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The Mazda MX-3 is a four-seat
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
front wheel drive manufactured and marketed by
Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
, introduced at the
Geneva Auto Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by the ...
in March 1991 and marketed for model years 1992–1998. The MX-3 was also marketed as the Mazda MX-3 Precidia in Canada and as the Eunos Presso,
Autozam was a marque of Japanese automaker Mazda, specializing in small cars and Kei cars, many of which were Rebadging, rebadged Suzuki models. Autozam also briefly acted as importer of Lancia vehicles to Japan. The Autozam dealership channel is stil ...
AZ-3 and Mazda AZ-3 in Japan. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
it was marketed as the Eunos 30X until late 1996 when it became the Mazda-Eunos 30X.Mazda-Eunos 30X, New Car Buyers Guide No 9, Universal Magazines, Australia, 1996


History

The MX-3's platform is called the EC platform, and shares much with the BG platform of the contemporary Familia/323/Protegé. The first model year was available in Japan, Europe, Australia, and North America where it went on sale in September 1991, as a 1992. Originally available with a single-cam 1.6-liter inline-four or the 1.8 liter
twin-cam An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
V6, a few more engines were available as development continued. In the summer of 1991, the Autozam AZ-3 was added to the Japanese market lineup. It was known by two names;"
Autozam was a marque of Japanese automaker Mazda, specializing in small cars and Kei cars, many of which were Rebadging, rebadged Suzuki models. Autozam also briefly acted as importer of Lancia vehicles to Japan. The Autozam dealership channel is stil ...
" was meant to be Mazda's more youthful brand, so it combined a somewhat lower price with a sportier (but smaller) twin-cam 1.5L 4 cylinder engine, and also sold as the Eunos Presso, a companion, affordable sports hatchback to the
Eunos Roadster The Mazda MX-5 (NA) (sold in Japan as the and in North America as the Mazda MX-5 Miata) is the first generation of the Mazda MX-5 manufactured from 1989 to 1997. Inspired by the post-war era British sports cars, the MX-5 rejuvenated intere ...
. The small displacement V6 was offered to comply with Japanese government
regulations Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. For ...
concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement; Japanese buyers were liable for annual taxes for vehicles exceeding the regulations and large displacement engines, which would affect sales. Japanese buyers who were willing to pay the tax for larger vehicles were now given a choice of the FC series
Mazda RX-7 The Mazda RX-7 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, rotary engine-powered sports car that was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 until 2002 across three generations, all of which made use of a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine. ...
and the JC series
Mazda Cosmo The is an automobile which was produced by Mazda from 1967 until 1995. Throughout its history, the Cosmo served as a "halo" vehicle for Mazda, with the first Cosmo successfully launching the Mazda Wankel engine. The final generation of Cosmo ser ...
. In January 1994, a DOHC version of the familiar B6 engine, the ''B6D'', replaced the previous version. This provided a useful power increase but conversely also made the considerably more expensive V6 version less desirable. Sales of the V6 in the United States market came to an end after the 1994 model year, although they continued in Canada, Japan and many other export markets. While called ''K8-DE'' in North American specs, Japanese and other markets received an engine called the ''K8-ZE''. Aside from emissions equipment and varying power claims due to myriad ratings methods, the differences are negligible. The MX-3 was only manufactured for one generation as the MX-5 proved more popular and as the
Japanese asset price bubble The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991 in which real estate and stock market prices were greatly inflated. In early 1992, this price bubble burst and Japan's economy stagnated. The bubble was characterized by rapid acceleration ...
effects became noticeable, Mazda had to cut back models that weren't selling well and the MX-3 was cancelled.


Performance

The V6 MX-3 has a factory claimed top speed of in European trim. The US-spec MX-3 GS can accelerate from 0 to in 8.4 seconds, and can travel a quarter mile in 16.4 seconds. With a turning rate of 0.89 g (8.7 m/s²), its handling capabilities were among the best in its class. The V6 engine belonged to the Mazda K-series, which were used in a range of Mazda vehicles. These engines use a
Variable Length Intake Manifold In internal combustion engines, a variable-length intake manifold (VLIM),variable intake manifold (VIM), or variable intake system (VIS) is an automobile internal combustion engine manifold technology. As the name implies, VLIM/VIM/VIS can vary ...
(VLIM), in order to provide optimal torque using intake resonance. Mazda called their system on the MX-3 the "Variable Resonance Induction System" (VRIS). This engine had a 7,000 rpm redline, and a 7,800 rpm fuel cutoff. For the rear suspension of the MX-3, Mazda used its proprietary Twin-Trapezoidal Link (TTL) technology, delivering benefits associated with active four-wheel steering systems while lighter and less mechanically complicated. Twin-Trapezoidal Link technology has been used on a range of other Mazda vehicles before and since the MX-3.


