The 1980s and 1990s were a wild time for Japan’s automotive industry. The “Bubble Era” produced bangers like the Acura NSX, the Suzuki Cappuccino, and the Lexus LS 400. Mazda launched its own hits like the MX-5 Miata and the RX-7 FD. The list of Japanese hits from the day would probably be endless, and one perhaps forgotten entry includes another Mazda. The Mazda MX-3 was another experiment at Mazda and it was a small car with big technology such as a passive rear-steer system and what was the smallest mass-production V6 engine you could buy in America. At 1.8 liters, it’s smaller than probably most of the fours that you can buy today.
Last time on Holy Grails, reader JCBeckman reminded us that there was a time when Chevrolet was willing to sell you a sport sedan with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 making 415 HP paired to a six-speed Tremec TR-6060 manual transmission. The Australian import trade deal fulfilled Bob Lutz’s dreams of fun General Motors products while helping to keep a Holden plant open a little longer. With those factors in mind, the Chevrolet SS was never a strong seller and perhaps it was never intended to be. Car publications loved them, as did the few enthusiasts who picked them up. Just 12,924 examples of the Chevrolet SS exist and of those, only 2,645 were equipped with a manual transmission. It is perhaps the most underrated modern sport sedan ever sold in America.
Today’s grail continues down the path of an underrated car. It comes from that wild Bubble Era slice of time.
Many of these cars are coveted by enthusiasts today and sell for eye-watering numbers on auction sites. I’d even argue that today’s grail was overshadowed by its more popular stablemates. The Mazda MX-3 was sold alongside the slightly more expensive MX-5 Miata and the much more expensive third-generation RX-7. This car wasn’t the revival of the British roadster or a Wankel-powered wonder, but it’s still worth taking a look at.
Mazda At Its Best
It’s a story that you’ve probably heard a number of times, but the Japanese economy was riding in a huge bubble and through it, consumers got cars and motorcycles that weren’t just fun to operate, but also legitimate technological leaps forward. Automakers and motorcycle builders experimented with different technologies, and designs got so good that cars from that era still litter bedroom walls (in poster form).
I’ve had the pleasure of driving a variety of vehicles from the Bubble Era, from kei cars to Acura’s flagship NSX sports car. I’ve still yet to drive a sports car that quite feels as good as that NSX, and that includes Acura’s own new NSX. It wasn’t just Honda cranking out the gems in this era; Mazda also put out some cars during this period were so good that today they remain hotly desired.
The Miata started out as a sketch in the 1970s before Mazda brass decided to put the roadster into production. Among the design proposals for the roadster was a version that would have been closer to the Toyota MR2.
One proposal called for Mazda’s roadster to be mid-engine and rear-wheel-drive while another called for front-wheel-drive. Ultimately, an American design won out, giving the Miata a look and layout like an old British roadster. The Miata made its debut at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, wowing both reviewers and owners alike. Mazda has continued Miata tradition to this day, and I can say from personal experience it remains a thrilling drive for the price you pay.
The MX-5 alone would be a great highlight for any automaker, but this is Mazda that we’re talking about. It also produced the third-generation RX-7 starting in 1992 and I’ll let the automaker’s UK branch explain just how awesome this car is:
The third and final generation (“FD”) that arrived in 1992 was a genuine performance car. A new sequential twin turbocharger boosted output from the latest 13B engine to 239PS on the European version. Said by fans to be the best handling of all RX-7s, the 5.3sec 0-100km/h sprint and 250km/h top speed (limited) put the 1,300kg two-seater in a league with high-end sports cars – fitting for the brand that had just won at Le Mans.
Later RX-7s got even better with horsepower outputs reaching as high as 276 HP in Japan-only models. Alongside these cars was the little MX-3 and the MX-6 coupe. At a base price of $11,000 ($23,962 today), the MX-3 was a bit cheaper than a $13,800 Miata ($30,062 today) and a whole lot cheaper than a $32,900 RX-7 ($71,670 today).
