THE 260 horsepower 2.3 litre turbocharged MPS variant of their million-selling 3, is one of the fastest front wheel drive cars available today. Indeed, it is so special that only 1,000 of them can be imported into Great Britain this year.

This is a car that could travel at 155 miles an hour – but it isn’t car with a price in stratosphere. Just £18,995 puts it on the road although an extra £500 secures a sports pack that includes a larger rear spoiler, lowered suspension and two-spoke door mirrors.

The sleek, unadorned but skirted five door is ordinarily enhanced simply by 18 inch diameter, seven inch wide 10-spoke aluminium alloy wheels, a chrome exhaust and colour keyed door handles but in time I anticipate the sports pack to be standardised.

The potent engine is mated to a six speed manual gearbox. The zero to 60 mph time is 6.1 seconds – and that’s fully three seconds faster than the 3 Sport. At the same time, the handling is the equal of Mazda’s other white hot properties, the 6 MPS RX-8 PZ Prodrive special and the legendary MX-5.

There’s something that devotees of the genre will especially appreciate: the turbocharger and the dynamic stability control combine to restrict that annoying front wheel spin during hard acceleration in first. Competitors please note.
Safety and security are enhanced by an ESP system incorporating huge anti-skid ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, Brake Assist, dynamic stability control and traction control. Driver and front passenger airbags, front side airbags and curtain airbags all round are standard.

Hot hatches may be notorious for not providing enough head, shoulder and leg room but that’s where the 3 scores highly. The five door configuration means that rear passengers especially can get in and out of the car quite easily – and when they are inside they will find plenty of knee clearance. In the boot area there is room for 290 litres of luggage and this can be increased by folding down the rear seats.

So what does the 3 MPS not have? Cruise control – and I don’t really have to explain why!