Gran Turismo 5: Two different Atenzas...

The first Atenza

Looking back on Gran Turismo 5, I have been given a chance to check out two different generations of Mazda Atenza in two different perspectives. It's just like Richard Hammond, driving the icons on the Top Gear Test Track for some nostalgic reasons or for some TG Magazine issues but anyway, both the first and the second generation Atenzas were really trying to itch their way through Mazda's Zoom-Zoom spectacle.

About the first generation Atenza, this car was first revealed at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show and went on sale in the summer of 2002, replacing some of Mazda's mid-size sedan models such as the Capella, the Cronos, or the 5-door liftback called the Efini MS-6. It was available in three various body styles such as the Sedan, the Sport Wagon, and the Sport 5-door liftback (which Gran Turismo 5 has one).

The variant that GT5 featured was the Sport model with the 2.3L engine mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. When I drove this kind of Atenza, there are some merits and demerits regarding about this car. What I like about this Atenza is its looks because it was the first Mazda to adopt its signature pentagonal grille that adorn most Mazdas from 2002 up to 2008 where the second-generation Atenza has some Nagare design on it. Bits of it, yes... But sadly though, I think I like this first generation better than the second-generation because it looks more of a civilized businessman who doesn't want to go on a meeting with a choppy formal wear that embarasses himself. Because this is the Sport model, I think its 5-door liftback looks really nods from its predecessor, the Efini MS-6.

One thing I didn't know that the Atenza was built on the same platform used on the Ford Mondeo. Of course, Mazda was partially owned by Ford at that time, so this Mondeo-derived platform used on the Atenza comes with sport-tuned double wishbone suspension on the front and a multilink at the rear, which some say, it was the best handling car in its class. Sadly though, it doesn't seem to be best-handling to me but it handles fine on generous corners where no violent turning is necessary but in some corners, like for instance, the Follow-Through on the Top Gear Track, the Atenza's starting to struggle. Mild but menacing if you know what I mean but because this is an everyday car, the Atenza's not a menacing saloon car. It's a well-mannered saloon built for the whole family.

Sure, I like the first-generation Atenza but there was just one Atenza I like the most...and it was the Mazdaspeed model...

The Mazdaspeed Atenza

You might remember that Jeremy Clarkson once reviewed the Mazdaspeed Atenza (or Mazdaspeed6 or Mazda 6 MPS) on Top Gear alongside the Ford Mondeo ST220 and the Vauxhall Vectra VXR and when The Stig drove it, the Mazdaspeed Atenza set a lap time of 01:32.2 at the Top Gear Track, which is faster than the lap times set from Renaultsport Megane 225 or the first-generation Audi TT V6. Quite an achievement here though but let's talk about this machine...

This high-performance version of the Atenza was revealed to the world at the 2004 Paris Motor Show and it uses the 4-door saloon version as its basis. It comes with a 2.3L DISI TURBO engine that sends its power in all four wheels. So, it's a 4WD hot Atenza eh? That sounds uncanny to me but when you take your foot on the pedal, it's as silent as a normal 4-door saloon so I was expecting to be as civilized as a normal Atenza. It's true, it is.

Also, the handling is more like it for me because what Mazda did to this hot Atenza is they put something they've called Active Torque Control Coupling system on its 4WD system, which manages the torque between all four wheels and it monitors the car's steering angle, yaw rate, lateral G-force and engine conditions in real time. It sure is sharper than the normal Atenza Sport though, although there's a hint of understeer, which is catastrophic to me.

If possible, I'm considering this Mazdaspeed Atenza to be a "future classic" because there are only a few models out there worldwide. If you spot one, you'd be lucky to drive a hotter midsize sedan that no other carmaker has anymore these days.

The second Atenza

Now, if you're talking about the second-generation Mazda that was built from 2008 to 2012, well, I have nothing else to say about it but I'll let myself slip through this story. Ever since the second-generation model broke cover in 2008, I was really amused by its looks because the design flow of the second-generation Atenza marks a huge departure from its old design flow and into the Nagare flow. Not sure if this is the first but the second-generation Atenza is becoming more athletic than its predecessor.

If I mean athletic, of course! The handling's more sharper than the first-generation Atenza but not as aggressive as the Mazdaspeed Atenza. That reminds me...

Did I said that I like the first model better than the second model? Oh dear...Perhaps, I should just rewrite my words and then I'd admit that the second-generation Atenza's my type than the first-generation Atenza, well the Mazdaspeed Atenza is my pick for me but never mind about that...

Never mind indeed, and while the Gran Turismo franchise has no plans to introduce the third-generation Atenza with the revolutionary SKYACTIV Technology, guess I had to make do with the previous two generations of the Mazda Atenza...and that makes me sad...