Due to circumstances beyond my control, I can no longer afford my 2003.5 MazdaSpeed Protege`. I live close to a major highway so 99.9% of the milage comes from highway driving. Due to the special smaller market for this rare vehicle, their is no Blue Book value for this model. However, the MD MVA (dmv) recently gave this model a Black Book value of $15,000. (Black Book value is what the state uses to determine the taxes one pays to that state when buying a vehicle or buying out a co-owner or lein-holder's share in a vehicle.)
This car is in excellent condition save a few knicks in the paint on the hood from normal driving. It is all factory except for the new, aftermarket parts on the front-end, new tires, and the new ceramic disc brakes. The front fenders are fiberglass "vented" fenders custom cut to retain the factory side markers/turning signals. The front bumper is a Buddy Club II fiberglass model with a "big mouth" allowing for more ventilation for a future front-mount intercooler.
The vehicle has many factory goodies including a Garett Turbo and a side-mount intercooler as well as a sport-tuned, aggressive stance suspension system - a short-throw short shifter, model-specific interior styling/stitching/components - white-faced, red glow gauges, limited-slip-differential - a 450W Kenwood stereo system w/a Sirius-ready flip-face MASK headunit capable of reading MP3s from your CD-Rs - and the list goes on.
The power plant is a turbo-charged 2.0L dual overhead cam 4-cylinder (allowing for great gas milage) producing approx 180hp at the front wheels. The turbo produces 6.5lbs of boost per the factory settings. The power train continues with a heavy-duty clutch and 5-speed manual transmission. Factory-installed tower brace in the engine bay and rigid sway bars underneath combined with the lowered stance and sport-tuned suspension (including Tokico gas shocks) make for an exciting ride.
I purchased the vehicle new, from the dealership for $21,000. There are now 67k + miles on the car, mostly highway as mentioned earlier. I am asking for $14,000, since I've driven the car a bit after being given the Black Book Value. Again, the Black Book value given to me by the State of Maryland was $15,000. I currently owe $14,600 on the car. I am willing to take the $600 hit to sell the car as I can no longer afford my payments & full coverage insurance due to a change in income.
*For those of you who might be wondering if that 140mph speedometer is just for looks? The car was manufactured 99% in Japan and therefor lacks a governor. The ECU isn't programmed to hold you back when you reach 90, like alot of newer cars. Not at 100. Not even 130! Happy Touring!*
View the slideshow below. Click on individual images for more info or to pause the show and select images to open in individual new windows. WARNING: Flickr is having issues today - Random photos that don't belong with user sets are showing up in Flickr members' slideshows, as of this morning. The cause is yet to be determined. Sorry for the mix-up.
