“The difference between luxury and normality”
Summer in the nation’s capital.
Far from the record hot spells of the 1940’s and late 2010’s, the heat is simmering yet again across a dry and parched National Triangle. Tourists and locals grace the pathways and gardens of the nearby National Gallery of Australia as a late afternoon breeze, whipped up from Lake Burley Griffin, finds a blustery reprieve when combined with the shade of the territory’s elms, pines and gums in and around the institutions that infamously gift Canberra its boring moniker by some interstate visitors.
This afternoon, an extra tang enlivens one of those so-called boring attractions; the High Court of Australia. With its brutalist architecture and glass facade completed in 1980, it’s a place where the court cases of the people take to the circuit when all others fail. In striking lines and obtrusive abutments that overlook Canberra’s central basin, it provides an impressive backdrop to the smooth design, black paint scheme and guttural sounds of a car that is far from its birthplace and yet, like its backdrop, a representative of the coming together of great minds to settle upon a decision.
Those great minds are car designers and engineers, a world away from the judges and juries of a courtroom. But in unison the architects of decisions large and small, their origins can both be traced to 1980 where, just after the court’s completion, a foreign company called Mazda has just won its first Car of the Year Award in Japan. After a reinvention from the rotary driven decade of the 1970’s, Mazda’s fourth generation Familia platform has both taken families to a new car for the people and, as June 1983 beckons, the delivery of something exciting, daring and turbocharged.
It’s the first of its kind. The Mazda BD Familia 323 XGI Turbo.
Examples of the Mazda 323 GTX as seen in a US advertising magazine from the 1980’s, including the rally spec GTR, and an example as seen in the 2021 XBox X racing simulator Forza Horizon 5
In reflection, the advent of Mazda’s front wheel drive platform can be traced to the BD Familia. Coupled with the then new turbocharger and a four cylinder, five-speed manual E-block engine that could handle 85 kw (115 PS) at the wheels, it would comfortably achieve a speed of 0-100 in 8.9 seconds. Stocky in appearance and bristling with all the mod cons, it was only available in Japan and would tease local Australian audiences from afar with a shared design in the compact Ford Laser. It would not be until 2006 that Australia would share in the greatness of an exciting 3 turbo.
With the success of the vehicle, subsequent generations of the badge continued the trend throughout the 1980’s with later models gaining a DOHC engine producing 103 kW and a four-wheel drive option. That option, starting in 1985, would go on to become a Group A rally legend and resulted in a Japan-only homologation special known as the GT-Ae which saw only 2500 units produced. An updated GTX model was released in 1990 with a GTR variant following in 1992 featuring a ball bearing water-cooled turbocharger and power increase to 154 kW. As per the first GTX, 300 special version GT-R’s were produced known as GT-Ae’s and were said to be 30 kg lighter – a considerable change in design.
As the end of the millennium approached, there would be no further additions to the GTX line. In the everyday car sales market, what was then known as the Familia 323 would evolve of its own accord, firstly to the underappreciated 2003 Mazda 323 SP20 and then the 2004 launch of the simply titled Mazda 3, SP23. As the updated facelift, design and engine make-up of the SP23 entered the market for those seeking a sporty option to their commute, it was the 2006 Geneva Motorshow unveiling of the Mazda Performance Series 3 hatchback that boldly announced; the turbo was back.
It’s 2022 and Jacob’s MPS has blown up. A simple drive and some modifications to the engine have conspired to result in the loss of a piston. The road is covered in smoke and that overwhelming feeling of an uphill journey to begin again looms large over a build that has seen owner and vehicle not seeing eye-to-eye. Self-aware of a rushed job, Jacob has committed to something with a sense of false hope that nearly puts an end to one of Mazda’s best sports vehicles.
“The whole car shut off for me while I was driving. There was a different experience. The road was covered in smoke. But I knew that that was not the end of my story; I was like, I am not giving in – I want to build this car.”
And build he did. His journey would expand upon a legacy set down by Mazda engineers between 2006 and 2013, when the MPS was a genuine hot hatch rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Subaru WRX. It was a vehicle that was once part of a performance line featuring the Mazda RX8, NC Series MX5 and MPS6. Inspired by its roots in the GTXI, it contained a 2.3-litre direct spark injected L3-VDT four-cylinder engine shared with the all-wheel drive MPS6 and a six-speed manual transmission.
