This 323 was spotted by AGuyinVancouver and posted to the Cohort. This member of the seventh generation (mid-nineties) Familia probably won’t look familiar to our readers in the USA.
That’s because it’s one of those Canada-only things. This made to Australia as the Ford Laser Lynx, taking the usual name for a 323 sporting the blue oval ‘down under’ and combining it with a name from North America. In New Zealand, it was known as the Famila Neo. It reminds me of the CRX, but Mazda chose to do battle in the American small coupe segment with the very nineties MX-3. I wonder if this tiny number will accept a 2.5 liter KL V6 as readily.
I didn’t realize these were sold up in Canada, I had thought it was Europe and RoW only. Not bad looking, fits in with the era I suppose, looks kind of CRX-y although I believe they have a back seat, right?. I really liked the style of its predecessor, the 323F, which we didn’t get in the US either.
Yes they did.
Looks like a Ford Aspire/Kia Avella
These pics were taken at Granville Island, only a short walk from my home. Parking is a nightmare, so we never drive there!
An interesting car that I have never seen before. You guys in Canada seem to get all of the fun and unique stuff. Or maybe it is only fun and unique if you can’t have it.
I’ve seen a few of these around Vancouver over the years but I’m pretty sure Mazda didn’t sell too many here…they were pretty rare even when new.
These are very rare these days. Uncommon even new. It has been a few years since I’ve seen one. I’ve heard that most or perhaps all of these were sold in western Canada.
I believe they were four cylinder only in Canada.
rear view
Man, with that spoiler on top of the CRX-like glass, backing up must be a chore
I recall them being offered only for one model year and being abruptly terminated. I don’t know that they were mainly sold in Western Canada – I used to see a green one in Barrie, which is north of Toronto, Ontario. I’ve seen couple in the Toronto area as well, but certainly none in recent years.
These days you’re more likely to find them in wrecking yards than on the street, at least in Ontario. I remember our local Mazda dealer sold at least three. I tried to buy this one out of a yard in London, ON but it was a towaway and had no title.
To be fair, us folks in the USA did get the Mazda MX-3(which was also based off the Familia platform) It was not a big seller but the V6 version with the stick was a quick pocket rocket.I think it had the smallest V6 in production at the time.
Yup the 2.0 V6 was the smallest production V6 in car in the US. The bonus is that it is just a downsized version of the 2.5 which makes for a more or less bolt in swap for a serious sleeper.
It was actually a 1.8 liter V6, even more impressive.
The K-Series V6 was 1.8L in displacement. You are correct that the 2.5L from the Probe/MX-6 could be easily swapped in for a horsepower boost.
Canada also got the better looking MX-3 which makes me wonder why anyone would buy the 323F.
Or the Duratec 2.5 V6 from the 95+ Ford Contour? Or, how about, the 2.3L Miller-Cycle supercharged V6 from the Mazda Milennia S?
Interestingly, both Honda and Nissan had 2.0-liter V-6s for the home market. Smaller sixes (some inline, later some V-6s) were fairly popular in Japan because the rates for the various car-related taxes went up sharply at 2,001cc. Most of the automakers had 2.0-liter and smaller fours that were actually more powerful, but the sixes were a prestige thing.
Canada and Europe also got a 2.0L inline-6 powered BMW E36 3-series as the 320i. It’s a sleeved-down 145 hp (110kW) version of the 325’s six, and is essentially bulletproof.
It was a 1.8 litre V6 actually, with 130hp and 115lb-ft of torque, its interesting but sort of a so what for all the trouble of making a tiny V6, did Canada not get the MX3? It seems odd that Mazda would do one car for the US and one completely differently styled car for Canada, or did they get both THIS and the MX3? Which seems even stranger.
We got both. The MX-3 sold better.
Another interesting thing about the 1.8L V6 was the Variable Intake Runner System. Along its RPM range it had 3 or 4 sweet spots where the resonance in the intake runners helped with cylinder charging.
Yep the V6 Autozam mazdas are in NZ too though Mitsubishi undercut them on engine size offering a 1800 V6.
