A few weeks ago I began entertaining the idea that the time is fast approaching when I should be considering a new work car. Strangely enough, this didn’t occur to me back when a steering rod snapped - a fatal issue if it happened at any speed - but when the engine started getting noisy and the car began making odd smells. Annoying, but hardly dangerous.

Anyhow, all these faults have driven home (no pun intended) that the Telstar is 13 years old and shouldn’t be relied on as much as I have been doing. When it breaks I have to spend time getting it repaired, and when it’s in the shop I’m not earning any money.

So, a while back I was looking at the Mazda6 range on the web with a vague idea that I’d quite like a Mazda6 MPS (and a pony, and a plastic rocket). I noticed they’d just announced the upcoming Mazda3 MPS. It’s supposed to be just as powerful but perhaps more practical, being a hatchback. “Bonzer,” I thought, and registered my interest.

A couple of weeks later I got a card in the post inviting me to go to a specific part of the website. When I did I found a little driving game that promised prizes to the fastest people around the track. I assumed the winners would get a Mazda keyring or something, but as I didn’t have much to do on that day I spent about 40 minutes trying hard to get a good score. I mean, hey… free keyring.

Fast-forward a few weeks, and I’d forgotten all about the game, but I’d been sniffing about the local Mazda dealership and gathered the business cards and what-have-you. Anyway, last week I got a call from Mazda asking if I’d be interested in taking part in a focus group about the website - they’d need an hour of my time and they’d pay me $80 in exchange. I couldn’t see a reason to knock back $80 to talk about web design so I agreed. It’ll be happening next week.

But that’s not the reason I’m posting this. The email I received today is:

Dear Paul,

Congratulations! You’ve won a place at the exclusive Mazda Performance Driving Day in our hottest hatch ever.

You’re definitely hot enough for the new Mazda3 MPS.

Your online hottest score was 0:58:18 making you so hot you have qualified for a track session in the new Mazda3 MPS at our exclusive Mazda Performance Driving Day.

On this day, not only will you be able to feel the heat of the Mazda3 MPS first hand by taking it for a spin, you’ll also experience the entire Mazda Performance Driving range, including: Mazda6 MPS, MX-5 and RX-8. And if this isn’t hot enough for you, Dick Johnson will take you for a once-in-a-lifetime hotlap on the day, where you’ll discover how the Mazda3 MPS really handles! (Please note, you must be able to drive a manual transmission vehicle to be able to participate on the day.)

The Mazda Performance Days in your state will be held at Sandown International Raceway, Sandown Road, Springvale.

So, this will be happening on the 5th or 6th of September, depending on which session I get into. I hope to have some pictures for you, and with luck Mazda will have a few spare vehicles handy… after all, would you worry overmuch about damaging a sports car you didn’t own? I wonder just how sideways I can get an RX-8, anyhow…

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