As part of Mazda's involvement in our Trek 2 Texas 2002 event, we got the keys to a couple of Protg5 (P5) wagons for the trip. The red one was destined to remain with us as a long-term tester. We knew we were taking delivery a scant 48 hours before our departure on the 2,000 mile Trek. We also knew the sporty wagon deserved to be dressed to thrill for the four-state blast into the Southwest.
A quick call to HKS got us a Power Flow intake and cat-back exhaust; DAZZ Motorsports stepped up with a set of RH Evolution C3s to join our Falken rubber and H&R lowering coils to give the 5 a proper stance. On the Trek, the Protg looked sharp traveling down the road and thanks to the performance upgrades, it easily overpowered the yellow P5 that only had a set of wheels.
Off To The Dyno Cell
The parts came in the day before the car so we shot them and took the car to Area 51 Fabrications in Irvine, Calif. for installation. The Area 51 crew allowed use to use its Clayton dyno and all installation and testing took place on the Saturday before our Monday departure. The wagon was strapped to the rollers for baseline testing which showed 123.9 hp and 126.6 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
The first power part was the HKS Power Flow air filter. The five-minute install netted 125.8 hp and 127.5 lb-ft of torque. At peak we realized gains of 1.9 hp and 0.9 lb-ft of torque.
Next up was the HKS Hi-Power cat-back exhaust system, which features a stainless-steel muffler canister and wide mouth tip. With system bolted in place, the rollers spun to the tune of 129.6 hp and 132.0 lb-ft, which indicates a gain of 3.8 hp and 2.5 lb-ft of torque more than the first test. In about an hour, we saw an overall increase of 5.7 hp and 3.4 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
The HKS exhaust system included a silencer and curiosity got the better of us. We decided to install it and make a pass. The silencer cost 1.6 hp and 0.9 lb-ft of torque. Whether the reduction in power is worth the reduction on the eardrums is up to the individual-we're just dishin' out the numbers.
The gain of 5.7 hp has more impact when you consider it represents a 4.5 percent gain over stock. The P5 is a neat little car. With the WRX wagon and IS300 wagon available, the P5 is hitting the market at the perfect time. We look forward to adding even more Zoom to the Mazda in future issues.
The HKS Power Flow filter system was a super quick bolt-on that added 1.9 hp.
The HKS Hi-Power exhaust system features a bolt-in silencer at the tip. We tested the P5 with and without the baffle.
A set of RH Evolution C3 mesh-style wheels were tag teamed with Falken rubber and H&R lowering coils to give the P5 an attitude adjustment.