M-speed protoge...

[Fu man dru]

Hey guys i have a few questions on this Mazdaspeed protoge.

I heard from a few people that the intercooler on it is mounted vertically instead of horizontally which could cause some over heating problems eventually.. is that true? : confused :

also, i talked to one dealer about pricing, he wanted me to pay $24,000!!! whatever! i mean is that reasonable considering it is a limited production vehicle?? or am I just trippin?

I like the look of it and now i'm debating wether i should get the spec-v or the mazdaspeed. The protoge has a NICE interior! i like it a lot. but i dont' want to get something that could have problems like that.

well thanks for reading!

[sleeperguy]

lol. msrp is $19,980 with $520 for destination/pdi etc.. total of $20,500

i wouldn't pay anything over that.

[BingBingMa]

the mazdaspeed protege is a decent car, fairly comparable performance to that of the spec-v, but overall, the nissan is probably a better car with a better engine. the reason being is that the NA SE-R spec-v pushes out 175 hp to the shaft, while a turbo'd only produces 170 hp, and alot less torque at 160lb/ft compared to the nissan's 180. Therefore the the nissan has a much better engine, and if u are worried about quality, well N/A is always better, plus since the nissan has a stronger engine to begin with, u well have a strong base to work with if u want to add forced induction in the future.

[BingBingMa]

plus, the base price of a spec-v starts at low 17's while the protege starts high 19's, so with 2500 u could prolly find a turbo for the spec v

[sleeperguy]

do you know what the times for the msp are?
lowest magazine time i've seen is 6.5secs
and quarter mile being 14.9 secs @ 93.18mph
slalom being 72.0mph

style, handling, acceleration, quality, features/package for the msp are better overall vs the spec-v

only thing spec-v has over the msp is a higher tech engine and 6 speed tranny, and maybe the seats.

canadian price on the spec-v with sports package is 24,900, for the msp it is estimated to be only 26,500 or so. only a $1600 difference. Heck that's cheaper than the focus svt which goes for 28k (canadian) base.

as for the power and torque #'s, the msp is actually underrated to the point that the hp and torque at the wheels is greater than or equal to those of the spec-v.

another note: the stereo system in the msp is far superior to that of the spec-v, the headunit is truly aftermarket. in the spec-v the ONLY "rockford fosgate" part of the whole audio package is the amplifier hence rockford fosgate "powered".

as for the issue of the msp being already "turbo'd" and putting out only such and such amount of power, the point is that it's faster than the spec with just a mild boost. to get a RELIABLE well-tuned turbo setup for a spec will cost around 3500 american or so (check out travis' custom turbo kits on b15sentra.net)

point is: the msp is a better overall package hands down (read: worth the price dif and more).

[BingBingMa]

how do u call a turbo a mild boost, it should create a 20-30 percent increase in hp, so with a mazdaspeed it should add about 30-40 hp, and that shows that the mazda engine is a POS, since its a 2 liter that only pushes out about 130 hp NA, and if you look at the number figures for a regular 2.0 litre protege that shoudl look about right, even the ford gets better effieciency than the mazda (so sad) Also, in real (american) dollar differences, there is a 2700 diference in base price, so for 800 dollars more you could get a custom turbo kit and completely blow away the msp. and what the hell is a spec-v with a sports package, the spec-v is the sportiest version of the se-r, and how the hell does a svt cost so much, the us version msrp is around 19k * 1.4 is 26.6k in mounty money, a queer folk u canadians r.

[Murco]

Originally posted by BingBingMa
how do u call a turbo a mild boost, it should create a 20-30 percent increase in hp, so with a mazdaspeed it should add about 30-40 hp, and that shows that the mazda engine is a POS, since its a 2 liter that only pushes out about 130 hp NA, and if you look at the number figures for a regular 2.0 litre protege that shoudl look about right, even the ford gets better effieciency than the mazda (so sad) Also, in real (american) dollar differences, there is a 2700 diference in base price, so for 800 dollars more you could get a custom turbo kit and completely blow away the msp. and what the hell is a spec-v with a sports package, the spec-v is the sportiest version of the se-r, and how the hell does a svt cost so much, the us version msrp is around 19k * 1.4 is 26.6k in mounty money, a queer folk u canadians r.

If you truly think you can get a "custom turbo kit" for anything that costs less than $4K, you are truly ignorant.
I take it your screen name describes how you lost your virginity...

