Its URL is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/protege_MP3

Please see the links and information on the NAV bar to your left. You may find what you are looking for right there.

Anyway, what is the Mazda Protege MP3? Well, it's one kick-ass factory tricked out car. There are made in limited quantity and are hard to find. I was lucky -- I knew I was in the market for a car. I wanted either this car or a 2000 Honda Civic Si. The Si had more power but it would need some "work" in the suspension department to get it handling properly... not to mention it would need a stereo upgrade. When I read about the MP3 I was really excited. I liked the Civic but having to sink another $4000 or more into it in mods wasn't making me feel great. (A used Si is similar price to the MP3.) I had done tons of reading up about the Mazda and figured I would be happy with it.

So, I was on the lookout for an MP3. Well, my friend Eric knew what I wanted and made some calls for me. Somehow he found one brand new MP3 at Santa Monica Mazda. He called me and we rushed over. Sure enough, there it was. When I first say it I was immediatly drawn to the color. WOW. When I saw inside, I was even more excited. This was a quality car. When I drove it I knew I wanted it. I had never bought a new car before but they were very nice and hooked me up. I traded in my old 1989 Corolla GT-S and bought this car. They gave me 6.8% financing, which was too. I can't tell you how exicted I was! Anyway, so that's the story.

I made a little comparison picture for you look at:

You can right away notice the color, the lowered stance, the aggresive body cladding and the big wheels.

Well, it goes much deeper than just some stuff on the outside. Mazda really it a great package by doing what people might do to a normal Protege using aftermarket parts.

Mazda's new MP3, which is based on the Protegé ES 2.0 Sedan, fits right into this slot with an out-the-door price of $18,500. For that money, Mazda offers enthusiasts some impressive hardware.

MP3 is an odd name for a car, isn't it? MP3 refers to the digital file compression technology that reduces the size of an audio file to make it easier to download music from the Internet and play it through stereo speakers. This hot little Mazda's demographic, primarily young unmarried men, is thoroughly familiar with music-sharing Web sites like Napster, and has compiled libraries of thousands of downloaded songs.

Problem is, most stereos won't play MP3 format files. Mazda comes to the rescue with a standard high-power Kenwood Excelon Z919 audio system that will play MP3-encoded CD-R and CDR-W as well as regular CD formats. This is the first factory application of an in-dash MP3 player, and it's hooked up to a 180-watt four-channel head unit driving six speakers (6x9-inch two-way speakers in the front doors and a set of 6x9-inch three-ways in the rear shelf) and a 100-watt 10-inch subwoofer mounted in the trunk.

It makes a tad more power than the Protegé, and handles better to boot. By letting the motor breathe more freely, Mazda has extracted 10 extra ponies out of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that powers higher trim Protegés. Recalibrated ignition timing and a revised air-fuel ratio results in better throttle response, while a modified intake manifold increases top-end performance. A catback exhaust system from aftermarket tuner Racing Beat results in a distinctive, throaty yet mellow thrum to the exhaust note. There is no drone and it's very quiet on the freeway.

Racing Beat helped Mazda tune the MP3's lowered underpinnings. Tokico shocks were added, spring rates were boosted, and larger stabilizer bars were included. Add in 17x7-inch Racing Hart thin spoke alloy wheels and 205/45ZR17 Dunlop SP9000 tires, and Mazda claims that the MP3 boasts a 30 percent increase in cornering power over the Protegé ES. I've never driven a regular Protege, but I can tell you this thing hauls ass. And the think swaybars keep body lean to a minimum. Euro-spec steering with a 15.4:1 ratio is also part of the MP3 package, along with a strut-tower brace, resulting in improved straight-ahead tracking, road feel and cornering precision. Brakes are four-wheel ventilated discs with high-friction pads, but they are not equipped with ABS.

The car flat-out amazes with its ability to carve up a twisty road and the upgraded brakes and steering make quick work of snaking blacktop. The MP3 also features a short-throw shifter and a heavier-duty clutch.

Obviously, Mazda needed to include some snazzy detailing to attract people to the MP3 so they could hear the thumping stereo and thus be enticed to drive the car fast through some curves and subsequently write the company a check. So they tacked on a giant decklid wing, added deep air dams front and rear, tossed on some rocker panel extensions and plugged two huge driving lights into the front fascia to achieve the appropriate "boy racer" look. Special "Protegé MP3 Tuned by Racing Beat" badges make it clear that aftermarket suppliers were involved in the creation of the car. Inside, black-on-white gauges, silver plastic dash and door trim, faux carbon fiber accents, aluminum drilled-look pedals, a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob, and silver seat inserts make it clear this isn't a garden-variety Protegé.

Here's the catch: Mazda plans on making only 1,500 of them this year; 1,000 copies painted Laser Blue Mica followed up by 500 Vivid Yellow versions, the latter equipped with the next-generation Kenwood MP3 player.

Need more info? See the links on the NAV bar. I have included a Picture gallery and a specs page.

--Adrian