Jeff @ Print.Fab.Drive.
- Comment
I bought the CorkSport short ram air intake and rain shield together. I had put off getting a "cold air intake" for years because I didn’t see the value in it. I was wrong. I'm very aware of the placebo effect, and I've been driving this car for over 10 years. I've been running a factory air box with an oiled high-flow filter, so I know my car well. After installing the intake, I immediately noticed an increase in power. It’s not a dramatic change, but there’s definitely a noticeable gain across the entire power band.
Right after the install, I noticed a much smoother idle. I reset the battery and let the ECU relearn the idle before driving. Here’s how I did it: disconnect the battery to reset the ECU, start the car and let it idle for 20 minutes with the AC off, then idle for an additional 15 minutes with the AC on max, and finally, drive it.
The lower end was noticeably improved right away, and it definitely revs faster with less hesitation. On the interstate at cruising speed in 5th gear, it's noticeably quicker going from 70 to 90 to pass someone. So, clearly, I might have had some serious restriction issues with the factory setup. The stock Mazda intake with its resonator is a nightmare of bends and orifices that barely provide enough airflow to meet the parameters the engineers had to work with.
So far, this has been one of the best investments I’ve made for something so simple and common. And definitely get the rain shield for extra protection!