It was supported by the single-scroll Borg Warner K04 turbocharger, providing a peak boost pressure of 1.076 bar (15.6 psi). An air-to-air intercooler mounted upon the engine featured a chain driven double overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder with a variable intake valve that supplied a compression ratio of 9.5:1. This resulted in an incredible output of 190kw/380n, which was more than competitive against the Golf GTI of the same era and saw little change for the second and final generation MPS that followed in 2009.
It’s no surprise that some turbo enthusiasts would have room in the garage for more than one.
“This is actually the second MPS I’ve had. The first was a Cosmic Blue BK and it had motor issues. The plan was to buy this one to be able to continue my journey with the car. The rest is history – I ended up keeping this one and getting rid of the other one”
A lifelong Canberran whose gift is the bodywork repair and spray-painting of others vehicles, Jacob also keeps up appearances on his popular Instagram account, Midnight Shadows. There, he documents the various challenges and adventures with his car. He’s an honest owner, who shares everything with his followers as he builds upon an already impressive vehicle – joining the echelons of owners who’ve dared to go further with one of Mazda’s premium creations.
His work both online and on Canberra’s roads make it’s an unmissable vehicle. Once presented entirely in Black Mica, one of four colour schemes specific to the BK line up that also featured True Red, Cosmic Blue and Aurora Blue, Jacob has utilised his paint skills to bring to the table an extra flair in the form of the striking red and blue candy with custom crystal that’s applied to the bonnet and side mirrors. It’s an art that originally found its beginnings applied to the engine before heading to the exterior body.
“When I was growing up, you had GTA (Grand Theft Auto), Saints Row and all these car racing games. I feel like one of the main colours growing up was the Midnight colours. My brother and I said, when we were younger, that that’s the colour we one day want to paint our cars.”
For the curious, it’s not an easy job. The combination of a red and blue candy with a custom crystal is achieved by combining the black base with a colour-shifting pearl over the top to allow it to shift with the light. It is a six-layer colour which Jacob had to figure out how to make over time and which was not without its frustrations. Ingredients included urea, distilled water and dishwashing soap. Once the formula was correct, it then became a straightforward process of application.
Questions surrounding its repetition upon all the panels of the car result in a slight shake of the head; the better part of a day was spent to do the bonnet and mirrors so it’s unlikely the rest will follow. But he does note that since those items were painted, it’s the number one compliment he’s received in some time. Offers to paint other vehicles the same have indeed followed, but no firm price exists to see this eventuality succeed.
“The amount of people I’ve had come up to me and say hey, how much would it cost to paint my whole car in that colour? It’s pretty! I say to them, what’s your price? And it goes up about three times from there…”
When we move under the hood, it would be unfair to compromise on detail. Per Jacob’s own direction, here are the full specifications for his work to the car, featuring an 87.5mm bore -13.3cc dome 9.5:1 CR, Manley Performance pistons, rings and tuff connecting rods, ARP L19 head studs and main studs, Cometic Mazda MZR MLS head gasket, King Racing main bearings and rod bearings, Supertech Performance bronze valve guides, custom copper head gasket and custom bronze fire rings, CorkSport balance shaft delete kit and camshafts, a BNR5 EWG turbo smart external wastegate, Xtreme ceramic twin plate clutch, single runner ported intake manifold, AEM 3 port boost controller, Autoexe braided brake lines, COBB front mount intercooler, quick shift plate and blocking plate, CorkSport HPFP, Neomax Silvers coilovers and springs, Ewing diffuser, lip kit and pods, custom screamer, custom race pipe, CorkSport tail pipe, Cp-e external turbo manifold, custom slotted and drilled front brake discs, 2 port PI kit (to make a total of 6 injectors), keyed crank, Damond PCV plate, 3.5inch intake and stage 3 catch can kit, 4Bar Bosch map sensor, VTCS delete, CP-e injector seals and HFPF rings, custom painted bonnet and mirrors, Whiteline sway-bars and custom painted wire tuck plate and harness.
