[vinnie mack]

Sporting the Mazdaspeed6 drivetrain the Mazdaspeed 3 is set to possibly overcome it's big brother next year. The Mazdaspeed 3 will only run front wheel drive with a limited slip differential. The AWD package to be borrowed from the 6 as rumoured never made it.

from caranddriver.com

"To celebrate the successful and well-regarded Mazda 3's three-year mid-cycle refresh, Mazda is introducing the Mazdaspeed 3. This hotted-up 3 combines the turbocharged 2.3-liter DISI direct-injection four-cylinder engine (making more than 250 hp in this guise) from the long-delayed Mazaspeed 6 with the 3's smaller five-door hatchback body and front-wheel drive only (the Mazdaspeed 6 has all-wheel drive). Top speed is limited to 155 mph and Mazda claims a 6.1-second time for 0-100 km/h (62 mph). The suspension setup is significantly stiffer than the standard 3's (which is already no marshmallow), but it remains to be seen how well this chassis will handle the massive 280 lb-ft of torque; the few European hatchbacks with this amount of twist are pretty unruly, especially when equipped, as this Mazda is, with a limited-slip differential. We're bracing ourselves for the torque-steer."