Mazda’s advertising tagline is zoom-zoom. But with the exception of impressive handling, Mazda’s product line isn’t particularly fast. Rather, they are cars that focus on weight savings, nimble handling, and responsive powertrains. Drag-strip kings, not so much. In recent years, however, Mazda has been leveraging turbocharged four-cylinder engines and its Mazdaspeed brand name to give cars like the Protégé, Miata, and Mazda 6 street cred. The 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 is the fourth in this limited-production lineup.

Based on the universally applauded and extremely useful Mazda 3 five-door hatchback, and boasting horsepower and torque that puts most other factory sport compact cars on the bench, the 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 is set to redefine the phrase “cheap thrill.” Consider this: the new Volkswagen GTI, which is coming to market in three- and five-door body styles, and has received glowing reviews from the press, gets just 200 horsepower out of its turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Mazdaspeed 3, about the same size and weight, is pushing 250 horsepower. That’s more than the defunct Dodge Neon SRT-4, the raw but ready Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged, and well above the excellent new Honda Civic Si.