Mazda 3 TCR

Absolutely Beautiful! 

The standard styling with the widbody fender flares all just works really well! 

https://www.racer.com/2019/10/01/mazda-enters-the-tcr-fray-with-a-350hp-turbo-hatchback/amp/

I'm really excited to see Mazda getting into touring cars. 

And I'm now really hoping they made a new mazda 3 road version with the 2.5T!! C'MON MAZDA!!!

Much more attractive than the VW and Honda TCR cars. I watch many of the TCR races. Almost as fierce as BTCC.

Looks really good. I wish Ford would get into TCR. (It would have to be Ford of Europe at this point, but still.)

That's pretty great.

We can certainly hope that some of that racecar-ness trickles down into a road-going car.

I don't know if it would be Mazdaspeed branded, but something would be appreciated.

That's a great-looking machine.

Tasty

Saw that the other day...if they can somehow translate "TCR" to "GTX" and make it streetable, they can shut up and take my money.

Rotaryracer said:

Saw that the other day...if they can somehow translate "TCR" to "GTX" and make it streetable, they can shut up and take my money.

this ....

Colin Wood said:

We can certainly hope that some of that racecar-ness trickles down into a road-going car.

I don't know if it would be Mazdaspeed branded, but something would be appreciated.

I'm hoping they'll try to capitalize on it. The Manual 2.5 cars are not slow, but they're not fast. 

The 2.5T, even with the auto is a very fun powertrain. I think they could do well to put that into the car, FWD or AWD. I think AWD would help elevate the car in the semi premium direction Mazda is shooting for, But even as a FWD car it would be tons of fun. 

Oh man, that looks fantastic! Jesus. Might be the best looking new car I've seen in a while.

The single, center-mounted exhaust is so choice too. 

Mazda, do the right thing and let this trickle down to the road car.

Love it, cant wait to see it on track.

Rotaryracer said:

Saw that the other day...if they can somehow translate "TCR" to "GTX" and make it streetable, they can shut up and take my money.

That would be great, but the GTX was from a different era. Back when manufacturers had to come up with the most competitive platform possible and as much speed as possible with a fairly open ruleset. The GTX was a detuned homologation special, a car built specifically to allow Mazda to compete with the best.

This is a BoP car, which means the stewards will make it competitive no matter what. It only needs to be in the ballpark and built to a certain formula, then the rest is all about looking sporty and expanding the brand. So we might get a body kit out of the deal, but we're not going to get a homologation special. It's already as competitive as it needs to be.

Keith Tanner said:

Rotaryracer said:

Saw that the other day...if they can somehow translate "TCR" to "GTX" and make it streetable, they can shut up and take my money.

That would be great, but the GTX was from a different era. Back when manufacturers had to come up with the most competitive platform possible and as much speed as possible with a fairly open ruleset. The GTX was a detuned homologation special, a car built specifically to allow Mazda to compete with the best.

This is a BoP car, which means the stewards will make it competitive no matter what. It only needs to be in the ballpark and built to a certain formula, then the rest is all about looking sporty and expanding the brand. So we might get a body kit out of the deal, but we're not going to get a homologation special. It's already as competitive as it needs to be.

Yep, 

I'm just hoping for some kind of parts bin raid that gets us the turbo motor, regardless of the transmssion it's mated to.

That single center exhaust is a little odd for some reason.  Are these running a multi-link rear suspension?

Keith Tanner said:

Rotaryracer said:

Saw that the other day...if they can somehow translate "TCR" to "GTX" and make it streetable, they can shut up and take my money.

That would be great, but the GTX was from a different era. Back when manufacturers had to come up with the most competitive platform possible and as much speed as possible with a fairly open ruleset. The GTX was a detuned homologation special, a car built specifically to allow Mazda to compete with the best.

This is a BoP car, which means the stewards will make it competitive no matter what. It only needs to be in the ballpark and built to a certain formula, then the rest is all about looking sporty and expanding the brand. So we might get a body kit out of the deal, but we're not going to get a homologation special. It's already as competitive as it needs to be.

My inner retro grouch disdains the "Mazdaspeed" moniker (which Mazda seems to be in no hurry to dust off) and just wants a new Mazda 3 with AWD, a 6-speed manual, and a boosted motor at (or preferrably north of) 250hp.  In my perfect world where unicorns exist just because we ask for them, that would be the 2020 Mazda 3 GTX.  Plays to their motorsports heritage, saves the Mazdaspeed name for a really snotty 300hp+ STI killer, and who knows...maybe they run off and homologate for WRC.  :)

Day dreaming such thoughts only leads to crushing disappointment when you open your eyes and reality sets in...

ProDarwin said:

That single center exhaust is a little odd for some reason.  Are these running a multi-link rear suspension?

Good question, my guess is no, I doubt the TCR rules allow for that level of modification.. 

The exhaust is probably sliding through the area above the twist beam reserved for the AWD rear diff.