This is Paul’s future demo car: A 1993 Mazda MX-3 GS with, as you can see, a few extras.

These are great cars for high quality audio installations:  MX-3′s are very solidly built, and retain low bass well.*  They are relatively easy to work with, with none of the “integrated dash systems” that plague most modern vehicles.  There is room to put a 6 1/2″ woofer-mid in the doors, or even an 8″ if you are ambitious.  Similarly, there are plenty of possibilities for a tweeter, mid-tweeter, or (go 3-way up front!), a midrange and tweeter.  Add a good 10″ sub in back (or 12″ if you really want to go “loud”), a good, solid, clean 50 watt per channel amp for the front**, 300 watts or so for the rear, and if you pick your components carefully, and can do the installation yourself, you can have great sound for $1000 or less.  Or if you want to go further, of course you can!  Add some ground effects or other body “extras”, such as on Paul’s MX-3, and you can have an almost “unique” vehicle that will turn heads, and please ears.

*MX-3′s are NOT the best vehicle around if your purpose is to “boom” the whole neighborhood.  They keep most of the bass energy inside the car, surprisingly well, in fact.  This is of course great for listeners IN the car:  You can listen surprisingly loudly without getting a ticket for disturbing the peace! 

**We have even seen high power head units used for all the speakers but the sub(s):  If high efficiency drivers are chosen for the mids/highs, this can work quite well. 

P.S.  Make sure your sub(s) cabinet, amps, etc., if not built in, are secured well.  This is always good advice, but, MX-3′s, especially the GS version, and with good tires, “corner like a son of a gun”.  And you WILL want to have a little fun with that.  Drive safely, though!!!