MazdaSpeed3 Rumored to Return With 300 HP and AWD in 2027

Mazda's hot hatch drought could end in 2027, with a report from Japan indicating the automaker is developing a performance version of the current Mazda3. It would be the first such model since the Mazdaspeed3 ended production in 2013.

According to MotorFan, the Mazda3, now in its seventh year of production, will spawn a performance variant built on the foundation of the Mazda Spirit Racing 3 concept shown at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon. That concept debuted alongside the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster, which later reached limited production with more power and handling upgrades than the standard MX-5. The Roadster made 200 hp through hardware and software tuning without turbocharging.

The powertrain candidate is the current 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. In its present tune, that engine produces 255 hp and 317 lb-ft on premium fuel, or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular gas. The publication reckons a tuned version could reach roughly 300 hp, positioning it directly against the GR Corolla.

There is a strong possibility the car would be all-wheel drive, according to the report. That would mark a departure from the front-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed3, which paired its 2.3-liter turbo four with a limited-slip differential and was frequently criticized for torque steer. Both generations of the Mazdaspeed3 made 263 hp and 280 lb-ft. An all-wheel-drive layout would also echo the 323 GT-X, the World Rally Championship homologation special that preceded the Mazdaspeed3 by decades.

The Mazdaspeed3, sold as the Mazda3 MPS in some markets and the Axela MPS in Japan, ran from 2007 to 2013 across two generations. It remains the company's last performance hatchback.

MotorFan's sources indicated the new model could arrive as early as the first half of 2027. The commercial success of the Spirit Racing brand with the MX-5 lends weight to the prospect of the Spirit Racing 3 reaching production. For a company built around Jinba Ittai and the joy of driving, the absence of a hot hatch has stood out for more than a decade.

Mazda has not confirmed the report, and specifics on the powertrain, drivetrain, and timing remain unverified.