New Mazdaspeed 3 pics!!
 

Picked it up last night and have been loving it. Its a little rocket! Hooray for torque steer!! Tinted windows will be coming next week.

http://i28.tinypic.com/2d5jbc.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/14m3oxy.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/2qkuhiw.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/alg3ti.jpg
http://i31.tinypic.com/10msmmp.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/14cw9hh.jpg
http://i30.tinypic.com/15f0g9w.jpg
http://i32.tinypic.com/2ppknif.jpg

not bad......curse still apply?

Pretty cool, a practical sports car. How do you like sitting up higher now?

:biggthump

I'm loving my cosmic blue.. especially each time I drive by a gas station.

Really haven't noticed it actually.

nice i really like these

Looks good! Glad your happy with it.

hks makes an exhaust, intake and Bov kit for your car..

Nice ride. I was looking at this car before I bought the 8, but i decided to go with the 8. The 8 is just soo sexy. But other than that, have fun with your 3.

Couldn't agree more.

So is the whole thing a kit or is it just the exhaust, intake, and the BOV is a kit on its own?

Still researching mods for this car before I get started. First car with FI so I want to learn before I go spending money.

I've been seeing quite a lot of those little monsters around lately. Glad Mazda is selling them out, they really did something right this time. Nice MS3!

Thanks all. Nice to know my former RX8 kin can appreciate the switch. There are some definate advantages to this car and some definate drawbacks when comparing with the 8. But I'm sure glad I made the decision to stay with Mazda. Most fun you can have in a car IMO. An early 2000's Miata may be in the mix for a weekend car a year or so down the road. I'm sure I'll get the RWD fever again.

Why did you sell the RX-8 and get the Speed 3? I have the Speed 6 and I'm keeping it until it stops running. The Speed 6 is a great car and I'm sure the Speed 3 is even better.

Needed something that was a little more practical as a daily driver. Figured I'd put the 8 on the market see what happened. Got the offer I was looking for and went ahead and made the call. Lot of little things went on with my 8 and it took away from the enjoyment of driving it just a little. Plus in the next year I was looking at new tires, new rims (had two slightly bent stockers), new plugs, new wires, new coils, possibly new clutch (wasn't feeling as crisp as it once was). Basically I figured for 7K more I could have a brand new Speed 3 with more room, warranty, lots of torque, slightly better gas mileage, etc. Long story but don't worry the 8 will be missed.

Sad to see you've sold the 8, but definitely no hard feelings about the car you replaced it with. These little cars seem to be selling quite well in the Ottawa area aswell. I know a few people have recently purchased them and a few more who are looking to do so.

I had the pleasure of driving the RX8 and Mazdaspeed6 for a pretty good amount of time when my father worked there and had them for demo's. (The seat time behind the RX8 was a huge reason that I finally purchased an RX8 myself) but he never felt the urge to take a Mazdaspeed3 for a demo so I never got the chance to drive one, but he said it was quite the car!

I was talking to one of the mechanics at work the other day (Subaru dealer). His son (Business Manager at one of the local Mazda dealers) let him take a few cars for a drive the other day and he said that the Mazdaspeed3 impressed the hell out of him and it was a damn fast little car. (Not bad comments coming from an older Subie mechanic/driver who gets a fair bit of time in with STI's) Ofcourse he said he'd prefer it was AWD though lol.

Congrats on the MS3. Very sharp looking car.

welcome to the ms3 club... you on any forums yet?

great looking car! love it, trying to talk the gf into it b/c i just can't part with my 8.

i heard two things are a must for the ms3 - a short shifter, and some-product-i-can't-remember that's supposed to help with the fwd wheel hop at wot in 1st.

I haven't actually seen a short shifter released for the MS3 yet. I think you are thinking of the Shifter Base Bushings which stiffen up the throw a little bit.

The other mod is a rear motor mount. As soon as I figure out if I have the tools/ability to install it or not I will be ordering. If I can't do it myself I am going to have to find someone around here who won't charge me an arm and a leg for labor. But yeah I've heard the same thing, these are a must.

I'm on mazda3forums.com and mazda3club.com. Under Big_Mike_4488 there as well.

Nice car,

But the wheels on the MS3's and MS6's are just balls. You should look for the stock 18's off the 8 for it.

But let the modding begin!

As far as the wheels, I might start looking for something different in the future. For now I have some other things I want to buy first. And as far as the RX8 stockers... I am f*cking cursed when it comes to those wheels. I sware to god I bent one of those SOBs wheels once a month. I'm sure the MS3 wheels would bend just as easily, but I just think the 8's wheels are truly bad luck for me.

As far as the modding... I can't wait to throw some stuff on the car. A CAI makes like 25 whp and 30 ft/lbs... WOOT!!

Congrats on your purchase.

CAI for a MS3, don't think it's worth it imho with all the hydorlocking, unless you live in an area where the puddles are not that deep that it would be an issue.

I think you're better off getting the ATP front mount or a boost controller as your first mod. Just my 2 cents.

Rims, Rota Tarmac 3 looks pretty good on speed 3's. Here's what they look like:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...P/IMG_5093.jpg

*sigh* now you've got me tempted to get one instead of an 8. I can't really decide.

What's your opinion? Others have hated the transition, while others have loved it. What's your verdict?

sweet!!!! enjoy that....