The Mazdaspeed 3 is a pocket rocket of a car, and our spy shooters have caught the new hatchback version being test outside the Nürburgring in Germany.

A major update for the Mazda 3 is due for the 2010 model year. The sedan version will be unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show next month.

But this car, heavily camouflaged, is the Mazdaspeed 3 hatchback, the one that gets enthusiasts' hearts beating faster. Might we see it in Detroit? Or Chicago? Stay tuned.

We expect that the Mazdaspeed 3 is packing a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with direct injection, and look for output in the range of 260 hp.