A Compact Sports Coupe
In 1991, Mazda continued its successes with the MX-5 by releasing a sibling named the MX-3. This wasn’t a rear-wheel-drive sporty roadster. Instead, it was a front-wheel-drive economy sports coupe with seating for up to four and targeted at competition like the Geo Storm, the Toyota Paseo, and the Nissan NX2000. The MX-3 wouldn’t wow the press and customers by being an affordable sports car like a Miata or by being a rotary halo car like the RX-7. Instead, this car would be cheap with some neat technology.
When the car launched in September 1991 as a 1992, the MX-3 rode on Mazda’s EC platform, which shared some bits with the BG platform that underpinned the Mazda 323. The MX-3 featured funky jellybean styling and a nice interior, but it would be under the hood and under the body where things got interesting. At launch, the base engine was a 1.6-liter four making 88 HP. This would later get a bump to 106 HP.
However, the crown jewel of the MX-3 would be its optional V6 engine. Here in America, we got the engine with the GS trim level. That engine is notable for its displacement: just 1.8-liters. At the time, it was the smallest mass-market V6 engine in production available in America. This is the car that reader MEK says is a grail that they regret not buying:
For your Holy Grail column, I submit for your consideration, the 1994 Mazda MX-3 GS with the tiny V6. I always wanted one of these when I was in college but (obviously) couldn’t afford. One of the cars I truly regret not buying when I had the chance. One of those great Japanese oddballs, now mostly forgotten, from back when money was flowing down the streets of Tokyo and they could try all kinds of cool stuff.
That picture doesn’t really do the engine justice, just take a look at its block! Sadly, the seller in this eBay listing didn’t use a banana for scale:
The K8 engine was a 60-degree, dual overhead cam, 24-valve powerplant with an aluminum block and heads. This wee little lad also featured what Mazda called Variable Resonance Induction System, which allowed more torque to be available throughout the rev range. How this worked is with dual resonance tubes that used butterfly valves that opened and closed at different engine speeds, thereby varying tube length. In other words, this engine may have had just 115 lb-ft at 4500 rpm, but the engine tried its best to produce as much torque as it could throughout the band.
This engine was also one that you had to drive hard to wrangle most of its power. Horsepower was rated at 130 at 6500 rpm. So to get the most out of your little MX-3, you’d have to race it all of the way to its 7,000 rpm redline. I should also note that despite being a six, this engine wasn’t even the most powerful in its class. The Geo Storm GSi’s 1.8-liter four made 140 HP while the Nissan NX2000 had a 2.0-liter four making 140 HP. The V6 isn’t the smallest V6 ever made, either. Mitsubishi had a 1.6-liter V6 in production at the same time, though you couldn’t buy it in America.
Another fun fact about this engine is that it was developed to fall under taxes that were levied on 2.0-liter and larger engines in Japan.
A Los Angeles Times review of the MX-3 admits that Mazda’s biggest selling point with this engine is that it is indeed a V6 put into the body of a car that would normally fit just a four. This appears to be reflected in a Mazda engineering paper about the engine:
These days, people are not as concerned with material wealth as they are with spiritual wealth. As for automobiles, there is a growing demand for a vehicle which can be deeply satisfying to drive and is environmentally safe (low emission and high fuel economy). V6 engines are becoming popular for their smooth and quiet characteristics. However, in the “family-use” and “compact-speciality” car classes, conventional V6 engines can not meet the lightweight, compact and pleasant drive requirements. Newly developed K-series engines are small, matching stylish and compact vehicles and appeals to the customer’s sensitivity and is pleasant to drive. The K-series comprise 2.5-litre V6DOHC(KL), 2.0-litre V6DOHC(KF) and 1.8-litre V6DOHC(K8) engines.
Give that paper a read, it’s some great stuff! I’d also say that having the sound of a V6 in something this small is also pretty awesome. I mean, just listen to this engine sing:
Another trick up Mazda’s sleeve was its characteristic twin-trapezoidal link rear suspension which utilizes twin-valve dampers and a rear anti-roll bar. This results in some degree of passive rear steering and when paired with variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, made for good turn-in. Automobile Magazine once called the Mazda MX-3 “an overnight best-in-class contender.”
