THREE THE HARD WAY

摘要

Tuning and modifying economy cars is all the rage these days, Scion has based its entire marketing strategy around this trend. Why spend tons of money you don't have when you can get an economical car and make it look (and occasionally drive) like a more expensive one? The Mazda 3, successor to the Protege and a cousin to both the RX-8 and 6, is just ripe for a little modeling. To get its 3 to look just right, Mazda con-tacted International All Stars' head Bill Montgomery. Already resplendent in factory orange with factory leather seats, it was decided that the focus of the Mazda 3 would be on the sound system rather than its appearance. Not that Montgomery was going to let the vehicle, now dubbed Project Mazda, slouch in that department though. A short call (and a lot of work) later, Ivan Tampi's Ground Designs 2000 had whipped up a prototype body kit for the 3, It pays to have connections, eh? Team Dynamics 18" Pro Race II wheels, wrapped in Cooper 225/40/18 tires, keep the 3 on the ground while EBC Brake pads and rotors make sure the car stops when it's supposed to, Vogtland suspension and a Magnaflow exhaust keep things looking sharp, as does a custom carbon-fiber engine cover under the hood, Window tinting and decals complete the look. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.