2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protegé

Following the recent success of several small performance cars such as the Ford Focus SVT and the Honda Civic Si, Mazda has updated the tunerized version of its popular Protegé sedan it calls MAZDASPEED Protegé. This mid-year car comes on the heels of the 2003 model, which was a high-performance version of the earlier Protegé MP3—a sport compact with lots of style and attitude, but no grunt to back it up. Frankly, the 2003.5 version is really the same as the 2003 save for several cosmetic and interior changes—all of which are welcome.

Styling changes for the 2003.5 model include the new front and rear lower skirts and a large rear wing with a high-mounted rear brake light.

The new version of the MAZDASPEED Protegé boasts a performance package led by a hot-rodded version of the stock 2.0-liter 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine. Horsepower has been bumped from the regular 130 to 170 thanks to a Garrett T25 turbocharger system designed by Callaway Cars. To help the car produce a respectable 155 lb.-ft. of torque, or 20 lb.-ft. over the stock number, Callaway integrated an air-to-air intercooler into the turbo setup. Power output is further "boosted" with the addition of a high-flow exhaust system and a larger MAZDASPEED-branded oval exhaust tip, both of which were developed for the MAZDASPEED project by Racing Beat, one of the world's leading Mazda performance companies. All of this translates into 0 to 60 times in the high 6-second range, compared with about 9-seconds for stock. This gain is remarkable and makes the MAZDASPEED Protegé almost a full second quicker than a Honda Civic Si.


Backing the engine is a 5-speed manual transmission, and heavy-duty clutch disc and pressure plate that's designed to handle the engine's increased torque output. Delivering all this energy to the ground is a Tochigi Fuji Sangyo KK Super Limited-Slip Differential, assisted by large 24mm driveshafts (versus 22mm for the standard Protegé). Racing Beat also worked its magic in the suspension. The 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protegé comes complete with specially engineered front McPherson struts, a strut tower brace, higher rate coil springs, re-valved Tokico dampers and a larger diameter stabilizer bar bracket and bushings.


The rear suspension boasts Racing Beat-tuned independent struts with Twin Trapezoidal Links (TTL), coil springs and a larger stabilizer bar. At all four corners, special Tokico dampers aim 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 valve system to provide just the right amount of resistance during a wide variety of suspension motions and velocities.

The 2003.5 MAZDASPEED Protegé comes complete with specially engineered front McPherson struts, a strut tower brace, higher rate coil springs and more.

The exterior is where the biggest differences are between the 2003 version and the 2003.5 model. The changes include new front and rear lower skirts, and a more contemporary looking, albeit still large rear wing with a high-mounted rear brake light. For rolling stock, Mazda turned to Japan's premier performance wheel manufacturer Racing Hart to develop Mazda-exclusive 17x7-inch aluminum wheels. They are the same as the 5-spoke wheels fitted to the 2003 MAZDASPEED Protegé, but now stand out thanks to a dark silver treatment. The Racing Harts roll on Bridgestone Potenza RE040 P215/45ZR-17 high-performance tires.