A Forgotten Mazda
Equipping your MX-3 with the V6 here in America meant bumping up the price to $13,800 ($30,062 today), or about the same price that you could get a Miata for. Here’s what other reviewers had to say, from Consumer Guide:
Consumer Guide said the tiny V-6 was “quiet and eager” but didn’t produce much power below 3000 rpm. The editors thought it worked best with the five-speed. Fuel economy wasn’t impressive—they saw 21.2 mpg with the stick and only 20 mpg with the automatic.
CG praised “agile handling talents and quick steering response,” and liked the clear gauges and easy-to-use controls. The driving position was “low and snug—compared by some to sitting in a bathtub.” Road and wind noise were plentiful on the highway.
In the November 1991 issue of Car and Driver, an MX-3 GS won a comparison test against the Storm GSi and NX2000. The “faultless handling” and “whipped-cream V-6” were praised.
In other words, it seems that while the Mazda may have been slightly slower than its competition, some reviewers felt that the whole package was better than the competition. It’s estimated that these are rare cars today, but production numbers haven’t been published. The V6 was available in the United States between 1992 and 1994 and the car itself ended sales in America in 1996 without getting a sequel. I’ve reached out to Mazda for production information.
What I can say is that these cars are forgotten enough that when you Google “Mazda MX-3,” you have to put your query in quotes or else you’ll get pretty much nothing but results for the Mazda MX-30 crossover. Now for the bad news. While I’ve found a bunch of these for sale and all of them were under $5,000, all of them were in a pretty sorry state. Though, that’s what I’d expect from a cheap Mazda that didn’t have the fame of its contemporaries. I can’t even remember when was the last time I’ve seen one of these on the road. Maybe it was years ago?
If you’ve owned one of these, I’d love to hear about what it was like! And if you have one in good shape, give it a pat on its hood tonight for looking so good after all of these years.
(Photos: Mazda)
Do you know of a ‘Holy Grail’ car or motorcycle out there? Do you drive or ride a Holy Grail? Give me your elevator pitch in the comments or at mercedes@theautopian.com!
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I remember reading about this and the reviews all noted the lack of power, the “no replacement for displacement” consensus. Consider the Eclipse 2.0 at the same time had 135HP, the Dodge Neon of all things 2 years later would have the 2.0 with 132HP. It was a neat gimmick and trying to be ‘smoother’ like the rotary but they should’ve just put in a rotary at that point, at least it would have had more power.
This car is a really cool outlier. I’ve always thought that a Miata with a really small V8 (< 2.5 liters) would be pretty fun.
That being said, the MX-6 sitting next to this in the showroom was pure sex on wheels.
Hey, my suggestion made the cut! Thanks Mercedes for a fabulous write up. And also you are spot on about the MX-3 vs MX-30 when searching.
I still prowl around Craigslist looking for one of these occasionally but most that pop up (which is rare) are neglected/abused 4-cyl cars, usually autos, with three tires already in the crusher. In all likelihood, when one finally does appear, I won’t have the money available anyway, but hope springs eternal as they say and also the daydreaming is free.
I know this car wouldn’t be a logical choice for a purchase, even when compared to it’s contemporaries (the NX-2000 is a great suggestion for another Holy Grail, BTW) but what vintage car purchase really is logical when compared to a far safer, more powerful, more efficient modern cars? It’s about getting something that speaks to you and and makes you happy just to see it in the driveway, it makes you want to go for a drive just for the joy of it.
My first introduction to this car was my dad picking me up from school having bought one with no warning. For reference, be had the traditional Australian series of large family sedans (Falcon, Fairmont then the big blocky Fairlane) before what I can only assume was a mild midlife crisis sent him to the Eunos 30X – Mazda sold their various ‘luxury’ versions under the Eunos badge here.
As a family we did have form there, as my mum had a Eunos 500 (fancy Mazda 626) around the same time. I honestly don’t know if anyone else in Australia has a double Eunos house.
