Hi guys, I am here to bring you some (perhaps) good news. From my reliable source, "there will be an engine upgrade to selected Mazda Proteges ... from 130 horses of the current 2.0L to 160 horses of the next 2.3L engine" He further states that "the inline-r 2.3L will be the same one used in the next Mazda 6 sedan, wagon and sport hatch."

However, he also suggests that we have to wait since "the next 2004 Progete probably won't be out until towards the Fall of 2003 as the earliest day."

I don't know if this is good news or not since if we do want the engine upgrade with full Mazda warranty, it looks like we have to wait for a year and a quarter now.

For those who don't have the money for a new Protege or Protege5 yet, this may be a pretty good piece of news to you since you can start saving your money now.

I cannot disclose the source as I have promised to do so. I can say that this is very reliable. Good luck everyone with your Protege.

 

Sorry, but this is all old news.

 

From a reliable source of Mazda, which I have promised not to disclose, Progete5 and selected Progete models will receive engine upgrades (in America)as of 2004 models. They will be avaliable in as early as August of 2003.(Finalized)

Progete/Progete5

The new inline-4 2.3L engine utilizes sequential varivable timing (SVT) and produces 160 horses and 155 lb-torque. This engine will be shared with the
base model of Mazda 6. (Finalized)

A Mazdaspeed Progete5 is in the discussion. It will be 210 horses with full-time AWD. (Not finalized)

Mazda 6:

Mazdaspeed will produce a 275 horses Mazda 6 about 6 months following the introduction of the Mazda 5 door sport hatch next year. The Mazdaspeed 275 horses Mazda 6 will be sold at around $30,000 and comes with 4WD (standard/optional). (Finalized)

Mazda 2:

An affordable 5 door hatch with nice styling will appear as early as Feb 03, which will carry a price tag of $13,000 to 17,000 and with 130 horses and 135 lb-torque. (Finalized)


Mazda RX-8 Turbo:

Mazdaspeed will bring the U.S. a wonderful 350 horse turbo-charged version of the RX-8 approximately 6-9 months after the car goes for sale next year. This will complete with 350Z track model, bimmer M3. (Finalized)

This news come from very realiable source of Mazda.

What you have heard before is rumor, now it is news (this is directly from a Mazda official). I won't come back to this board until I learn about more exciting news from my close relative. Good luck with your Mazda.

 

I have a funny feeling that the Mazda 2 will be a stylish 3-door hatch version of the Focus/Protege. Most Americans aren't interested in tiny, super-economy cars like the Demio. Recent attempts to sell this type of vehicle in the U.S. have been failures (Aspire, Echo, etc.) and there's almost no profit in this segment anyway, so the dealers won't be interested. Also, Mazda has no need to sell a super-econo car at a loss to offset larger gas-guzzlers in their fleet to meet CAFE standards (this was the original reason for importing the Festiva).

The Demio would sell in Mexico and maybe in Canada, but not in the U.S.

 

<quote>PseudoRealityX: No, the Millenia engine is crap.<endquote>

Can you please explain your statement, instead of just giving us a vague opinion? Remember, without evidence to back up a statement is ignorant.

Has it occurred to you that they might use it to rid their remaining stock of engines? Although I have never driven it, the only reason I can see that "it's crap" is that, it requires premium fuel.

 

"Failure" is a relative term Toyota sold ~48,800 Echos in the year 2000, which sounds impressive until you consider that they moved ~230,100 Corollas during the same time period, and the Echo was Toyota's worst selling car model excluding the limited-production Prius and MR2 Spyder. Just for comparison, Mazda moved ~17,200 Proteges during March of 2002 alone (a theoretical year-end total of ~206,000).

In other words, it's not that the sales volume of subcompacts is terrible; it's just that more mainstream, larger compact cars sell MUCH better. To the major carmakers, this is compounded by the fact that the profit margin on these vehicles is slim to zero. U.S. gas prices are still near historic lows, so U.S. consumers aren't interested in buying subcompacts to save gas; most potential buyers are people who are flat broke, and are typically more interested in low price than high quality. In this marketplace, the U.S. and Japanese manufacturers can't compete with cheaper Korean labor, and are happy to hand this market segment to Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo.

BTW it is an open secret that Toyota is very unhappy with the Echo's sales volume (Toyota is a big-volume carmaker like GM, and expects to move at least 75,000 units of a platform annually). Toyota has marketed the Echo as an attempt to attract young buyers, while offsetting the gas-guzzling Sequoia and Land Cruiser to meet CAFE standards. However, Echo buyers have not been nearly as numerous or as young as Toyota wanted. Toyota has realized that young buyers want sporty, stylish, refined compacts, not cheap shoeboxes like the Echo.

OK, I should shut up now. You get my point

 

Yeah, I'd like to hear an explanation to that statement as well.

The reason the Miller-Cycle engine is leaving the market and will not be revived is that it can't pass 2003 emissions standards. One of the unfortunate downfalls of the Miller-Cycle is cold-start emissions. When the EPA tests the cars, they begin testing from a cold-start. Almost every vehicle will fail at cold-start, but the EPA takes an average of the emissions from cold to hot. Unfortunately, the Miller-Cycle is extremely dirty when cold and will not pass even with the average.

It's really too bad. The Miller-Cycle was absolutely amazing with it's 210hp and 210lb-ft, meanwhile achieving 28mpg with Mazda's low transmission gearing and the Millenia's heavy weight. What we really needed was that engine in a lighter car, such as the 626, and equip it with a manual tranny! But, I'm not too sad to see it go... the rotary's back!

-Jerry

 

Ive seen only old people and young women drive the ehco, they think they are cute driving them around. They look to much like a hatchback, which north americans have abandoned, until the new sport hatch Pro 5 came along, even though it has been in Europe and
Japan for years.

 

Man that will be sweet. I'd better start saving my pennies now so I can get a 2004 when they first come out. Or maybe I will go for a Turbo AWD Protege5. Choices choices.