"ZOOM-ZOOM. CONCENTRATED.” That’s the tagline surrounding Mazda’s most recent entry into the subcompact market, the 2011 Mazda2. Powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC MZR-family engine, the VVT-equipped Mazda2 represents an entry-level platform that purports to be practical, economical and fun to drive. Mazda claims it has engineered the Mazda2 to drive like an economical sportscar rather than attempting to make an economy car sporty.

Class Warfare

To support its return to the entry-level subcompact segment, Mazda has spearheaded a campaign to create a B-Spec class across multiple sanctioning bodies that would allow grassroots and beginner racers to compete with a low cost of entry. Entrants into the proposed class would essentially be showroom stock vehicles with unmodified or lightly modified engines and factory-fresh chassis modified only with a competition roll cage, racing seat
and other required safety equipment. Mazda’s sample, shown above, debuted at NASA’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill competition late in 2010. Since the B-Spec class is intended for non-professional racing competition, it’s clear
that Mazda is targeting the smaller-budget crowd that it wishes to convert into circuit heroes.

The D-Spec Model

For this project we opted to stretch the rules to make a streetable B-Spec car worthy of the DSPORT project moniker. Since there is little aftermarket support for this new platform, the only way to turn our 5-door box into the next “hot hatch” would be to utilize custom or one-off parts; our budget restrictions, however, prevent us from doing that. So, we decided to approach this from a “problem-solution” perspective, assessing the
car’s strengths that can be exploited and weaknesses that should be eliminated. Here’s how we changed the showroom stock B-Spec into DSPORT’s D-Spec.

Looks to Kill

In order to visually distinguish our Mazda2 from the rest of the examples we’d seen, we turned to 3D Carbon to set us up with a 5-piece kit that includes a front lip and rear valence, side skirts and a trick double-plane rear
spoiler. We also opted for a set of Euro-spec Mazda2 bumpers that 3D Carbon had at their office. The more aggressive design of the Euro-spec front bumper creates a look that makes the car stand out without being gaudy, while the rear bumper allowed us to do away with the U.S.-federal mandated 5-mph bumper protection. Removing this 15.6-pound bolt-on piece reduces sprung weight and shortens the overall length of the vehicle by 4-inches. The front lip and rear valence 3D Carbon designed for U.S.-spec production bumpers will look similar to those on our Mazda2. Wraptivo provided vehicle wrap to cover every inch of our revised body lines. The twotone matte finish installed by Custom Graphics provides an aggressive, one-off look that compliments the kit and can be color-changed at will with Wraptivo’s selection of different colors and finishes.

Roll, Bounce

In order to cure the Mazda2s penchant for freeway rain grooves and uneven pavement, we upgraded the rolling stock to a set of FIVE:AD S6F wheels in a 17x7.5-inch size and wrapped them in NEXEN’s N3000 radials in a
215/40R17 size. A set of hubcentric rings helps center the wheels around the Mazda’s 54.1mm center bore. We wanted to keep the project both affordable and streetable so we chose a set of B&G Suspension’s lowering springs as the sole suspension upgrade. Mazda went to great lengths to ensure the Mazda2’s unibody and factory suspension components would be firm enough to handle spirited driving without sacrificing comfort. As such our initial determination was that the stiffer, 1.2-inch drop progressive rate B&G springs wouldn’t excessively affect the amount of suspension travel available to us. As it turns out, the combination of the front lip’s lower ground clearance and a set of shocks marked “engineering sample” might be the contributing factors to having the front lip contact the ground while in motion. Further testing is needed to remedy this situation, perhaps with a set of shocks with a shorter body (to limit overall suspension travel).