obviously the 3 will be faster stock for stock since it have more horsepower but what if the protege have mods (I/h/E). Who would win the drag race?

 

i think tests/data have already shown a *2.3* L M3 would beat a stock P5. With those mods i think it wouldbe close. The P5 wins in handling and fun-to-drive quotient (IMHO). I have not drivne the '3 - it is just what i hear consistently...

"If my P5 got totaled tomorrow - what would i get?" HHHmmh. Perhaps a used turbo P5 (but might take too long to find when i need wheels)? Most likely a M6 wagon (if i can afford it... wit' da' v6 & 6spd, like, DUH! And a m3 if can't...

 

the 6 doesnt come with a 6 speed - fivespeed only. the 3i (with the 2.0) would loose a drag race to a p5. the 3s would beat you by 2-3 cars (16.0 vs 17.5) with i/h/e maybe youd win, but a second and a half is hard to take off of ur time

 

WRONG!..Dont just look at horsepower....Look at weight and gearing too....a P5 would actually be faster than a 3i

 

i thought you ment a BMW M3...yea, im still going for the P5 over a m3. the 3's just dont do anything for me.

 

yup, much much, more closely geared is the P5 (or any other 3rd gen protege [that has a manual])

 

the MP5 has closer gearing than the regular pro?? i knew i shoulda gotten a 5

 

A P5 is more closely geared than a Mazda3i and any 3rd gen with an F-series tranny(1.6L or 1.8L) any 2.0L pro including the P5 has same gearing

 

... also depends who is driving. A wafer-thin response time advantage could make all of the difference.

 

Are you saying a protege w/ 2.0 runs 17.5? I think not. Its more like 16.5-16.8 and i ran 16.1 with headers and axle back.

 

no i meant that any 3rd gen protege has closer gearing than a mazda3.... thats what i meant with the "(or any other 3rd gen protege [that has a manual])"

i dunno about the autos, thats why i put in the part of "that has a manual"

the mazda3 hits its speed limiter in 4th gear (dunno what rpm tho)(i think the speed limiter was about 190kmph) while the proteges 4th gear will take u upto about 160kmph at redline....and i hit my speed limiter in 5th at 190kmph at about 5500RPM i think...cant remember correctly....i haven't hit the speed limiter for about 2 and a half years....

and also i have a 1.8L.... so far its been determined that only the 1.8Ls have a speed limiter, and the 1.6Ls and 2.0Ls don't have one....but i really haven't heard of a 1.6L getting that fast...mainly they get close to that speed, but then are drag limited (this last paragraph was about proteges, not mazda 3s)

hope that cleared some things up

edit: hehe the RX-7 i'm getting within the week hits about 230kmph in 4th gear at about 8000RPM (where redline starts) hehe, my new fun toy!!!! but at stock power levels, 5th gear aint supposed to pull alot.... i'll see what i can do with some porting... ((i'm getting an FC[2nd gen]) the fd will pull alot more speed)