Anyway, main outcome is I learned to drive in the 30X, which was a pretty fun way to learn. Might explain why I tend to choose cars with pretty firm factory suspension, as the Eunos would sit very flat around most corners. My dad still recalls that aspect fondly ask these years later. I can’t speak too much to the engine itself, since I only had a relatively standard Mazda 6 and later a BMW 4cyl to compare to. But with the light weight and good handling, the engine never seemed like a major limitation.
Kept it for many years before selling to the neighbour’s kid – I don’t think it was as well cared for thereafter, and 90s plastics did what they tend to do.
I’ve seen this little V6 swapped into a Festiva before. The owner wouldn’t let me drive it, sadly.
My older sister got a teal 4 cylinder mx3 right as I was turning 16. When it came out, she was cross shopping the nx3000, Toyota paseo, and mercury capri. Hers was the first mx 3 in town and I was super excited when she brought it home. This little car, as silly as it was, really was my first introduction to a tangible car because for some reason she let me drive it whenever I wanted. I really abused that thing and I taught countless friends how to drive stick in it because it was much more forgiving than my YJ. Her friends called it the “sperm bubble,” and it was really quite the stand out at our high school. Eventually, she sold the car to a college girlfriend of mine, and the car remained my faithful associate, blowing its engine shortly after we broke up (at around 80k miles). What a great car. Thanks for the article. Brought back a lot of memories.
A friend of my mother’s had one of these, V6/stick, in gold. Twelve-year-old me juuust about fit in the back when we visited her in Las Vegas, and I loved the way it sounded. Thankfully, it was April, so we didn’t have an opportunity to see how the A/C fared against the expansive rear window.
We scored these in Oz under the short-lived Mazda premium brand, Eunos. They sold quite well for such a niche product but few were prepared for the required upkeep so they died out fast.
There’s been one sleeping under a gum tree in my town for the last five years (and replaced with an RX-8!) until just this week…where it went I have no idea.
> the short-lived Mazda premium brand, Eunos
Wow, I had *completely* forgotten about Eunos.
Eunos was so popular in Oz that they sold these as the Eunos 30X for a bit and no one bought them…..so they then sold them as Mazda-Eunos 30X (with both badges on the back) and still no one bought them.
I love this article.
Well researched, well written.
A V6 isn’t more powerful than a 4 cylinder (of equivalent displacement). You can make it rev higher (since the pistons weigh less), but it will have less low-end torque (same reason, lighter pistons).
As the owner and weekly driver of a fully functional, unmodified, 1993 MX6 (manual) I support this grail.
I love my MX6. It’s not a sports car. It’s a cruiser.
Built on 626 bones but in coupe form.
I think of it as Mazda’s version of the Toyota Solara before the Solara existed and way more sexy.
Can you imagine if Toyota made a Corolla version of the Solara in the early 90’s?
Mazda did it.
It’s called the MX3 and it is awesome!
Good looking, great sounding engines too.
Beautiful exhaust notes.
Timing issues be damned!
It kind of looks like a descendant of the SAAB Sonett III; maybe it’s the bubble rear glass. The SAAB might be known for the largest displacement V-4 sold in the US.
I don’t have any logical reason why I thought about your comment like this, but I don’t think there’s much competition for something like “largest displacement V-4 sold in America”.
Probably the same amount with the “largest displacement straight 5” and the “largest displacement gasoline V10” crowds.
I raced one of these (SCCA showroom stock) a few times. I remember that the V6 had a “scream” (rather than a “roar”) at high rpm. I also remember it was heavy compared with other cars in its class. The engine had about the same power as other 4-cylinder cars in its class (although it sounded better) plus the car was heavier. Not a formula for racing success.
This is the content I come here for, nice write up!
EDIT: .. and hey, whats this?! An *EDIT* button w/ updated commenting section? WHHHAAAATTTT????
Always thought the MX-3 was a neat-looking car. My buddy’s ex-wife has one sitting in her backyard…it’s been there at least a decade. Honestly that’s the only MX-3 that I’ve consistently seen in recent years.
