We first drove and wrote about the MazdaSpeed 6 just over a year ago (“Deep Six,” Dec. 20, 2004), and you and we have been waiting ever since to get behind the wheel of a production version.

When the Mazda MP3 made its debut in 2001, it took the automotive enthusiasts' world by storm. Engineers at Mazda transformed the value-conscious, front-wheel-drive compact Protegé 4-door ...