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    Mazda RS Coupe

    September 2003
    Mazda RS Coupé

    From top secret design study to headline-grabbing show star. It's been 10 years since Mazda put the finishing touches to its stylish MX-5-based coupé concept. But until now, the sleek machine has remained little more than a dream.

    Now that's set to change. Mazda has at last decided to put the car into production. The firm even invited Auto Express to drive the newcomer before it goes on sale in November - and we didn't need to be asked twice!

    Based on an evolution of the coupé concept revealed at January's Tokyo Auto Salon, this is the final production version, built by a team led by project manager Fumiaki Yamane at Mazda Engineering and Technology (E&T).

    Until now, this 20-year-old Mazda subsidiary has been building special products, including vehicles for business use and the disabled. The RS Coupé is its first attempt at sports car customising. And what a superb effort it is. Enthusiasts will soon notice styling hints from Ferrari and Aston Martin.

    That's no coincidence, as design boss for the original 1989 MX-5, Yoshinori Fukuda, who heads up E&T's styling section, is a fan of the European marques. While he won't officially admit to borrowing ideas from the companies, one look will tell any Ferrari fan that the grille oozes Daytona, and the C-pillars and rear bumper bulges are reminiscent of Aston Martins.

    Whatever the similarities, we think that the facelift looks great and suits the contours of the car's original lines to a tee. It's out on the road, however, where the RS Coupé really shines.

    Based on the bodyshell of a 1.8 six-speed MX-5 - which is actually stiffer than the 1.6-litre version - the Coupé sports Bilstein suspension and 17-inch alloys. By adding the roof, Mazda has nearly trebled the rigidity of the body

    Performance delivered by the standard 146bhp engine is unchanged, and the car sprints from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds. But that doesn't mean the newcomer is not faster. The structural and suspension changes improve the handling significantly, so you can throw the RS into a corner quicker than in the MX-5, yet still expect lots of grip. Meanwhile, the stiffer body and dampers mean less roll and more accurate steering. The extra rigidity also gives the Mazda greater grip and maximises stability when braking. In fact, chassis flex is so low that the RS is crying out for 25-30 more bhp. But strangely, the rest of the car is standard. As Yamane said: "We didn't need to make any more changes. The new car is that good already." Scheduled for a December launch in Japan, the RS Coupé is likely to sell for £2,500 more than a standard 1.8 MX-5, giving a price of around £17,500, and will be available only in limited numbers. Although no official export scheme has been considered yet, personal imports are a possibility.
    Pictures: Masanobu Ikenohira
    Peter Lyon



    Clint/1999 "Sport20"

    #2
    yucky
    Tag Team

    Comment


      #3
      I like it. I've always loved small sports coupes, Opel GT, MGB-GT, VW Scirocco, etc. I love the fastback look of it.
      But they gotta ditch the fender flares. They look too tacked-on.
      ~Mark.
      2002 Protege DX 5 speed, "Kenmore White," well-loved and a little over half paid-for

      Comment


        #4
        I love it, but mark is right, those fender flares have got to go
        Dan
        dreesemonkey

        Comment


          #5
          now that thing is hot, remove the flares, and im all for it..... hope it still has a BP in it, hell they need to bump up the hp though... maybe a BP-T in america finally?

          hahaha, yea right... oh well though
          1988 Toyota Celica Alltrac Turbo
          2002 Mazda Protege5

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by 5SpeedSER
            now that thing is hot, remove the flares, and im all for it..... hope it still has a BP in it, hell they need to bump up the hp though... maybe a BP-T in america finally?

            hahaha, yea right... oh well though
            Yeah it's still the BP...and turbo is coming to NA courtesy Mazdaspeed very soon!
            Clint/1999 "Sport20"

            Comment


              #7
              well then, maybe ill be back in the market for another new mazda here eventually (once i sell the p5 or something)
              1988 Toyota Celica Alltrac Turbo
              2002 Mazda Protege5

              Comment


                #8
                Mazda needs to do that when they finally get around to redesigning the MX-5, that and maybe throw a little 1.3L I happen to like in there Screw limited production one offs, I've always wanted the Miata to be available as a coupe.
                2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
                1983 F-150 351W

                Comment


                  #9
                  I like it too, looks like a mini rex. Maybe if the fender flares were molded into the body...and those headlight surround things gotta go too.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    i think the car is "trying too hard"

                    needs some refinement. I dont like it as is.

                    i do agree however that it looks like a mini rx7.

                    at any rate, its a good start.
                    Tag Team

                    Comment


                      #11
                      i <3 coupes

                      Comment


                        #12
                        i think the back looks like a mini viper???
                        .....HELLO MY NAME IS BEN...



                        186.08whp
                        225.94wtq
                        torque monster!!!!
                        dyno graph 8-10-and 12psi
                        http://www.msprotege.com/members/THE...no%20graph.jpg
                        http://videos.streetfire.net/player....0-C19CA06AF01E dyno vid

                        blahblahblahblahblahblah

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Wow, that absolutely ****ing rocks!!!

                          I think I'll buy one as a cheap little new coupe.

                          ~A
                          ~ A

                          1992 MX-3 GS

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by millionflame
                            Wow, that absolutely ****ing rocks!!!

                            I think I'll buy one as a cheap little new coupe.

                            ~A
                            Unfortunately miata's are far from cheap!
                            Dan
                            dreesemonkey

                            Comment


                              #15
                              yeah...starting at what, 23g's?

                              Comment

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