However, if I’m looking for a sporty FWD Mazda, I’d be more inclined to import a 90s 323f, aka Lantis. Same motor (including the hot KZ-FE 2.0 V6), but a more attractive package overall.
Reading the article I was trying to remember if this V6 also went into the 323F, reading your comment makes me a bit happy that I haven’t gone completely senile yet 🙂
Speaking of the NX2000, that would be a great holy grail car. T tops and SE-R go fast bits but with bigger brakes and wider tires.
That was one weird looking car…
The complete demise of the FWD coupe saddens me. It’s amazing how much variety there used to be in the segment; everyone offered at least one, some manufacturers had several, and now you basically can’t buy one.
I had the inline 4 cylinder version MX-3 with the manual transmission. Car had no power but it was a giggle in the turns. It also had one of the nicer interiors for an inexpensive car. It was done in by weird electrical issues related to an aftermarket alarm system and was too expensive to fix (for some reason the government expects you to have functional headlights, turn signals and brake lights on a road going vehicle). I miss having it.
eh, doesn’t do it for me. The 1.8 has all teh disadvantages of a transverse V6 but less powerful than many fours of the time, like you said in the article. And being Mazda, it’s also much more prone to rust.
One of thsoe cases where rare isn’t valuable, and just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
The Storm/Impulse was available as a wagon, and the NX has a digital dash and T-tops. The NX is the Camaro Done Right. Besides the T-tops, it’s half the size on the outside yet has twice as much space inside 😀
In 1995 only, Canada got the 323 Neo, a 2-door hatchback version of the mid-90s Protege. It wasn’t sold down here 🙁
The MX-3 is kinda the Gremlin of it’s era. A bit dorky looking and not up to the overall competition at the time, but at this point that doesn’t really matter so much. Friend in HS had one (GSV6 manual) and what it lacked in overall scoot it made up for in it’s better than average handling and glorious sound. It’s the smallest production V6 car engine and this makes it perfect for any car show and worthy of the holy grail status.
Coincidentally to your comment, a fraternity brother had a NX2000 (manual with T-tops) and I believe got rid of it because of rust. It’s also a dorky looking front on a car unique because of one feature: T-tops (Really only GM and Nissan got into the T-bar roofs). Another brother had an Achieva SCX, which would of these out of the water in a straight line (we didn’t have so many windy roads so ) and priced in the same bracket. Unique feature: a 7000RPM redlining, 190/185 HP 4 cylinder with a Getrag-spec stick by…GM?
Looking back, there were so many options for sporty to sports coupes (globally) that offered a lot of unique style, features, and power options.
Oh man. The Olds Achieva. There’s a car I haven’t thought about in a LOOOOONG time. The trunk lid on those always seemed weirdly flat.
I read somewhere that there should have been three performance levels for that car. The base, slow version could be the Unda Achieva. Mid range just the Achieva. Hi-po version would be the Ova Achieva.
My family had a Mazda MX-6 that all of us drove at one point or another and adored. When I found out about the MX-3 with it’s tiny little V6 I REALLY wanted one, but I’ve never found one for sale at the same time as having the money to spend.
I liked those.
Autotrader shows just one for sale nationwide, in Santa Clarita, but it’s a 4 cylinder.
I remember when these were new when I was a teenager, and the thing that surprised me the most was how good that little V6 sounded with an aftermarket exhaust. I’m not typically a fan of V6 exhaust sounds, but that little 1.8L V6 with the right muffler had some rasp and snarl that gave the impression it had more power than it did.
I always liked these cars… By in the mid 00s, I found myself calling local junk yards to see if they had this model… as some came with recaro seats & bolted into my ford escort at the time… I think the suspension… at least the struts & springs, were also interchangeable too.
These are just neat. I love little cars with interesting features. I worked with a guy that stuffed one of these engines in a festiva
I have a friend with one of these that he has strategically dumped the 2.5L out of an MX-6 into. He bought it with a dead 1.8L and has truly made the most of it.
I’ve heard of people doing that, or even the JDM-only KL-ZE with 200 hp