Numerous other detail revisions and added amenities amount to a much different animal inside the facelifted skin. (No manual is offered in our market.) Those 17-inch alloy wheels with P215/60 tires are optional, but all models get re-engineered suspension for flatter cornering and better driver feel, yet with improved ride. There’s also a new and more intelligent five-speed automatic replacing the old four-speed. But we also said its 170 hp wasn’t enough.įor 2002 Mazda has addressed that lack, swapping out the former 2.5-liter V6 for a 3.0 giving 200 hp at 6200 rpm. The current-generation Mazda MPV, revealed late in 1999, has a reputation for nimble handling that we said makes family motoring fun. That psychographic target might seem like a stretch, but Mazda is betting buyers are there for a minisportsvan-people who are moved by a Miata, say, but need to move a family. Would it occur to you that a race course is the place to show off a minivan? Well, maybe it would if you went around whispering "zoom-zoom," if your company name was on the track (Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca), and if your customers were clamoring for "the body of a van" with "the soul of a sports car." ![]() And while the demo driver is indeed a pro, a competitor on the Speedvision World Challenge circuit, the starring vehicle is. "This turn gets slippery during a race," she explains as the 17-inch tires sing over the exit rumble strip, "so with front-drive especially, you want to maximize your acceleration." The helmeted heads alongside and behind hers nod in comprehension. Shauna Marinus squares-off Turn Three, braking to a relatively late, sharp turn-in before powering hard through the apex.
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