i agree, mazda's doing nice things lately. i hope the protege gets killed, or gets a good make-over. the protege 5 i like a lot, but the regular sedan *looks* wimpy - especially the back.

however i think their "signature" front end design is bullshit, because i think honda was doing it at around the same time or before they started doing it. i'm talking about the 5-point grille... not that either of them necessarily invented it, but i thought it was more of a honda trait before mazda came along and started using it.

anyways, the "unvieled" version looks very similar to the concept. different grille, door handles, front bumper & body kit... but those are slight cosmetic adjustments. maybe the concept will arise as another model of the 3, like a sportier one or something... we also need to see more angles to be sure they didn't change anything else