Except you could floor those from 1st through 4th and still be under the legal limit. These were not overpowered, they were adequate.

The mirage is actually decent, power-wise. It get out of its own way.

granted, the engine is as rough as a tractor's, it's feels cheap as fuck, the interior already comes apart and there…

It's not quick, at all.

12 sec to hit 100 km/h, and it won't go much faster than that. It's cheap, it rattles, it's weezy, and the engine is rougher than an old tractor.

Have you driven one of those on the freeway? They fit your description, but are far from overpowered.

Brainfart.

Yes, they are doing well in China, not Japan.

I found a 2014 sales report for half a year:
JAPAN CAR 6 MONTHS BRAND SALES (January-June 2014)

No, you should definitely buy one, and then orlove it in a ditch somewhere, then get the insurance money and THEN buy something more sensible.

...I need a donor hellcat for a project.

They import them (somewhat), but I don't think they sell that well (as does much of the american brands, except Buick).

5th Gear: Japan Has More Chargers Than Gas Stations

from 09 onward, the problem was solved.

They still have that reputation, though.

that first-gen Mazda3 had a rust issue in the rear quarter panels. they had insufficient rustproofing from the factory.

It was so bad, they extended the rust warranty, and lots of cars were recalled for that. Nowaday they are much better.

It shouldn't be allowed anywhere.

Canada isn't as lax as the USA about allowing shitbox on the road, and the cops run checks every spring for old cars.

this one has probably been crushed, but I remember seeing it in Montreal a few years ago. Funny thing is, the rest of the car is okay (good interior, engine sounds…

It's the salt that ruins them.

Once the salt sets in, it's over. it gets into the frame, panels, joints...

Then the cancer starts.

case in point, my old 240. Even the mighty Swedish steel was no match for our weapon-grade sodium chloride :

there should be a dedicated category: Bring A Shovel and a Large Bucket.

that's probably the most worrying aspect:

someone thought about it and planned it professionally, not just as a weekend joke project.

I'm not sure about the USA, but here in Canada Mazda extended the rust warranty to 6 years and recalled a lot of 3's about it.

optional spoiler package?

Our salt may have something more abrasive in it... I don't know exactly, but this isn't the only rusty Mazda3 of this gen that I saw before the recall. The rear quarter panels had a tendency to rust before anything else.

Though I suspect this particular car was not rustproofed at all.

Quebec's salty roads and insufficient rustproofing.

these Mazda3 were later recalled for that.

it probably has to do with the frequency of salting.

This particular car is in Montreal, so it's been pelted with salt for 6 month every year.
it has become a textbook example of the this generation's rust problem.

combination of salt and insufficient rustproofing.

these mazda3 were recalled for that, a few years ago.

specifically Montreal. This car is the textbook example of these generation of Mazda3 rust problem.