Mazda is ramping up its motorsports efforts with this sizzling hatch based on the Mazda3. The new Mazda3 TCR race car will make its racing debut at the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
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Unlike the standard Mazda3 that makes 186 hp, the TCR version pumps out 350 hp from its turbocharged four-cylinder. This engine pairs to a paddle-shift six-speed transmission. Mazda commissioned Long Road Racing for this project, the same company that builds the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car.
Bryan Ortiz, 2019 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup champion, has been announced as the first driver of the Mazda3 TCR. Ortiz has racked up six victories and 18 total podium finishes since joining the MX-5 Cup in 2017.
Mazda has garnered 36 victories in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, but it has not competed in the series since the race at Lime Rock Park in 2018. The Mazda3 TCR has been homologated to compete in any of the TCR-sanctioned championships around the world.
The race car, designed by Mazda in Irvine, California, will make its first appearance on January 26 at the four-hour Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway during the Rolex 24. Until then, take a look at the car's bodywork and massive rear wing in the photos below.
Source: Mazda, IMSA
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