Car Moon

This Mazdaspeed3 owner was driving on a scenic road with a few soft twists somewhere in Northern California when at some point a BMW 335i saloon pulled out in front him and started lifting the pace. The Mazda driver decided to follow along keeping, however, a relatively safe distance from the bimmer.

One of the less known - if at all - small Japanese carmakers, Suzusho, unveiled its latest creation at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, the lightweight Supasse-V. The strange-looking sports car with the scissor doors that reminds us of the Lotus Elise in philosophy is powered by a midship-mounted, specially tuned version of the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the MazdaSpeed3 producing around 270 horsepower. All that grunt is sent to the rear wheels through a Mazda-sourced six-speed manual gearbox. More photos after the jump.

Mazda has confirmed UK pricing for the all-new Mazda3 MPS that goes on sale October 1. The... smiley faced hot hatch is being marketed in the UK in a single trim level with pricing set at £21,500 (on the road) including mica or metallic paint finish. Based on the second generation Mazda3, the MPS is motivated by a 2.3-liter turbocharged four that makes 260 horsepower and 380Nm or 280 lb-ft of torque and drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

It's going to be all about 'smileys' at Mazda's stand at next month's New York International Auto Show. Along with the all-new, high-performance 2010 MazdaSpeed3 hatch and the refreshed 2010 CX-7 crossover, Mazda will also present the supposedly "heavily revised" CX-9 large crossover. Mazda claims that the 2010 CX-9 has received an exterior and interior facelift without however giving our any further details.

Inheriting the 260-horsepower strong 2.3-litre DISI turbocharged petrol engine of the current model, the new Mazda3 MPS / MazdaSpeed3 made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. On the outside, Mazda's proposal in the hot hatch segment is distinguished by details such as the WRX-style hood scoop, the larger roof wing, new 18-inch alloy wheels and the restyled bumpers.

Inside, Mazda attempted to give the car a sportier feeling with semi-bucket seats and a tachometer that features a red MPS logo and a needle that travels through 260 degrees as opposed to the 190-degree rotation on other new Mazda3 models. The instrument cluster for the all-new MPS also includes an LED turbo boost gauge positioned between the meters. The MPS also gets red stitching on the steering wheel, seats, door trim, shift lever boot, and centre armrest.

Under the skin, the MPS is powered by a refined version of the current model's 2.3-liter turbocharged engine producing the same 260HP at 5,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 380 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The engine is matted to a six-speed manual gearbox that delivers power to the front wheels. The new MPS features a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and acceleration of 0-100 km/h (62mph) in 6.1 seconds.

Mazda supports that optimized aerodynamics help reduce fuel consumption from 9.7l/100 km (24.2mpg US) on the previous model to 9.2l/100 km (25.6mpg US) - a 5 percent improvement. Also newly introduced on this engine is the world's first single-nanotechnology, fast-reacting catalytic converter, which delivers cleaner emissions and Euro5 compliance.

The new Mazda3 MPS also comes with a revised suspension set up, improved steering and larger diameter 320 mm ventilated disc brakes in the front and 280 mm solid discs in the rear. Electronic Brake Assist (EBA) replaces the previous mechanical system, while four-wheel ABS and DSC belong to the car's standard equipment.

New Mazda3 MPS dimensions and specifications for EU