On the inside, the MPS was once known for its luxury and extra attention to detail featuring part-leather sport-bucket seats, aluminium pedals, a BOSE six-disc stacker and more. Jacob has built upon these base details with some extras, including, but not limited to, triple center gauges, a 9-inch Eonon head deck, interior swap, hell horns, Supertech spring seats, high performance retainers and performance springs and custom forged carbon steering wheel. Not to mention a few sticker decals that see the rear windows come down marginally when children are present.
Moving to the wheels, custom painted gold rims now adorn the car. These follow on from a set of 2014 Mazda 6 GT GJ rims that Jacob initially applied to the car during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, at the time repainted with a very space age mix of glitters and purple. But, after a payment of only $100 for a set of WRX rims featuring bad gutter rash, Jacob got to work on a complete refurbishment to restore them to their full glory. He even located some custom carbon fiber center caps.
After much experimentation in the workshop with whatever he could find, his eye landed on the copper gold that is pictured in the final product. It’s mentioned, off the record, that a name for the final scheme could even be Midnight Gold. Watching them shine in the afternoon light against the black and purple of the body is perhaps a small pay off to all the hard work invested thus far in the car, but one question remains – is there anything left to do on such an incredible piece of work?
“I’ve got a two-port port injection system at home, but I’m swapping that out for a four-port injection system. Someone is making that at the moment. I don’t think I want to run ethanol anymore, because the plan for the car was to run about 400 kilowatts on ethanol. The plan now is to run 350 kilowatts on 98, on pump gas. After that, I want to eventually re-spray the car with a colour I’ve been stuck on for some time – R34 Nismo Midnight Purple.”
After a brief time in Sydney stuck at an mechanic shop and a $15,000 budget blow out, Jacob has had nothing if not an interesting journey with a car that has not proven easy to wrangle. A self-described hermit, one gets the feeling that by applying himself to the MPS he has found a nice middle ground that has enabled him to escape the garage and seek out new horizons, people and adventures. He’s aware that he turns heads wherever the car goes while at the same time self-acknowledging that there’s few people dumb enough to build such a machine out of a Mazda 3.
“It’s good to have something that is able to get you out of the house, to get you to catch up with people, to give you an experience and see things that you normally wouldn’t be able to see. You don’t understand what it’s like to own a modified car or to be interested in them until you meet their owners. People that drive normal cars just don’t understand that.”
They would seldom understand the joy of opening up the car through Canberra’s one and only underground option, the Acton Tunnel, which acts as a reverberating noise funnel for anyone caught in the wake of Jacob’s MPS. As he himself acknowledges, it’s a symbol of the car’s journey, utilising the expanded turbo and straight through exhaust and external gate to announce a moment of fun and a reminder of what was once crowned the three-year consecutive winner of Car and Driver’s 10 Best Cars for 2007, 2008, and 2010 and Automobile Magazine’s 2007 All Star Award.
Passing along inner-city Canberra’s road network in the Summer heat, Jacob’s MPS holds attention as the only MPS the team spots this day. Such is the rarity of those remaining models now, you have the sense that another of Mazda’s once great investments in different technologies is coming to an end. While rumours and concepts abound that the Mazdaspeed badge (as it were named outside of Australia) will make a reappearance via the Spirit Racing emblem, and with an AWD 2.5 turbo option of the 2025 Mazda 3 only available in the United States, there may yet be hope for the future.
On return to the National Portrait Gallery, a place quite young in the triangle and gifted to the people as an institution featuring photographic art both modern and contemporary, we ask Jacob what the Mazda MPS has given him over an endless list of other options. He tells us that the range of vehicles in the fleet are well presented, from those that take you across the country to those that make a statement at motoring enthusiast meets. From everyday runabout options to the track and drifting with a rotary, the legacy of Mazda remains something for everyone and everything in between.
“Mazda’s the kind of company that are able to give you the difference between luxury, and normality”
Photographed at the High Court of Australia, National Portrait Gallery and the Acton Tunnel by Tyler Parrott at TylerP. Media featuring Jacob’s 2006 Series 1 Mazda MPS3. Videography and website hosting by Kevin Ha at StreetScene. Archival images by Jacob Taylor. Words, research and story assembly by Justin Bush for MazdACT Stories, Summer 2025.
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