A subcompact car produced by Mazda, the 323s were constructed in Hiroshima, Japan and assembled in Taiwan, South Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand and Colombia. it was initially known as the GLC, then the 323, before finally becoming the Protege from 1990 until now. Italy's Giugiaro was responsible for styling the first Familias. Mazda has set a relatively sedate goal of 2,000 sales annually in the United States and Canada.Nicknamed the Familia in Japan, the Mazda Protege was first called the Mazda 323 in Japan from 1976 until 2003.
"People know what things cost, so they'll find a lot of value, even if they don't know the MazdaSpeed name."Īlthough pricing for the souped-up Protege has not been set, a Mazda spokesman said the car would come in around $20,000. These co-branding partners give us credibility," Davis said. "The sport compact market is driven by brands. It will be a single-spec vehicle, without even an optional sunroof. Other mechanical changes include a limited slip differential, heavy-duty clutch, 17-inch Racing Hart alloy wheels, Z-rated Bridgestone Potenza tires, Racing Beat exhaust and disc brakes with ABS and detailed calipers.īut since street credibility is as much about making the scene as leaving it, the looks of the MazdaSpeed Protege also have received a makeover.Ī Kenwood 350-watt MP3 audio system leads the list of features that includes Nardi steering wheel, Sparco shift knobs and pedals, rear spoiler, fog lights, side sills, two-tone seats and tinted combination lamps. It uses Racing Beat struts, stabilizer bars and Tokico dampers. Mazda testers say they have reached a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.9 seconds, which would make the tweaked Protege the quickest in its class.Ī sportier suspension also was installed.
Callaway Motorsports did the engineering work on the modified engine. The Protege modifications include a Garrett turbocharger that raises the horsepower of the 2.0-liter engine from 130 to 170 and torque from 135 pounds-feet to 160. Mazda executives know that a performance model has to do more than just look fast - it must have the mechanical ability to back up its looks. "It took 20 years for BMW to develop the M brand, so this won't happen overnight," he said.
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They must have special training, carry extra parts and post high customer service scores to qualify to sell the vehicles out of about 700 Mazda dealers, 268 have qualified.ĭavis realizes it may take a while to get full support from dealers. Mazda dealers will not get the MazdaSpeed brand automatically.
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"We're making a business proposition with MazdaSpeed, and that includes accessories, clothing and support to professional racers," said Robert Davis, vice president of product development and strategy for Mazda North American Operations. Mazda executives say they expect to begin selling MazdaSpeed versions of the Mazda6 mid-sized sedan, RX-8 sports car and Miata roadster. But the MazdaSpeed Protege will be the starting point for a high-performance sub-brand within the Mazda franchise. Mazda has dallied with modifications to stock vehicles, using body kits, audio upgrades and minor suspension tweaks. LOS ANGELES - Throwing itself into the fray for factory-aftermarket versions of compact cars, Mazda North American Operations will introduce a modified version of the Protege sedan in October.
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