How would one of these Mazdas work as an autocross car.....or a rallycross car.......or a track day car? I'm looking for something to play with and wondered about this model. Online stats say 2700+ for weight and 140 ponies, so the general ballpark that I've played with for many years. Any significant drawbacks ?
BP motors, good handling from what I remember back in the day. In the northeast, the rear quarters/fenders rusted into oblivion.
In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
I'm sure it's in STS for autocross, so at a pointy end... it will get wrecked by the EF civic/CRX Si's and the NA6 MIatas.
But if fun is what you're after.. I don't see why it wouldn't be a fun car to autocross.
everything else, I have no meaningful advice to add.
Very nice handling. I did an autocross day in one a few years ago and it was fun. Definitely not fast, but light on its feet.
Haven't seen one locally for a long time. They've all been killed by rust. The guys that ran the MP3 I used never had any problems with it despite it being an track car.
You could also run it in H-street. No matter what class you choose to run, it won't be competitive.
In reply to fatallightning :
No BP in the MP3. It was a different 1.8 initially and then a 2.0 for the rest of it's run.
This is the final generation of the Protege, BJ chassis, the BP was in the 2 prior generations.
No direct experience other that looking at them to replace my BP powered, BG chassis 1994 Protege rallycross. I ended up not getting anything to replace the Protege, but that wasn't the MP3's fault.
I drove an 01 Protege ES (same motor) for 10 years. It's a great handling car, I autocrossed it and used at at an instructor training day once.
The only downside I've ever hear about them for track days is that they start to have oiling issues. Most of the people having problems fitted sticky tires, regardless there is a baffle kit and or after market pan that can be fitted to correct the issue.
There a bit boomy inside but it's an econobox so no surprise there.
Overall it was a fun car.
I went on the press into for the Protege MP3!
Fun chassis that can easily be thrown around but I don't think it's nearly as fast as a Sentra SE-R or Civic Si from the same era. (I've had both.) But for something different, yeah, then it's cool.
This is also from when Mazda supported a major World Challenge program.
In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
I remember they were touted by the press as the best handling fwd car at the time. I had a lower trim Protege of that same generation though, and even after doing springs/shocks/swaybars I was disappointed in the handling. I imagine the MP3 was quite a bit better though.
Mine was also starting to show the first signs of rust when it was 4-years old, but I did put a ton of miles on it in all weather conditions. I didn't have any problems with it during my ownership at least.
Rust, give the rear bumper a few taps to check it. This is the amount of debris that fell out of a 02 Protege 5 I purchased a few years ago. The unibody frame was also had enough rust that I didn't feel the need to keep it on the road. My sister also had one for many years and eventually traded it in due to rust issues.
I haven't driven the MP3 yet, but I love the BJ chassis. The MP5 I drove felt really toss-able and fun to drive in a way that few more modern cars do. THe MP3 is probably that much better. The motor might feel more alive in the MP3, but in the MP5 it felt pretty anemic. I think the BP was perhaps a more thrilling engine.
I think they are pretty stout from what I've heard. Other than the oiling issues, the rear wheel bearings are known to go quickly. And yes, rust, if that's a problem in your area.
They didn't make too many, so you'll probably have to search a wide area to find one.
I had the 2003 Mazdaspeed version. Truly sublime handling and steering cars. The turbo engines grenade with shocking regularity so the MP3 would be appealing for me if you could possibly find a decent one.
I approve of this plan. I shopped these a long time ago when I ended up with a focus. They were hard to find but just seemed like the a really well balanced under appreciated ride. I think they look.perfect in blue.
Marketplace - 2001 Mazda Protege · MP3 Sedan 4D | Facebook
Given that this is Michigan there seems to be remarkably little rust showing on it. Normally, the area right behind the rear wheel wells is rusted a lot. The side skirts could be hiding stuff, too. All the pictures look pretty good.
Ha, I was eyeing that car too. I had an '02 Protege5 for several years as a daily driver, which received a lot of the same upgrades the MP3 did. The chassis was wonderful, probably some of the best stock chassis tuning of the era. The motor was adequate, but a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the car. I wound up scrapping mine eventually, also due to rust issues. I'd be very, very wary of purchasing one from around here.
In reply to KevinLG :
If I were to go have a look at it I'd load the jack and a couple of stands in the truck and have a good look at the underside.
Wow that is a low price!
Good idea on the jack, you better climb all over that car before buying given the rust issue.
Loved that chassis. Hated, truly hated, that engine.
As others have already said. Great chassis. The MP3 got upgrades sway bars, struts/shock absorbers and springs supposedly with assistance from Racing Beat. I have also read the claim of "best handling FWD car of its time." Anemic engine. The 2.0L FSDE made 130 HP but the MP3 did get a 10 HP bump with revised engine tuning and a slightly different intake manifold. They really don't respond at all to minor modifications and even the smallest amount of forced induction is capable of bending/breaking rods. The body kit and wing are unique to the '01 MP3 and early '03 Mazdaspeed Proteges. Rust is a major issue. I got out of the Protege scene in '09 and even by then a lot of Northern and Mid-Western cars had rusted out. Thanks strut tops separated from the body levels of rust. Fun fact, the "MP3" name comes from its aftermarket CD player's ability to play .mp3 files off CD-Rs. My, how times have changed...
This one looks to be in pretty good shape for a MI car but I'd still be concerned. It's showing the typical rust behind the rear wheels but who knows how it looks underneath. It's remarkably original though.
I had a Protege5 with all the bells and whistles thrown at it short of building the engine. Full Mazdaspeed swap, FMIC, upgraded turbocharger, piggyback ECU, etc. Made around 200 HP to wheels but I knew it was a time bomb. Still, I miss it. Damn fine looking cars. Even today.
....and it's sold. Not really a surprise at that price.
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