Fans of aftermarket and tuned vehicles will be happy to know that Mazda has inserted just such a vehicle into its regular production lineup. Tricked out by MAZDASPEED, Mazda's in-house motorsports and specialty-car tuning division, the MAZDASPEED6 follows a short list of other specially tuned Mazda vehicles to the U.S. market, including the 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege and the 2005 MAZDASPEED MX-5 Miata.
The MAZDASPEED6 starts with the popular and critically acclaimed Mazda6 Sports Sedan and adds both exterior and interior enhancements, as well as more power under the hood. The exterior features a more muscular look, with a sculpted hood that rises to provide room for the engine's top-mounted intercooler, and an air duct for the intercooler integrated into the front grille. In the rear, a spoiler and more aerodynamic bumpers provide an aggressive look.
Inside, standard features include high-bolstered front bucket seats, automatic climate control, front side window demisters, power door locks, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, alloy pedals, and a Bose seven-speaker audio system.
But the real action takes place under the hood, where a turbocharged 2.3-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine produces 270 horsepower, thanks in part to direct gas injection that delivers fuel directly into each chamber. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual with gear ratios that perfectly match the engine's power curve, according to the automaker.