critic noted, the MP3 isn’t really a vehicle. Hence, the name of the car, and a sizable understanding why it’s $2,000 more than a Plain-Jane Protege ES.
#03 mazda protege specs series#
New for 2001, in what Mazda calls its Performance Series lineup, the Protege is a decent ride with a stadium-sized radio that can handle anything you throw its way – either Memorex or MP3 digital audio burned in your best friend’s basement.
Welcome to the jungle and goodbye acute hearing. Depending on your point of view – and likely your age – about 60 ticks in the cross hairs of the MP3’s fury will give you all the ammo to know this midsize, unassuming, sporty sedan is really Axl Rose in disguise. All rights reserved.You don’t need a week in the new Mazda Protege MP3 to draw some decent conclusions. Other 2003 Mazda cars: Mazda 6 Executive Mazda MX-5 1.6 16v 110 KM Air Mazda Tribute 4x4 4x4 AIR WEBASTO 4xAirbag Mazda 6 Sport Kombi 2.3 LPG GAS, Xenon, Leather * Aluminum Mazda TD * 3 * € Premacy Engine & Transmission TOP Mazda 2 1.4 CD ComfortĪll trademarks, brands and images are property and copyright of their owners.Ĭopyright © 2011. Alfa Romeo Audi BMW Citroen Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mitsubishi Nissan Opel Toyota Volkswagen VolvoĢ003 Mazda PROTEGE Limousine Click photo to enlarge
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