First off, hi everyone, long time no see.

I drove past the only Mazda dealer in Toledo today. There was a metallic yellow MPS with a huge rear wing, and the Racing Hart wheels were black chrome. I know the MPS is limited edition, but is this yellow/spoiler deal a special edition-special edition?

 

That's the 2003.5 MSP (not MPS). The 2003 came in black and orange; the 2003.5 has a different front fascia, dark-finished wheels, and it comes in yellow, steel gray, silver, or blue.

 

Quote from MNAO (Mazda North American Operations):
"Because of consumer enthusiasm for the 2003 model, production of the 2003.5 will increase from 1750 to 2750. The first 1750 will be available in Titanium Grey Metallic or Blazing Yellow Mica and the remaining 1000 will be available in Laser Blue Mica or Sunlight Silver Metallic. Other exterior upgrades include a racing-inspired front air dam (no fog lamps, cooling ducts now), new rear skirt, larger and lighter rear spoiler with built-in CHMSL, new Dark Hyper Silver Racing Hart wheel finish and an oval exhaust tip branded with the MazdaSpeed logo....Technically patterned cloth seat inserts improve lateral support while yellow stitching snakes around the seats and three-spoke, leather-wrapped, two-tone steering wheel. A black leather shift boot, also stitched in yellow, and an aluminum and leather shift **** bearing the MazdaSpeed logo complement the interior. Also stamped with the MazdaSpeed moniker are the aluminum foot pedals and black cloth floor mats."


You can purchase this now at MSRP (with no premiums or markups). IMO, the new rear wing looks great. Whether you have a 2003 or 2003.5 MSP, it's still a very nice and low-cost compact rocket!

Check out this link if you want to see photos and a brief overview:
http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshow...7/page010.html

 

wat is a CHMSL???

 

Center mounted high stoplamp.

I saw the Mazdaspeed pedals and shifter, but the boot wasn't yellow. Anyway, yes, that new spoiler kicks major ***. If I had a 2003, I'd be pissed.

Sidenote: I wanted a 2003 Orange MSP, but I needed a car before it came out However, it is nice to have a big aftermarket, especially after I had my 92 LX.