What has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission, all-wheel-drive, 18-inch alloy wheels wearing performance tires, and carries five adults inside? Nope, it's not an Audi, it's a Mazda. A 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed 6, to be exact, and pricing for the car was announced at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show.

On sale in the summer of 2005, the 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed 6 will cost $27,995, unless you order the optional Grand Touring package, which bumps the cost of the car to $29,925.

Standard equipment includes the 270-horse turbo engine, the manual transmission, and Mazda's new Active Torque-Split AWD system, which can send up to 50 percent of the engine's power to the rear wheels.

Styling modifications such as aggressive front and rear fascias, bigger multi-spoke wheels, a lip spoiler for the trunk lid, and a bulging hood visually set the Mazdaspeed 6 apart from its more plebian brethren. Inside, sport-bolstered seats are upholstered in cloth, and a full complement of power-operated accessories is part of the deal.

Buyers of the Grand Touring package receive leather, an eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats and mirrors, and a keyless entry and start system. Options are limited to pearlcoat paint, a moonroof, and a DVD navigation system, bringing a fully equipped Mazdaspeed 6 to almost $33,000. But don't worry. Mazdaspeed versions of the Protégé and Miata languished on dealer lots, and rebates will likely be offered on this car in time.

In other news, Mazda announced two special edition models at the L.A. Auto Show. The Mazda 3 SP23 gets a special saddle-colored leather interior, premium sound, high-gloss 17-inch wheels, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic headlights. It's painted Carbon Gray Mica and is available as a sedan or a hatchback.

Named for a Japanese word meaning "evolution," Shinka versions of the 2005 RX-8 get a revised suspension with upgraded shocks, Parchment leather interior trim, a new wheel treatment, and different bezels for lights front and rear. Mazda will produce just 2,150 Shinka RX-8s, but since the factory where the car is manufactured recently suffered a fire, it could be summertime before the Shinka edition arrives in showrooms.

By Christian J. Wardlaw