What the hell are you guys smoking thinking a MazdaSpeed will beat a WRX? Even with the boost turned up (how much extra boost do you really think you are going to run on the stock internals) you still have to make up a 57hp advantage for the WRX. Not to mention what happens if the WRX guy decides to spend a little money on tuning as well. The only way a MazdaSpeed is going to touch the WRX is in the quarter mile and you are going to need a lot of power to make up for the WRX's launch advantages. Sometimes Protegeheads need to use their better judgement. Moral of story - high six/low seven 0-60 cars do not need to try and mess with high five second 0-60 cars unless you have a lot of money to blow (and then why didn't you just buy the damn Corvette and whoop everyones ***?).

 

Alright I'm HS8's bro, I've come to sorta Stand up for the Spec V owners. Yes, the mazdaspeed is gonna be a bad **** of a car. that I agree, stock for stock, yes the mazdaspeed has alot of things that kick the crap outta the Spec V.

Now, I test drove the Protege 5 today, the shifter IMO is a POS. yes..I know the spec v's shifter is a POS too...but atleast it can take alot of power before blowin to pieces.

now the tranny that was a POS was the early production model when the car was still made in Mexico. That seems to be where all the troubled cars come from.

When Nissan moved the plant to somewhere in the USA the quality of the car overall improved. I have driven the Revised 2002 Tranny, and it's pretty decent, nice short throws, compared to the P5 shifter. I'm sure the MS will have a nice shifter too though.

the 2003 tranny is gonna be totally new, with new gear ratios. To improve 0-60mph figures, and slightly improve 1/4 times (probally bearly though for 1/4 mile times)

Yes, the MS comes nice out of the box...but it seems that you really can't do much more to the car, the Spec V I chose to get because I could do crazy after market, so I could be diffrent from every other Spec V out there.

right now, as the specs stand, from a speed point of view the MS and the Spec V are like dead even.

Suspension, well the aftermarket has already been put into the MS, but the Spec V's suspension is quite good because so far it only has a lower front strut bar. Put new springs, add anti roll bars, strut bars, it'll be taking corners pretty nicely.

The Spec V's engine still has tons of poetntial, Area 51's rep on the sentra forums, is claiming that when they release it the SC kit will put 205 hp at the wheels, and will be covered (engine) by Area 51 warrenty.

Then Headers 10-15 whp, CAI 7-10 whp, cat back exhaust (still being tested). JWT is developing cams, we got some crazy looking body kits now. Yes the *** of the freaking car is still freaking damned ugly, that's the ugliest thing of the whole car, and it seems no one has been able to fix that up.

From a modding point of view the Spec Is a much better car to mod, since well it doesn't seem to be pushed at it's limits yet.

The engine on the MS seems to be being pushed quite to it's limits.

now I'm not dissin the mazda, since I love mazdas, I'm a huge MX6 fan, and 3rd gen Rx7s...RX8 I'll have to see...

From what I've learned from other mazda forums, the protege motor can't take that much more boost on stock internals.

Acctually the Spec V is more rare than you think. the Se-r is very common, but this year for north america only 1500 Spec Vs were produced. there were like 6 times the amount of that of Se-rs. And 90% of the Sers that were made are autos. That part isn't good with MS either, because there are alot of plain proteges out there . In my city everywhere there is like a 6 month waiting list for the Spec V.

Finacing yea...if you're going that route, it might be for you, but I'm buying the car right out. with Finacing you pay more in the end, I'd rather save that money for mods. But with the Mazda Speed...it doesn't seem that you need to mod it anymore.

I mean okay the rims are pretty plain on the spec, so? aftermarket, same with the audio (esp this one), suspension, engine, pedals and most every problem that the Spec failed to the MS, can be fixed by the freaking aftermarket support.

The Spec engine is only a year old, and we basically got every aftermarket part made already (or being tested) currently except for chips, and there was another thing.

Yea the MS will be a kick *** car, no doubt, but they're almost as hard to get as a Spec V, and the problem is, it takes the fun out of modding the car your self. I mean for what you get that car is a good deal if you don't plan to mod at all, or else the spec and the MS is equal in almost every respect when you go and mod em.

Remember where you are, this is a Mazda forum so of course they're gonna root for the MS.

You even asked on the sentra forums, and we rooted for the Spec V, espically with the improvements comming in 2003.

I don't know bout you, but I want to drop cash into the car, and mod it, and it'll blow the MS away.

The decision STILL comes down to you. I made mine, I've done my research, and trust me it's alot (only from a stock/modding/reliability/price point of view) but that's what matters to me.