You mean a 1.6L V6 – was that in the FTO?
And here I thought I was up on all the Canada-unique cars. I’ve made several visits, and have countless photos of Echo hatches, Orlando’s, X-Trails, Fireflies, B-Classes, etc. You learn something new every day, great story!
I’m in Vancouver too. I love these cars, been hoping to buy one, but they’re old now, 1995. Occasionally I’ll see one on CL, but they’re either too pricey or near-dead. Yes, the numbers were very few and they were only sold for a month or two. Shame.
I’ve seen exactly one of these, at the local dealer in Whitby, Ontario when it was new. I’ve heard there were less than 500 imported before it was cancelled.
Nice Granville Island shot. Those were such cool little hatchbacks. With the CRX-esque back window. Not a speed demon by any means, but certainly stands out among the hoardes of champagne Corollas.
Mazda started to name all of its cars in Canada for a brief period in the early 1990s
We had:
MX3 Precidia
626 Cronos
MX6 Mystere
929 Serenia
Now to Bridges Granville Island to discuss naming strategies!!
Mazda went through several different strategies. First, they were the rotary people; then, very buttoned down with turbo options; then, “human design” with no turbos, but soft curves and naturally aspirated engines and a flame logo. Looks like they really laid it on thick for Canada with names like “Serenia.”
The mid-nineties BA chassis had two families of cars , both of which were sold as a 323 in various countries. This is a 3-door Lantis,but there was also a 4-door (rare outside Japan) and a 5-door, which was sold as a 323F and available with various 4-pot motors and the 2 litre V6.Alternatively there was the Familia, available a a 3 door hatch or 4 door saloon, which sold as a plain 323. I have been spannering a 323/Familia saloon for the past 14 years (it is now my daughters first car) and it is probably the best built car I have seen.
The MX3 was based on the previous generation 323/Astina chassis.
Four and five door Lantis was super cool. A pseudo hardtop 5-door liftback, with a tiny V6. It wouldn’t have been much of a success in the US, but it would’ve been nice if Mazda made some effort to bring attention to the 95-98 Protege lineup.
That Lantis was sold here as the Astina. I so wanted to get one of those, but couldn’t decide between the four-door pillared hardtop sedan or the cool hatch. Engines would be a problem though, as the testers I read didn’t like the “torqueless” 2 litre V6. We also got the 1.8 four here. And as for the Ford Laser Lynx that started us on this topic, they were a very poor seller here. Aussies don’t seem to buy three door hatches when there’s a five door option.
The Astina ‘hardtop’ sedan was top of the line, more expensive than the standard Protege sedan but it was good looking. From memory they had a choice of 1.8L 4cyl or V6, which was a strange move, the V6 had a bit more power.
The Laser Lynx was a rarity, with an unusual looking front end (to be kind). It was also on the expensive side, no low trim level available, and not as sporty as the older Laser TX3 3-doors that could be had with a turbo engine and awd. The Lynx had neither.
That Laser Lynx front reminds of a late 90’s Hyundai Tiburon.
Wow. That is a seriously good looking car–kind of like a more athletic, smoother version of the Millenia shape. Shame we never had those! I think it could have sold as an upmarket small sporty sedan, perhaps battling the likes of the Infiniti G20.
IIRC Mazda was supposed to do a luxury range along the lines of Lexus/Infiniti/Acura here, but pulled out at the last minute. Perhaps that car was to be part of the range?
Chris, about 20 years ago the Xedos was the high-end Mazda, I remember the Xedos 6 and 9.
The 323F was pretty popular in the nineties, especially among the young, fast and furious.
We haven’t seen a picture of the 323F interior yet, so here it is.
I also remember these having been a one year only deal here, and I know I sure don’t see many of them. I think it was also sold as the Ford Aspire here too.
Hah, how timely! I’ve got pics of another variant of 323 that I need to write up. It’s the most stripped down stripper of a car I’ve ever seen, and somehow has survived many a midwestern years being well taken care of. The things you find…