Oliver Bentley - Automotive Photographer - Photos - Wallpapers - Helpful Articles

I’ve always been into cars. When I purchased my 2003 Nissan 350z 5 years ago, I was ecstatic. I had finally gotten my dream car. The Nissan 350z’s 287 horsepower V6 engine was solid and it handled great. The best part was it had the looks to match. I told myself I wouldn’t modify it but sure enough, a couple of years later, I added a subtle Nismo body kit and gunmetal Enkei rims. When the “mod-bug” bites it doesn’t play around.

Then last year I got married. And instead of the “mod-bug” I got bit by the “baby-bug”. The 350Z was a great car but not exactly the best family car out there. I needed something more practical but at the same time I didn’t want to sacrifice performance. I needed something that was fun to drive.

I looked into getting an Mitsubishi Evolution IX because I figured a sedan would be more practical. Plus, I knew how fun they were to drive thanks to a recent trip to the dealer. Unfortunately, there were only a few left in all of Southern California and the dealers were actually trying to mark them up.

While driving home from the Mitsubishi dealership disappointed, I passed a Mazda dealership. I remembered reading something about how the Mazdaspeed 3 was such a “bang for the buck” car. So I stopped by for a closer examination. I’ve always liked hatchbacks, so that was an immediate plus. But my initial impressions was that it was o.k. but not as sexy as the 350Z. I did however love the fact that it could seat 5. I was also impressed with how much storage space it had with the back seats folded down. Perfect for a family man as well as a photographer with a ton of gear. The front seats felt good and had great bolstering. Ultimately, the thing that would make up my mind was the test drive. The turbocharged 2.3 liter I4 engine had great power. I found out later that it was putting down 263 HP and 280 TQ. It literally pushed me back in my seat when I stepped on the pedal. Responsive steering and crisp handling made for a very nimble vehicle. To top it all off, the loaded Grand Touring model they had on the lot was going for about 26K. It was perfect for me. I ended up driving it home the next night.

As far as modifications, I’ve already added powdercoated Mazdaspeed 6 rims, limo tint, Ipod integration, and an intake system from Cobb Tuning. It may not look as sexy as a 350Z, but it’s not ugly, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to drive. Enjoy the photos.