[sleeperguy]

heh, i wanted to reply to this guy's post but i didn't even want to bother. lol

btw, the mazdaspeed protege DOES push out another 40hps with the boost. NOT to mention that the compression ratio is relatively high (meaning you get more power per psi of boost given all other conditions are controlled, duh)

btw, your conversion of 1.4 is WRONG, it's actually around 1.55 and with banks buying and selling, it's more like 1.6

19kx1.6=~30k

why am i not surprised ford dealers have focus svt's sitting around on their lots.

spec-v with sports package (you lazy ass that has to be fed information instead of looking it up) is the base spec-v with all the options minus 6cd changer ie (sunroof, abs, side airbags, stereo package, etc).

not to mention that SCC has stated that it has "dethroned" the integra type-r as their fwd pocket rocket (since it great power/torque area under the curve and b/c of handling).

i'll finish with what Murco stated, "you are truly ignorant".

[Kris90LXBADA$$]

I have raced a protege like this and they aint got nuthin on my SPEC. I beat him by about a half a car and he was pissed. I told him that it was stock and he almostcried. Just thought Id throw my 2 cents in.

[sleeperguy]

umm. no you haven't, there is no protege "like this" not yet anyhow. all the aftermarket turbo kit addons for the protege actually have more power than the msp and would get even faster times. but the turbo on the msp is tuned to be as smooth with delivery as they could get it (ie, no problem with turbo lag).

the msp will beat the spec in the 1/4 mile and 0-60 times; the CONSIDERABLY lower magazine times already show that.

the spec-v is a great car, but not as good in the handling and speed dept as the msp stock vs stock.

[FC3S]

Originally posted by sleeperguy
not to mention that SCC has stated that it has "dethroned" the integra type-r as their fwd pocket rocket (since it great power/torque area under the curve and b/c of handling).[/b]

Hi5 sleeperguy...can't agree more. You guys really gotta get the facts right b4 spitting out.

By far the ITR was the king of fwds, but now the ms protege is the new king...Pls go read on SCC mag for detailed infos.

Mazdaspeed are infamous for their car handling performance tuning and it will always the first that comes to their mind. Bear in mind that ms protege has the pedigree to dethrone the ITR on slalom/track racing.

Power wise, this car is tuned for almost non-existent turbo lag to achieve immediate throttle response. For a car that has exceptional handling characteristics, it must have the right power to fully utilizes it potential and advantages. But, SCC does mention that there few thing that has to be revised for better performance (for e.g. intercooler).

Finally, the ms protege is a pure racing enthusiast's car in terms of great all-round performances and not just any straightline drag car.

[hondasuck]

PLEASE correct me if i'm wrong. But didn't they not mod the 2.0 protege motor at all and just add a turbo and an IC? i don't know mazda, i do nissna, but all in all they are both very beautiful, in every aspect. but i think i remember reading somewhere that the reason it's not as fast as it could be is because the stock protege motor couldn't handle the high boots? and that the intercooler did more harm than anything else, being blocked by something? like i said i don't know anything about mazdas so please don't call me "ignorant"

-Giancarlo

[BluStori]

all these noobs think they kno everything... have u drivin the car urself?
just because u see the insignificant increase in numbers doesn't mean that its the faster car

[SPEEDMAN]

I signed up just to have a discussion with BingBing,He obviously thinks alot but has nothing to drive in the league or even close.Any way as far as the cars go lets look at the base motors and the cars themselves,the proto has better reports and in ES form a great suspension that no nissan sentra se or gxe or whatever can even get close to .Ive driven many many of both and I would put an ES against the mighty se-r specv car in the handling department.The base 130hp 2.0 in the proto has a far better rep than the nissan and so does the car as a whole plus the nissan just flat looks goony.Now on to the real cars,the Protege is a stick ES sent from the factory to racing beat/mazdaspeed and prepped and a SCCA race car.It would be nice to have more power in numbers but the bottom line is that it gets it to the ground in perfect form.Ill talk from experience here having driven numerous times all the cars in question PLUS the EVO,97&96 TWIN TURBO SUPRA AND RX7 TWIN TURBO,AND MORE.(PERKS OF THE JOB)The nissan does not amount to much of a car,its slightly over stock in every department,the ford isnt worth mention(its a chick car.)Here is a list of what goes on the SPEED,please respond with your Nissan list,dare to comare!!!!
tochigi-fugi sangyo KK super differential,24mm driveshafts,heavy duty clutch,racing beat stabil.bars,catback sytem,special eibach springs,tokico struts,short shift,sparco pedalsand shift knob,garrett T25 ball bearing turbo,intercooler,racinghart 17s,big rotors and calipers,callaway induction,custom interior,spoiler,ground effects,wind split,air dam,kenwood EXCELON system w sub and 6 speakers-all for 20,500.00$$ add half that to the Nissan and were talking 28,000 at least.
Buy the Nissan then you can talk,Isee responses from guys with hot cars who know cars,wheres yours??

[fergshonda]

how much boost could you add to the stock ms protege.