Models and specifications

;Models (North America): * RS • 1992-1996 * GS • 1992-1994 (Canada until 1995) ;Engines:


Special editions

In 1993, Mazda Canada offered a limited special edition model of its Mazda MX-3 GS to celebrate the company's 25th year in Canada. At the same time, Mazda USA offered a similar model in a special edition as well. Only a total of 2,000 were supposedly made. The special edition MX-3 featured the V6 engine, leather interior (including seats, steering wheel and shift knob), heated seats (Canada only), and custom Enkei manufactured 15 inch alloy wheels. Most special edition models came in the color "raspberry metallic"; however, there was also "blaze" red, "brilliant" black, and "laguna" blue. In 1993, Mazda Europe produced 100 Mazda MX-3 V6 SEs. These had a leather and suede interior, and all had the clear white body color. There were also a limited number of Mazda MX-3 V6 Equipes, with "sparkle green metallic" or "noble" green exteriors.


Modifications

The MX-3 is becoming a rare car, so modifications for it can be difficult to find unless one knows where to look, since it has not been sold in North America since 1997. Since the MX-3 has two engine classes, I4 and V6, many of the engine performance modifications are dependent upon what platform is installed. There is now a decent range of body modifications for the MX-3 along with performance brakes and suspensio

Most extensive modification must be entirely custom fabricated due to limited availability.


RS

The MX-3 RS with the four-cylinder engine can upgrade to the Mazda B engine#BP, BP , B6-T , BP-T and BPD-T engines. Swapping of the four-cylinder RS engines is slightly more complicated than the V6 GS mainly due to ECU, wiring harness, and MAF combinations as well as motor mounts. The V6 swaps require specific ECU, intake manifold, and VAF sensor combinations, but there are far fewer variables to deal with. Many improvements can be made after the engine swap and during the
engine tuning Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; a ...
process to find the best combination of engine peripherals.


GS

The most common
engine swap In car tuning culture, an engine swap is the process of removing a car's original engine and replacing it with another. This may be a like-for-like replacement, or to install a non-factory specification engine. Typically an engine swap is p ...
for MX-3 GS owners with the V6 engine is a 2.5 L V6, either a North American-spec KL-DE , found most commonly in the 1993-1997
Ford Probe The Ford Probe is a liftback coupé produced by Ford, introduced in 1988 and produced until 1997. The Probe was the result of Ford's collaboration with its longtime Japanese partner Mazda, and both generations of Probe were derived from the front ...
GT, the 1993-1997
Mazda MX-6 The Mazda MX-6 is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive coupé manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1987-1997 across two generations. Mechanically identical to the Capella/626 and its hatchback platform mate, the Ford Probe, these cars shared th ...
LS, or the 1993-2002
Mazda 626 __NOTOC__ Year 626 ( DCXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 626 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar e ...
LX or ES, and the Japanese-spec KL-ZE , found in such vehicles as the Efini MS-8,
Xedos 9 The Mazda Millenia is an automobile which was manufactured by Mazda in Japan from 1993 to 2002. The Millenia was originally planned as the second of three models for Mazda's proposed luxury brand Amati. As the company's dwindling finances caused ...
, and
Eunos 800 The Mazda Millenia is an automobile which was manufactured by Mazda in Japan from 1993 to 2002. The Millenia was originally planned as the second of three models for Mazda's proposed luxury brand Amati Cars, Amati. As the company's dwindling fin ...
. A 2.0 L V6 KF-ZE is also available, but this swap is quite difficult due to the unavailability of required components. For this reason, this particular engine swap is not often attempted. The GS, apart from the engine has dual tip exhaust, a tighter steering ratio, four disc brakes and front and rear spoiler.


References


External links


MX-3.com
– Specifications and other details
UK-MX3.com
– UK Owners Club {{DEFAULTSORT:Mazda Mx-3 MX-3 Compact cars Front-wheel-drive sports cars Sport compact cars Hatchbacks Cars introduced in 1991 Cars discontinued in 1998 Coupés