2009 Mazda 3 MPS
Cool design, good suspension and precise handling, 5 seats, over 200 BHP under the hood, 6.1 seconds from 0-62 mph and a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Sounds like a good hot hatch definition. Some time ago this performance would mean… Porsche, or BMW M3. Now you get that in a compact class. And Mazda just updated their player in this segment: New Mazda 3 MPS just arrived.
Previous model (dated back in 2007) was pretty controversial. It had the same 260 BHP 2.3 liter engine as the new one. But users were complaining about the handling and fuel consumption. Read more…
Abarth Logo
I wrote few words about Abarth 500 few posts ago. Last week I went to Abarth car dealer to take it for a test drive. And it was FUN! Fun… powered with 135 HP 1.4T engine, 0-62 mph in 8 seconds, top speed…who cares? (205 km/h – 127 mph). I know that these numbers are not impressive at all, but You have to remember that the car is only 11,5 feet long (3,5 meter). Of course they could make it more powerful, but this way they left something for tuners.
Abarth… Where’s Fiat?
You see the Fiat 500… You know it’s the Fiat… Everyone around can see this is a Fiat… but You won’t find the Fiat badge anywhere on it. That is the “Abarth way”. Fiat decided to draw a thick line between their regular cars and sporty versions, not by adding some GT, GTI, Sport or other suffix to the name, but by calling them totally separately: Abarth. And with the name comes a story of many decades of cooperation between these two brands.
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Ford was dangerously quiet recently. Nothing big was happening around the brand. They released new Fiesta, new Ka… but nothing spectacular. All these cars were cool, but not to sensational. They didn’t put some hybrid, supergreen, eco fafarafa, “tree hugging” drive system… Just a whole set of boring, every day cars in many segments. I was starting to think, that they are turning into Toyota or something 
I like Ford for that… it’s not trying hard to be something what marketing advisers will invent. Just a pure, solid brand with tradition. I drive a Focus myself and it does the job. It’s not a super hot hatch, interior is very classic. But it works ok for me, it’s reliable. It’s not a 100% fun car, but the driving experience is very sharp and positive.
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