1999 Mazda Millenia S: Mazda Gem of the Day

1999 Mazda Millenia S: Mazda Gem of the Day

Why is this 1999 Mazda Millenia today’s gem? Well, it’s not just any Millenia — it’s a supercharged Millenia S — and it has under 27k miles. Together, that makes it a true rarity for this decades-old Mazda luxury sedan model.

Every Millenia S came equipped with one of Mazda’s lesser-known unique engines: the supercharged KJ-ZEM V6.

What made Mazda’s KJ-ZEM particularly unusual was its unconventional combustion cycle. In fact, the Millenia S was the first mass-produced automobile that featured an engine running on the Miller cycle. In contrast to the typical Otto cycle four-stroke engine, the Millenia S sedan’s Miller cycle KJ-ZEM V6 keeps the intake valve open during part of the compression stroke to increase efficiency.

To overcome the drawback of lower compression and less power due to this unconventional compression and combustion cycle (similar to Atkinson cycle engines used in many hybrids), a Miller cycle engine typically utilizes a Roots-style supercharger to maintain compression and boost performance.

The supercharged KJ-ZEM V6 Miller cycle engine in the Millenia S resulted in 210 horsepower, 210 lb-ft of torque and a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 24 mpg. Those numbers may not seem impressive today, but they are when compared to other engines and sedans from the 1990s.

The 2.3-liter displacement of the KJ-ZEM V6 is also smaller than many inline 4-cylinder engines of yesterday and today. It matches the displacement of Mazda’s own 2.3-liter MZR 4-cylinder engines used in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged configurations in later years.

This 1999 Mazda Millenia S features a 4-speed automatic transmission (the only available transmission), a Bose Sound System, power seats, leather interior, power sunroof/moonroof, and AM/FM/CD/cassette radio.

Finished in Rainforest Green Mica paint with a beige leather interior and brown dashboard and steering wheel, this Millenia S is an excellent, low-mileage example of an increasingly rare Mazda sedan to see on the roads.

The Millenia was the result of Mazda’s development of Amati, its planned luxury brand that never materialized after being canceled in the early 1990s. Instead of scrapping the development of what was set to be the Amati 500, Mazda released the luxury sedan as the Mazda Millenia, as well as the Mazda Xedos 9 for Europe, and the Eunos 800 in Japan.

This 1999 Millenia S for sale is all-original, garage-kept and even includes a car cover specifically designed for the model, original service manuals, and receipts for its recent new tires and battery installation.

Watch Motoring TV’s video review below to see how the Mazda Millenia and its supercharged Miller cycle engine were received in 1994 when the luxury sedan debuted for the 1995 model year.