MS will cost more for insurance since it's turboed...but since I'm gonna turbo or SC the Spec...I can't complain .

You'll be happy with what ever car you get, because it's gonna be your baby (if you don't already have one, or a gf)

 

hehe, daemos, don't get me wrong, but i really like the specand i know it came off biased for the MS, i realize that.

-the aspects i like most about the spec are the 6 speed tranny and the engine

-things i like most about the MS is that i get mods for cheaper since they're included right from the factory. (overall package)

-the realibility/strength of the nissan engine i'm sure is better than that of the MS.

-I already have a black spec-v coming my way mid sept (it was from the august production and its status is still WIP--work in progress).

-as for the MS, i won't really have to worry much about upgrading as i'll have a complete package and is surely to have less quality issues vs the spec (japan made vs mexico made).

-tuning potential of the spec is greater (no doubt about that)

-insurance isn't much of an issue b/c i've already inquired about this and the coverage for the MS wont' be much more than that for the spec. (~$10/month)

-when did production of the sentra move to the USA?

-ultimately i'm thinking it's worth it to have a better overall package for hopefully not so much more money, but we'll see i guess hehe =)

-my guess is that i'll end up getting the spec to save some $

 

I belive they moved production to the States during early 2002, so those cars would be shiped around spring time.

But it depends if your dealer got one from the States or not....on the sticker on the side...door or something it had a US city, where nissan moved the manu to...that's where you'll know it was built in the US.

Check the Sentra Forums. They'd tell you.

 

good points....hey deamos, any idea if that sweet nissan SR20 engine will bolt up to the Vspec???

 

basically thatd be a negative, id take more work than its worth it sounds like..... but if you're gonna do it.... put in the SR20VE-T with the 6 speed..... drool, that engine with out the turbo puts out 180hp/200ft/lbs to the ground

 

I haven't been watching this discussion very closely, but I just thought I'd say a few things. I love the Spec-Vs, I think they're awesome as hell. I also can't wait for the MS Pro, I think it's going to be crazy sweet.

But just to put things in perspective, Braden (turboge) just bought a spec-v a few months ago, and when I talked to him about it, he said he couldn't wait to get rid of it and get an MS Pro. Granted, they aren't out yet, and no one knows what they'll be like for sure, but I have nothing but respect for Braden. He REALLY knows what he's talking about, and for him to be that hyped about a car, it's probably going to be great. Plus I'm sure there will be a good ammount of mods for the MS pro. Let's just hope the tranny can hold up!

None the less, if I could find a used Spec-V for a good deal, I'd probably buy it. I don't really race or anything, I'd just like a nice car.

 

First it's the Spec V, because the V Spec = Skyline
Yea...with some minor modifications, the SR20 could be swaped into the Base SE-R but not the Spec v cuz of the 6 speed you'd have to really mess with gear ratios.

Why would you want to though? I know that engine has like tons of aftermarket support right now, but the engine is 10-12 years old. Right now the QR25 is one year old, and it still has tons of potential to go through.

As somone on the Sentra forums said, once people blow enough QR25 engines we'll get tons of performance parts, even more than the SR20 because for Total NA mods the QR25 is a far better engine, and titaninum pistons are currently being tested and developed for the QR25 which means it'll now beable to boost!!!

I'm keeping the SR25, cuz I'm gonna try to keep the engine mostly NA, then maybe Supercharge it, and it'l blow any SR20 away.

If you want an SR20, get a used 2001 Sentra SE with performance package.

And why are these forums soooo damned slow, maybe it's just my connection :/ but unlikly, because right now my connection 0wns a T1 .

Any idea why that guy wants to get rid of his spec? Is it burning oil? Causing problems, etc. If it is It's most likly one of the ones made in mexico, and most of the cars that had trouble are vibrant blue...for some wierd reason.

The 2003s have been improved since it's the 2nd year, 1st year production cars are MENT to have troubles. but my friend was lucky to get a Spec V made in the USA, and it has NO problems whatsoever, his tranny even feels normal. If it still feels loose, buy a heavier shift ****.

 

There's still one advantage the SR20 will have over QR25. Pure strength. The SR20 will always be able able to handle a lot more hp than the QR25. Sport Compact Car, recently did a big write up comparing the 2 engines. The thing that made the SR20 so good is that it had similar strength to the legendary (mmmm....drool) RB26DET. Nissan really trimmed down the QR25 to make it more efficient as an every-day engine. The QR25 is a very nice motor but w/o some serious beefing up of the internals, it won't ever handle the kind of hp increases that the SR20 could.

