Mazda Motor Co. Ltd. has issued the following press release:
The new 2003.5 MAZDASPEED(R) Protege (known as Familia in Japan and 323 in Europe) raises temperatures in the already-scorching Nevada desert when it is unveiled at the 2002 Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) annual expo. The turbocharged sport compact sedan makes its global debut at the Las Vegas Convention Center along with other pavement-burning MAZDASPEED performance vehicles.
Mazda design engineers are at it once again with the mid-year launch of the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege, which is the feisty relative of the highly acclaimed Mazda MP3 and 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege.
Complete with a host of new features, this tuner’s dream car adds a fresh exterior look with new front and rear skirts, rear wing with center high-mount stop light, and a larger MAZDASPEED-branded oval exhaust tip. New Dark Hyper Silver Racing Hart aluminum wheels complete the cars aggressive look.
The interior of the 2003.5 features a newly branded MAZDASPEED shift knob, pedals and floor mats. The center gauge needles are silver, and the steering wheel, shift boot and seats receive electric yellow stitching accents — a perfect complement to its already racy look. — 2005 Geneva International Motor Show.
Limited to only 2,500 units for the U.S. and Canada, the new version of the MAZDASPEED Protege boasts a high-end performance package, which includes a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter engine, limited-slip differential and ultra low-profile Z-rated tires wrapped around 17-inch wheels. The hot rod also offers large capacity, European-specification four-wheel disc brakes and a 450-watt MP3 audio system by Kenwood.
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
Mazda teams up once again with world-class automotive racecar engineers to deliver superior performance for the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege’s chassis, drivetrain and turbocharger. Callaway Cars, Inc. assisted Mazda engineers in elevating the car’s 2.0-liter 16-valve, four-cylinder engine to a high-performance level by using the Garrett T25 turbocharger system, which incorporates the latest in aerodynamic and ball-bearing technology. With this joint relationship between Mazda and Callaway engineers, the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege achieves acceleration without sacrificing overall efficiency.
Delivering 170 horsepower solidly to the ground is a Tochigi Fuji Sangyo KK Super Limited-Slip Differential, assisted by large 24mm driveshafts (versus 22mm for the standard Protege). Mazda also added a heavy-duty clutch disc and pressure plate to handle the cars horsepower.
SUSPENSION
With more than 30 years of experience with Mazda vehicles, Racing Beat continues its development work on the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege with chassis refinements, suspension upgrades and a high-performance exhaust system. The result is a sport compact sedan with tremendous handling and superior all-around performance. — Mitsubishi's exciting concept vehicle trio.
The 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege comes complete with specially engineered front MacPherson struts, a strut tower brace, higher rate coil springs, re-valved Tokico dampers and a larger diameter stabilizer bar bracket and bushings. The rear suspension boasts Racing Beat-tuned independent struts with Twin Trapezoidal Links (TTL), coil springs and a larger stabilizer bar.
The special Tokico dampers on the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege have been designed to improve steering feedback and response, control excess chassis motion and keep the tires planted firmly on the road surface. The twin-tube low-pressure design uses a multistage variable-aperture sandwich-valve system consisting of precision spring plates and angle-drilled piston ports. This sophisticated oil-flow-management system provides just the right amount of resistance at a wide variety of suspension motions and velocities.
WHEELS AND TIRES
Japan’s premier performance wheel manufacturer, Racing Hart, developed its first set of Mazda-exclusive alloy wheels for the Mazda MP3 in 2001. 2003 marked another monumental launch when Mazda and Racing Hart developed newly designed aluminum wheels for the 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege. The 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege will be fitted with the same Racing Hart 17×7-inch five-spoke wheels as the 2003 model but will stand out with a Dark Hyper Silver treatment. The Racing Harts roll on Bridgestone Potenza RE040 P215/45ZR-17 uni-directional ultra-high-performance tires.
AUDIO SYSTEM
For the third straight year, Mazda and Kenwood have united to deliver another explosive audio system. Responsible for the first-ever OEM MP3 system in last year’s Mazda MP3, the 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protege features an in-dash CD/MP3 receiver — the Kenwood Excelon KDC-MP919. — first-ever four-door Wrangler.
This powerful 450-watt, four-channel (50-watts per channel) system features six speakers, an eight-inch subwoofer and a 250-watt amplifier. Both the subwoofer and amplifier are mounted under the package shelf in the trunk. One of the most versatile audio systems ever offered, the Excelon KDC-MP919 allows drivers to listen to standard AM/FM radio stations or play conventional CDs and MP3-encoded CD-R/RWs.
The Kenwood KDC-MP919 has a fully motorized faceplate that is hidden away until the ignition is turned on. Before leaving the vehicle, the driver has the option of either removing the faceplate for added security, or letting it automatically disappear from view when the ignition is switched off.
The KDC-MP919’s MegaMotion(TM) Display readout provides high-resolution visuals as well as moving images. In addition, the unit is pre-wired to accept Sirius(R) Satellite Radio, which includes 100 digital channels of music, talk and news broadcast by three satellites offering national coverage. Built-in high- and low-pass electronic crossovers allow the driver to control the range of signals sent to the speakers. System Q Sound Control provides five pre-set EQ curves (e.g., rock, jazz, etc.) and three speaker-matching EQ curves for tone tailoring
