Turbocharged MAZDASPEED Protege Heats Up NY

NEW YORK, March 28 -- The new 2003 MAZDASPEED® Protege made its debut today amid New York City fanfare and excitement. The turbocharged sport compact sedan will be joined by a line of MAZDASPEED performance parts, accessories and apparel, all designed to bring Mazda even closer to its sports car roots.

Based on last year's hugely successful limited-production Mazda MP3, the 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege is a substantial step forward in the performance arena. Working in partnership with world-class automotive racecar engineers on chassis, drivetrain and turbo development, Mazda has produced its highest performing, most responsive Protege to date.

``The MAZDASPEED Protege was initiated by a group of Mazda engineers here in the United States who are hard-core enthusiasts,'' said Charlie Hughes, president and CEO of Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). ``They've taken everything that made the MP3 an automotive-press superstar and engineered it to the next highest level.''

Available in the fourth quarter of 2002, and limited to only 2,000 units for the U.S. and Canada, the 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege boasts an aggressive appearance and enhanced performance package, including an inter-cooled turbocharger, limited-slip differential, ultra low-profile tires, larger wheels, more powerful European-specification four-wheel disc brakes, and a 450-watt MP3 audio system by Kenwood.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN

Mazda selected Callaway Cars, Inc. to assist its engineers in taking the Mazda 2.0-liter DOHC I-4 engine to a much higher performance level. Pumping up the MAZDASPEED Protege's heart rate is a Garrett T25 turbocharger system. The turbocharger incorporates the latest in aerodynamic and ball-bearing technology. With Garrett technology on board, the vehicle gains increased acceleration without sacrificing overall efficiency.

Delivering an estimated 170 horsepower solidly to the ground is a Tochigi Fuji Sangyo KK Super Limited-Slip Differential, assisted by larger 24mm driveshafts (versus 22mm for the standard Protege). Mazda also added a heavy- duty clutch disc and pressure plate to handle the increased horsepower from the turbocharging system.

SUSPENSION

Racing Beat, a well-known tuner of Mazda vehicles for more than 30 years has most recently created exciting performance and aftermarket products for the Protege, MP3 and Miata, was asked by Mazda North American Operations' Research and Development team to lend its expertise in the creation of the new MAZDASPEED Protege. Working together as they did with the MP3, Mazda and Racing Beat focused their efforts on chassis refinement, suspension upgrades and a high-performance rear muffler. The result is a sport compact sedan with even better handling and overall performance than its predecessor.

The MAZDASPEED Protege comes complete with specially engineered front MacPherson struts, a strut tower brace, higher rate coil springs, re-valved Tokico dampers, and larger diameter stabilizer bar bracket and bushings. The rear suspension boasts Racing Beat-tuned independent struts with Twin Trapezoidal Links (TTL), coil springs and larger stabilizer bar.

The special Tokico dampers on the 2003 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. For the MAZDASPEED Protege, Racing Hart has developed an entirely new wheel, an exclusive 17x7-inch five-spoke design in alloy with Aluminum Super Silver finish.

The Racing Harts roll on Bridgestone Potenza RE040 215/45ZR17 uni- directional high-performance tires.

INTERIOR

Sparco, a leading racing accessory manufacturer, and Mazda joined forces to create the interior of the limited-production MAZDASPEED Protege using racing-inspired components such as drilled aluminum foot pedals with rubber inserts for better heel-and-toe control and an aluminum Sparco shift knob to make shifting the close-ratio five-speed gearbox with its shortened throws even more fun. Other changes to the interior include silver-faced analog gauges, suede-like seat bolsters and leather-wrapped NARDI steering wheel with color-keyed stitching.

AUDIO SYSTEM

For a state-of-the-art MP3 audio system, Mazda again turned to Kenwood Car Audio, the company responsible for the first-ever OEM MP3 system in last year's Mazda MP3. The MAZDASPEED Protege features a new in-dash CD/ MP3 receiver -- the Kenwood Excelon KDC-MP919.

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 customers 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 self-hiding faceplate that doesn't appear until the ignition is turned on. Before leaving the vehicle, the driver has the option of either removing the faceplate entirely for added security, or letting it automatically disappear from view by simply switching off the ignition.

The KDC-MP919's MegaMotion(TM) Display readout provides high-resolution visuals and moving images. Plus, the unit is pre-wired to accept Sirius® Satellite Radio, which includes 100 digital channels of music, talk and news beamed down by three satellites for 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.

Each of the four 50-watt amplifiers supply the muscle, and the 4.5V pre- outs provide superior signal-to-noise performance. With an optional adapter, Dual-Zone Source Control provides separate source and volume control for front and rear. For even easier operation, the Kenwood system uses a round volume control knob.

WARRANTY

The 2003 MAZDASPEED Protege is covered by a comprehensive three- year/50,000-mile warranty that includes every part on the vehicle except those subject to normal wear. In addition, the MAZDASPEED Protege is covered by a five-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion warranty.

Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer parts and service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has more than 700 dealerships nationwide.