DG Motorsports AWD Mazdaspeed Mazda3 Rallye Car Concept

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What is it?
DG Motorsports AWD Mazdaspeed Mazda3 Rallye Car

What's special about it?
You may think the DG Motorsports AWD Mazdaspeed Mazda3 Rallye Car looks like a typical hyped-up sport compact at the SEMA show. But the truth of the matter is that Mazdaspeed and the team at DG Motorsports in Oceanside, California, have done more than build the average tuner car.

We'll say that they've built the car that Mazda should have created in the first place.

We like the Mazdaspeed Mazda3, but can't help but feel that its explosive power potential could be better harnessed by all-wheel drive. You know, like the system in the Mazdaspeed Mazda6. It turns out that David Green of DG Motorsports apparently agrees, because his company has created an STI killer by transplanting the drivetrain of the Mazdaspeed 6 into the confines of a Mazdaspeed 3.

The great miracle of it all, according to Jack Stavana, Mazda's director of accessory operations, has been that the Mazdaspeed 3 chassis required very few modifications to accept the all-wheel drivetrain. There was adequate room in the floorpan's central tunnel to sit the driveshaft just a hair below the chassis line thanks to a little fabrication. The Mazdaspeed 6 rear differential is supported by the stock Mazdaspeed 3 rear suspension, which DG says has proven more than adequate. The brakes received a minor makeover courtesy of new pads and rotors.

The enhanced stoppers hide behind 18-inch Rays wheels, which have been fitted with sticky Toyo R888 tires. Considering the tire choice and a ride height that's 1.5 inches lower than before, we'll assume this "Rallye Car" has been set up for an asphalt stage. The other clue to the car's tarmac-stage setup is the swath of custom carbon-fiber pieces, ranging from the front spoiler to the rear aero diffuser. Also note that the body is slightly wider than stock and there is a carbon-fiber ram-air hood scoop to help the engine ingest cold air.

The air enters by way of a cold-air intake into an engine that is otherwise stock. That's no bad thing, since the factory turbocharged inline-4 pulls hard even at speed. With the help of a custom dual exhaust, the engine is said to be good for an additional 30 horsepower over stock, so we're talking a total of 293 hp.

Inside, it's all business. Sparco seats replace the stockers and are equipped with Sparco five-point racing harnesses. There's little left of the factory interior, with a lot more raw paint visible than factory plastics and carpeting.

What's Edmunds' take?
Mazdaspeed and DG Motorsports have built the Mazdaspeed 3 that should have been. Build it, Mazda. — James Tate, Contributor