Whole 'Lotta SpeedIt's hard to decide where to start with this car. It does so many things
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| It has everything you could ever want in a sports car. Including four doors and a proper trunk. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
so well that it's difficult to begin with any one thing. Speed? Got it. Style? Check. Comfort? Yup. Practicality, efficiency? If that's what you're into. Value? For what I want to spend money on, it doesn't get much better.
It was quite an amazing experience, and brilliant as much for its imperfections as for its obviously endearing features. For example, before I even made it to the nearest highway, I had stalled once and nearly stalled another two times because of the crazy clutch. It is by far the strangest clutch I've ever experienced. What's so weird about it? It starts off light, then suddenly gets very heavy right at the 'clutch' point, then it goes all light and fluffy again. As embarrassing as the unexpected difficulties were when first adjusting to a quirky clutch (not to mention admitting them to any audience I might find let alone all of Canada), learning to hold the clutch right at the cusp of engaging it when holding a hill or just getting ready to launch from a standstill was something I had a hard time letting go of when I had to return the car. The old truism that the greatest challenges make for the greatest rewards never rang, uh, truer.
Let's backtrack a bit now and start with the usual suspects that bear the brunt of making a lasting impression on us notoriously short-memoried journalists.
The
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| Disguised in black paint, the 6's vents and grille aren't very visible. But they're there, nonetheless. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
'06 'Speed6 features all the updates that the standard '06 6 receives, which include the refreshed grille with one single dominant cross bar supporting the Mazda logo and revised headlamps and tail lamps. To distinguish the Speed from the everyday 6, Mazda filled in the gaping air intake under the grille with black honeycomb pattern plastic. And the hood itself bulges like a skintight shirt on a ridiculously juiced bodybuilder. While freakishly appropriate in an aesthetic sense, it is a functional compromise to accommodate the massive intercooler sitting right on top of the engine, and made necessary by Mazda's high-strung turbo. It was both scary and unnerving and almost grotesque from certain angles, but need is need and need for speed outweighs that small aesthetic disruption.
Overall the 'Speed6 is something like an anti-WRX STi. No big wing, only
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| Black paint doesn't disguise the rear spoiler, but that's because it's small. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
a slight decklid spoiler; no fancy gold rims, just a set of massive 18-inch pale, almost-white alloys wrapped in low profile Pirelli Snowsport tires for ultimate winter performance. This is a grown-up's boy racer, with all the work done by Mazda's dedicated tuning shop (I guess otherwise known as 'speed, which would make a nice contrast with VW's 'fast', if you've seen the latest TV spots), no assembly required. According to Mazda's press release, "Exterior styling eliminates all traces where high performance is overstated, favouring instead a sophisticated look that resonates well with those who appreciate mature refinement."
Of
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| All wheel drive helps to harness all that power to the road. Most of the time. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
course, mature refinement not being one of my strong suits, I tried to overwhelm the tires and break them loose at every stoplight, not just because of my nervous clutch releases but also just because I could. Well, I could try, and it is easier said than done, thanks to Mazda's all-wheel drive system, which redirects power as necessary when the front wheels start to spin loose. Then came the snow and the fun became controlled power slides around corners on abandoned streets and donuts in empty parking lots. Oh yes, me and my 'Speed6 had a fun week together (whoa, every time I look back at the word 'Speed6, it looks disturbingly similar to Speedo... yuk - I apologize for any unwanted images that may be developing in your fragile minds).