 

Agreed stock internals on stock internals, the SR20 is better for boosting. But don't underestimate the QR25 Our local forum Turbo maker for the Sentra, says the QR25 is stronger than it seems.

Then with new rods and pistons comming along the way, it'll be all good.

For an NA mods the QR25 will make a mean NA car.

 

I definately agree, the QR25 will make for one mean little NA car. But with the potential a turbo'd SR20 has, I'd much rather have the SR20. Siganl Auto, in Japan, just built a 600hp S15 Silvia! That's just sick, what that engine is capable of. By the way, I hear the SE-R's are gonna get some very nice aftermarket support in the form of NISMO very soon.

 

the SR20 came in the Sentra SE-R's in some years I believe. What most people are reffering to is the SR20DET engines which I dont think come stock in any US cars. A lot of tuners put it in 240's and Sentra's. Its basically the same engine with diffrent internals and a turbo. I am almost 100% postive that teh SR20 came in SE-R's though.


The 600hp sr20det engine that you are talking about has a HUGE turbo on it. I think its a T88, not sure though. Which means you have no low end what so ever. Its good for JGTC (japense grand touring car) because they do rolling starts there. Anyway point is the SR20DET with that big of a turbo on it is not streetable, in my opinion.

 

Here's a review:

Mazdaspeed Protegé Overview

Mazda took the prize for flamboyance with its rousing, youth-oriented presentation at the New York International Auto Show in March 2002. Its purpose: to introduce the new Mazdaspeed edition of its compact Protegé sedan.

The Mazdaspeed Protegé is a follow-up to the limited-production MP3 model that appeared in 2001. It is the first car to wear the Mazdaspeed label in the United States. The idea was initiated by enthusiastic Mazda engineers in the United States. The Mazdaspeed Protegé goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2002. Only 2,000 units will be produced and sold for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Callaway Cars Inc., which is well known for engine and systems development, has beefed up the Protegé’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an intercooled Garrett T25 turbocharger. A five-speed, close-ratio, short-throw manual gearbox is installed, along with a heavy-duty clutch and limited-slip differential. Sending that power to the pavement are 17-inch Bridgestone Potenza Z-rated unidirectional tires that feature an ultra-low profile. Euro-spec, all-disc antilock brakes come with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).

“Buyers of these cars are the enthusiasts, the racers,” says Mazda spokesman Jay Amestoy. In addition to performance-focused cars, the Mazdaspeed line includes accessories, performance parts and clothing — some of which were seen during the preview at the New York auto show. They will be available from select racing parts dealers.

Exterior
This special Mazdaspeed Protegé exhibits a more aggressive appearance than the regular sedan, but the main differences are technical. The five-spoke, 17x7-inch Racing Beat wheels are made of alloy with an aluminum Super Silver finish; they hold P215/45ZR17 tires. Racing Beat is a well-known tuner of Mazda vehicles, and the company also contributed to the chassis refinement, suspension upgrades and the car’s high-performance rear muffler.

Specially engineered front MacPherson struts are accompanied by a strut tower brace, higher-rating springs and revalved Tokico dampers. Racing Beat-tuned struts and a large stabilizer bar are equipped at the rear.

Interior
The Sparco organization contributed to the sedan’s interior, which includes such racing-inspired components as drilled aluminum pedals with rubber inserts and an aluminum shift ****. Like the regular Protegé, the Mazdaspeed edition will seat five occupants. Silver-faced analog gauges are installed. A leather-wrapped Nardi steering wheel and suedelike seat bolsters round out the distinctive features.

The 450-watt Kenwood stereo system features an in-dash CD/MP3 player and six speakers, and it is prewired for an optional Sirius satellite radio. The unit’s face turns around and disappears as a security measure.

Under the Hood
Fitted with an intercooled Garrett turbocharger, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine develops 170 horsepower and 160 pounds-feet of torque. A five-speed-manual transmission is equipped in the Mazdaspeed Protegé, which also features close-ratio gearing and short throws to suit driving enthusiasts. Antilock brakes are standard.


Reported by Jim Flammang for cars.com

 

There are going to be 2000 Mazdaspeed Proteges available, according to the Mazda Magazine I get in the mail. As I hear it there will be 1500 Spicy Orange and 500 Black Mica cars made. I personnaly loved the blue and wish they would make 'em in oragne and blue.

 

WOn't you get a SVT Focus 175hp, 6speed, forged internals, 10:1 compression ratio, and engine is set up for a turbo, NOs, supercharger, has performace handleing.