With America’s B-Segment booming, subcompact cars are becoming the fastest growing market in the United States today. Some attribute this to rising fuel costs or a down economy, but maybe today’s American car buyer is realizing Europe’s little secret: You don’t have to drive an SUV to haul your family of three.

One possibility may be more and more manufactures are going with the “less is more” motto. Today’s subcompact cars are safer, roomier, and offer the same technological capabilities as their bigger brothers. They have twice as much horsepower as their 1980′s counterparts, while still providing outstanding fuel economy. And lets not forget how devilishly handsome they have become.  However, not everyone shares this perspective. If you strip down most subcompacts, they’re small, cheap, and underpowered. Sounds a bit degrading, unless you’re building a racecar. In that case, it actually sounds a bit enticing.

A few years ago, the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) developed a B Spec (subcompact) class that falls within the showroom stock category. Technical jargon aside, it was developed to create a class possessing the smallest, cheapest cars in a manufacturer’s line-up, while restricting engine modifications creating an even playing field. It seems they’ve created a class which caters to small, inexpensive, underpowered cars. Perfect for those on a tight budget or those looking for a new challenge. You could say SCCA took the “less is more” motto and ran with it.

Earlier this year, Twin Cities Luxury Auto was approached by a loyal client who was interested in building a new racecar. The client, a motorsports enthusiast, was drawn in by the principles of the B-Spec class: challenging, affordable and fun. So we sat down with the client and TCLA’s Michael Ashby, an experienced motorsports driver with Mazda, to discuss the ins and outs. After months of collaboration, the idea of building a spec series racecar became a reality.

With joint efforts of both Morrie’s Minnetonka Mazda and Twin Cities Luxury Auto, our Mazda 2 B-spec racecar build is underway. Please follow us on this journey and continue to check our progress here on the blog.

Mazda2

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