it took my breath away! I looove the first revision Mazda6 with sport appearance package but man.. this looks like it might be something special!

 

You'd love anything in sunlight silver.

Side view.

Not really digging the round front fenders, a la RX8 & Miata. Mazda's slipping a bit from its pinnacle of design, the early '00s IMHO.

 

Well I for one can't get enough of the amazing RX-8 design.. so anything including bits and pieces of that .. fine by me

Yeah, the FD RX-7 and NB Miata were just so, so good though.. not that those are early 00 designs at all.

The 3rd gen Protege (pre and post facelift), and the first years of the Mazda6 were just amazing. The 3 in sedan form pre-facelift looked awesome, but I still think it looks great now. Big blunders from a design point of view (of course totally in my opinion) were the 3 hatchback (both pre and post facelift, though post was a biit better), the facelift on the Mazda6 (way to make it look like a cheap piece of crap),
and the current MX-5 (don't get me wrong, I'd totally drive one, it's not offensive like the 3 hatch to me.. but it's just not as amazing as the NB body style).

They've done a great job with the interior designs in all the cars though (well maybe not the 3 but it's still decent.. just not very ergonomic), at least there's that.. and the engines have gotten a ton better than the FS-DE of yore..


Is it just me or is that photoshop based on a Ford Mondeo (which I believe isn't moving to the new chassis until the 6 is already on it)?

I'm definitely going to reserve judgement on the 6 until the Frankfurt show when we can see all of it for reals, but I still like it so far. Only issue is that I don't see it as a possible next car for me at all, seems way too large (even just the front photo.. but definitely from seeing the side and rear with the test mules). Oh well, maybe the Next gen Mazda3 (soon I would imagine.. but since the 6 isn't until 2009, maybe 2010? which means 6 years on the same model 3.. hmm) will fill the void and have a less childish look than the current one.

 

Agree completely. Yeah, indeed the early '00s had carriedover goodness from the late '90s!

The RX8 made a quantum leap as a practical sportscar, but those bulging front fenders are a dealbreaker for me, especially when compared with the beautiful flowing hoodline of the 3rd gen RX7.

Any word on the new 6s powetrain?

 

I just keep hearing it'll have the new ford 3.5 v6 as an option (260+ HP on 87 octane, decent gas mileage, same dimensions and I think lighter than the current 3.0, etc).

As for the 4-cyl.. if they keep the weight down, the 2.3 most likely.. might as well wring it out more, it's a decent powerplant.

 

the 4-cylinder is supposed to have 190hp

beautiful looking car....

 

I hope.. they really nailed the front end.

Where'd you read about 190hp? A new MZR 4-cyl or something?

 

FCN...

Ford Company News...

I Work for Ford...

they're squeezing 170 out of the 2.0L...190 from the 2.3L is a pretty realistic number

 

So the 3 may get 190hp too?

 

pls give us any info your non-disclosure agreement allows on this magic LARGE power increase.. hell the MSP only added 30hp over the MP3, this is going from 156 to.. 190.. without a turbo!

 

my guess would be with the same kind of mods they did to the 2.0L in the Miata...that went from 150 hp to 170hp...

 

I like how the front end has a smile going on...for all those unsuspecting Hondas that will get eaten up! Open wide...

 

update:

I was incorrect before....the horsepower increases will be thanks to a new 2.5L 4 cylinder and a 3.7L V6(not a Ford derivative)

 

Are your numbers still right? 190hp 2.5L four?

 

170hp 2.5

A few sites I read about that 3.7 said it was a new version of the already new 3.5 and that made no sense to me. This'll be the largest Mazda V6 ever!

mazda's not much of a V6 company at all