Mazdaspeed began in 1967 as "Mazda Sports Corner," an independent racing team and tuning operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also managed Mazda's Tokyo distributor. In its earliest years the team competed domestically and internationally, and in the early 1980s it entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the 717, 727, and 737 prototypes. In 1983, Mazda relocated the operation to Hiroshima and officially renamed it Mazdaspeed.
Beyond circuit racing, Mazdaspeed developed a broad catalogue of factory-approved performance products for production Mazda models including the MX-5 (NA/NB), RX-7 (FC/FD), 626/Capella, Familia/323/Lantis, MX-3/Presso, MX-6, AZ-1, and Carol. Notable among these were limited-production touring kits — designated A-Spec, B-Spec, C-Spec, and beyond — each pairing a distinct exterior appearance with specific performance hardware.
Mazda Motor Corporation assumed full control of Mazdaspeed in 1999, integrating it as an internal tuning and performance-parts operation. Consumer-facing performance vehicles followed from 2003 onwards.
Mazdaspeed's greatest achievement came at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the 787B won outright — the only victory by a Japanese manufacturer at Le Mans until Toyota's triumph in 2018. The team also prepared the Lantis and Familia for the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) between 1994 and 1996.
The first consumer Mazdaspeed vehicle was the 2003 Mazdaspeed Protegé, sold exclusively in the North American market as a performance step-up from the Protegé MP3. A T25 Callaway-Garrett turbocharger and intercooler lifted output from 140 bhp (104 kW) to 170 bhp (127 kW); the package also included a new front air dam and rear spoiler. The Japanese-market Mazdaspeed Familia took a different approach, using a naturally aspirated FS-ZE 2.0-litre engine with higher compression and revised camshafts to produce 173 hp (129 kW) at 6,800 rpm.
In 2004, the Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata arrived in North America before spreading to Australia and Japan. An IHI single-scroll turbocharger boosting at 8.5 psi (0.6 bar) raised power from 142 bhp (106 kW; 144 PS) to 178 bhp (133 kW; 180 PS) and torque from 125 lb·ft (169 N·m) to 166 lb·ft (225 N·m).
Mazdaspeed's first global release was the 2006 Mazdaspeed6, which carried Mazda's most powerful piston engine at 274 bhp (204 kW; 278 PS) in an all-wheel-drive layout. The Mazdaspeed3, introduced for the 2007 model year, offered 263 bhp (196 kW; 267 PS) and 280 lb·ft (380 N·m) of torque, positioning it as the most powerful vehicle in its class. A second generation followed in autumn 2009 for the 2010 model year, retaining the MZR 2.3-litre DISI turbocharged engine with identical power figures alongside refreshed bodywork, interior, and chassis tuning. The Mazdaspeed3 name last appeared on a 2013 model.
From 2005, Mazda branded a series of racing championships and driver progression programmes under the Mazdaspeed name, organised in conjunction with various race promoters. Winners in a given series received an automatic promotion to the next rung of the ladder.
The sports-car path, known as the Road to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, carried Global MX-5 Cup Spec Miata winners into the Prototype Lites series, from which the winner could progress into the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and ultimately the IMSA WeatherTech United Sports Car Championship.
The single-seater path, the Road to Indy, directed series winners through a shootout for a place in the US F2000 championship, then upward through Pro Mazda and Indy Lights toward a potential IndyCar Series ride. Mazda ended its involvement with the Road to Indy ladder in 2018, redirecting focus to the IMSA sports-car prototype programme and the grassroots Global MX-5 Cup contingency programme.