Mazda has revealed a pair of sporty new concepts, based on its 3 and MX-5, which it plans to put into production under the Mazda Spirit Racing banner.
The Mazda 3 and MX-5 RS concepts are designed to be fun both around town and on the racetrack, without compromising on ride comfort.
While Mazda has remained fairly tight-lipped on the details of the concepts, it says the two concepts are currently under development for production and the vehicles will be released under the Mazda Spirit Racing brand.
In addition to retuned suspension, intended to offer “more controllability on the circuit” and “a high-quality ride in everyday life” according to the translated press release, Mazda has given the modified 3 and MX-5 a more aggressive look.
The MX-5, which features a manual transmission, wears a revised front splitter and side skirts.
It features a black stripe down the bonnet, and a red racing stripe on the front splitter and side mirrors. The wheels have a new design with a R-branded centre hub.
Inside, Mazda has swapped out the regular seats for bucket seats and racing harnesses. The dashboard features Alcantara-like upholstery and Mazda Spirit Racing badging.
The Mazda 3 RS hatchback has similar exterior tweaks to the MX-5 but adds a black rear spoiler and R badging on the tailgate. Based on the photos from the event, the Mazda 3 RS concept appears to be automatic.
Mazda didn’t detail any changes under the bonnet for the two RS concepts.
The company also revealed track-only concepts at the Tokyo Auto Salon. These included a wide-bodied Mazda 3 hatchback and an MX-5, with the latter already racing in the ST-5 category of the Super Taikyu Series in Japan.
According to Autoblog, the wide-bodied Mazda 3 will have a 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which runs on biodiesel.
The Mazda 3 is currently offered in various left-hand drive markets with the same turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine as can be found in the larger CX-5, CX-9 and Mazda 6.
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