The 323f Story By James Walshe

Make no mistake, the Mazda 323f/Lantis or 'BA' model is not 'just another Mazda'. It has a history and pedigree which few mainstream cars possess. The concept was first sketched in the early 90s and it seemed the design appealed so much to Mazda, the proposal was given the go-ahead.

The styling was developed at the Orberammergau based Mazda Design Centre in Germany, by a man with an excellent CV. The Chief Designer at the time was the man responsible for the exterior styling of the Porsche 928, 924 and 944 all handsome cars in their time. Even now, a 928 cuts a dash in the supercar crowd. Take a look at a late 944 and the Lantis similarities are very clear. In particular, the manner in which the bonnet sinks into the bumper, while the wheel-arches blister.

Drive a 323f and it's surprising, that even in base form, the car handles sweetly and with a great degree of poise. This, it seems, is no coincidence, as the chassis was developed at the arduous Nurburgring. Nissan was the first Japanese manufacturer to make use of the track, in developing the Skyline R32. Honda followed, with the NSX and then Subaru, with the Impreza. Road testing and chassis development of the Lantis took place in 1993 and it was quickly realised, the car would offer a much more 'sporty' drive than other similar sized models.

The V6 engine chosen for the 323f was also tuned with some help from the Germans. Porsche assisted in the development process of the V6 models, as they did for a variety of other manufacturers during this period. The German company was responsible for tuning both the 2-litre V6 unit, as well as the 1.8 V6, seen in the earlier MX3 coupe. The 1.5 and 1.8 units came straight from the Mazda corporation.

No reason has been found for the 323f engine bay to have been crammed full of V6. Used in larger Mazda saloons and coupes, the unit's fitment could be seen as another example of the company being ruled by the heart ? not something Mazda is known for in its family car division.

It's a rare beast, the 323f. The car was never particularly popular in Japan, with just 30,044 models sold between 1994 and 1997. That figure leaps, for worldwide sales, at 217,362. From what can be figured, the cars were only ever sold in Japan, certain parts of Europe, South Africa, Australia and a few countries in the Far East.

Lantis models were entered into the Japanese Touring Car series for a short time, but never scored huge success and were seen as more of a marketing exercise by Mazda, for a car it viewed initially as a jewel in the range. But never a big seller, the striking Lantis/323f was ditched in favour of a more conservative, arguably dull, model in 1998.

The 'BA' model was a design experiment that boosted a largely dull brand, for a very brief four years. The 'new' 323f, easily mistaken for other Japanese dullards, will soon be replaced by a new car. The 2004 323 looks interesting, but possesses none of the harmonious styling cues of the 1994-1998 model ? a 90s classic and a triumph of both engineering and design.

JW 2003