You know the feeling where, you’ve known about something for a while, but choose to ignore it in hopes that it’ll never actually come true? Well, unfortunately for most of us this time, it’s time to face the truth. Mazda MPS is well and truly dead, and the world is now a significantly worse place, especially for the automotive enthusiasts.
MPS, or Mazdaspeed as it is known in North America, is Mazda’s sub-brand for performance-oriented vehicles – think BMW’s M, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG, and more recently Hyundai’s N. While MPS never made it big here in Malaysia, the performance-oriented nameplate still holds a special place in our hearts especially when models such as the Mazda 3 MPS has become sort of a cult icon in recent years.
With such a huge fan base, why did Mazda decide to kill off the MPS sub-brand, then? The reason, according to a spokesperson speaking to CNET, was because the carmaker as a whole has shifted towards a more upmarket image.
“Mazda is focused on becoming more mature and upscale,” the spokesperson said. “It is our priority to continue to evolve the next generation of SkyActiv technologies. As part of this evolution, we are refining and applying our turbocharged engines to more models to provide better, stronger performance with engaging driving dynamics.”
The demise of the Mazda MPS brand has been an open secret for a while now. But while the name is no more, that doesn’t mean that Mazda will also be abandoning performance-oriented vehicles once and for all. In fact, it was only recently that Mazda unveiled the Mazda3 Turbo, equipped with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 228 hp and 420 Nm of torque.
Mazda has also recently shown-off its new inline-six engine, currently in development to be used on the next-generation Mazda6, which is said to be capable of more than 350 hp of output. So yes, while the MPS brand is dead, its spirit will still live on. Rest in peace.
