DRIVEN: 2006 MAZDASPEED6

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos courtesy Mazda Canada

It seems to get boring repeating it time and time again, but the Mazda6 in all its iterations has been a favourite in the Inside Track offices since its introduction. The combination of slick styling, sweet chassis, nimble moves and good value has conspired to keep us searching for opportunities to drive one whenever we can.

So when we heard that the company’s in-house tuning division MazdaSpeed got its hands on the mid-sized sedan, we – of course – couldn’t wait to finagle one for a week.



MazdaSpeed’s well known for taking perfectly good production cars and adding a turbo, bigger wheels, tighter suspension, sticky tires and an aggressive body kit – witness the previous generation Miata and Protégé versions for reference. Even when you’re familiar with the recipe, though, the final versions were always a cut above what the spec sheet would suggest.

The MS6 is remarkable in its transformation. It features a 274-horsepower turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive. While the numbers may suggest that Mazda’s taking aim at the STI and Evo rally-specials set, in reality, the MS6 is much bigger and heavier than those two, preferring to play the Grand Touring card instead.



The engine truly is an amazing piece – it’s an evolution of the 2.3-liter that already sees duty in most of the global Mazda and Ford catalogue, but equipped with DISI, or Direct Injection to boost power and economy. D.I. has been a staple in diesel engine technology for years, but is only recently becoming more popular on gasoline engines.

What it does in the MS6 is help to produce an amazing 280 lb-ft of torque that peaks at an amazingly low (for a turbo) 3,000 rpm. The horsepower peaks at a healthy 5,500 rpm, but runs out of breath soon after. Thankfully the six-speed manual transmission has closely spaced ratios that help keep the engine on boost.

In fact, the MS6 launch was delayed several months after the North American-spec final-drive ratio was changed to match the more aggressive Japanese-spec version to improve acceleration. While it obviously adversely affected the fuel economy, Mazda executives felt the change was more than worth the delay and headaches. We tend to agree.



The MS6’s all-wheel-drive system is all new as well, and features what Mazda calls an ‘active torque split’ that uses all manner of sensors to split power anywhere between 100/0 to 50/50 f/r. It also employs a rear limited-slip differential to help get the back end moving properly as well. While it’s not an aggressive rear-biased ratio, in normal everyday driving, the MS6 acquits itself very well.

Incredibly, the first chance we had to sample the MazdaSpeed6 was during AJAC’s Test Fest back in October. Russ Bond was given the enviable task of judging the Modern Muscle category, where the MS6 was thrown headfirst against the Dodge Magnum SRT8 and the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS. As for me, I was able to storm around Shannonville’s Nelson circuit for a bit, and almost had to be black-flagged to come back in once my half-hour was up.



Both Russ and I agreed that the MS6 was incredible on track, proving to be more nimble and responsive than its 1,628kg curb weight would suggest. Also, the engine proved to be hugely flexible, providing a very solid powerband in which to work.

Inside, not much has changed over the regular Mazda6 range, bar a few piano-black trim pieces and the optional two-tone leather seats in our test car. Thankfully, the MS6’s interior hasn’t dated much since the range’s introduction, so it’s still a great place to be. The MS6 offers power everything, all manner of airbags, traction control, stability control, a great stereo and amazing seats.

The only complaint is that Mazda’s refresh of the 6 lineup has diluted the MS6’s impact some as the restyled front and rear fascias and new wheels look remarkably like those fitted to the hi-po model.



Once again, though, Mazda really has pulled the value card here. The MS6’s MSRP is $35,995, undercutting its closest rival – the Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited – by $4,300 and the Mazda is the better steer. Also, the MS6 has only two options – a moonroof and either mono- or two-tone leather seating (and the price is the same for either). They only come packaged together, so a loaded MS6 adds up to $38,795.

MazdaSpeed deserves a lot of credit for once again balancing the power/grip/comfort/value equation. There are rumours floating around about a MazdaSpeed3 featuring the same engine (although perhaps not the all-wheel-drive) coming soon. I’ll have to get that dialing finger warmed up again.