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Auto Express Greatest Drives

Mazda 6 MPS

The Mazda 6 MPS may lack style but it boasts excellent traction, stability and performance

Mazda 6 MPS

Text AUTO 192277 to 88833 to download the Mazda 6 MPS engine ringtone to your mobile. Terms & Conditions below.

14th September 2006

Did you notice the Mazda 6 MPS among all the other dazzling cars in the group heading shot? You’d be forgiven for not doing – the Japanese saloon was undoubtedly the most unassuming car to attend Greatest Drives this year.

 
The MPS loves to be thrown into corners, is highly adjustable and very rewarding.
Worse still, the modifications make it appear worse than the standard model – just look at the blunt nose, awkward grille and flat rear spoiler. And Mazda’s designers seem to have been on a tea break when the cabin was styled. The red dials look cheap and nasty, the MPS badge has simply been stuck on and the seats lack lateral support to the extent that you end up with a bruised left shin from having to brace yourself against the centre console.

So what’s the MPS doing here? Well, from the moment you first sample the firm weighting of the clutch and gearlever, you can tell this car is something special. With a 2.3-litre turbo motor and all-wheel drive, it has much in common with the Mitsubishi Evo. There are striking similarities in the driving experience, too.

We achieved 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds in the MPS – nearly a second faster than the official figure. What’s more, its phenomenal traction, excellent stability and brilliant chassis are on a par with the Mitsubishi’s. The MPS loves to be thrown into corners, is highly adjustable and very rewarding. It’s an Evo without the aggression and undesirable image, but with nine-tenths of the driver appeal. A surprisingly potent mix.

Text AUTO 192277 to 88833 to download the Mazda 6 MPS engine ringtone to your mobile.

(Service costs 150p per ringtone. Normal operator charges apply. Users must have a GPRS-enabled and compatible handset and be over 16. Support email mobile@dennis.co.uk.)

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  • Mazda 6 MPS Video 5.6MB

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    Mazda 6 MPS
    Mazda 6 MPS
    Mazda 6 MPS

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    Specifications

    On-the-road price: £23,995
    Engine/capacity: 4cyl in-line/2,261cc
    Peak power: 260/5,500 bhp/rpm
    Peak torque: 380/3,000 Nm/rpm
    Kerbweight: 1,665kg
    0-60 claimed/actual: 6.6/5.7secs
    30-70mph/top speed: 5.4secs/150mph
    60-0mph: 33.9 metres
    Noise idle/full revs: 40/73dB
    Lap time/ranking: 1min 44.85secs/10th

    Road rating: 4/5
    Track rating: 4/5
    Feelgood factor: 2/5
    Value rating: 4/5
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