The CX-9 is not exactly the model you think of when it comes to a mod car. As a matter of fact, CorkSport doesn’t even list the CX-9 in our catalog, but for those of you thinking about starting a family or carting your brood to soccer games on Saturday, this may be just the vehicle for you!
The new 2014 Mazda CX-9 was unveiled this week ahead of its Australian debut and I figured it was worth a mention, even if it is just to see how the KODO design is being incorporated into the product line.
Replacing the Nagare design language with the new sportier KODO design has done the front of the vehicle some good. The grille is much improved with more aerodynamic headlights and fog light housings, along with some sportier LED daytime running lights, but the front overhang detracts from the sportiness and likely the handling of the vehicle. They have not given us a view of the back or interior yet so some of the design elements in the new version remain a mystery.
The word is that the SUV will be carrying over the same Ford-based CD3 platform and keeping the 3.7 liter V-6, 273 horsepower engine and six-speed automatic transmission. It will be interesting to see how Mazda intends to incorporate SkyActiv technology into CX-5’s older and bigger brother in the coming years, but for now, the family-friendly seven seater will continue to get just 19 mpg in combined EPA fuel economy.
Now Mazda, what we really want is any details on a new Mazdaspeed!
Gwynne –
Wipe That Smile off Your Face CX-9! September 18th, 2012CorkSport
CorkSport is happy to announce the release of the 2011+ Mazda 2 Cold Air Duct for CorkSport SRI! Now you can get the benefits of a ram air intake system without dropping a heafty chunk of change to purchase the set-up!
By coupling your CorkSport Short Ram Intake with the CorkSport Cold Air Duct, you will limit the exposure of hot underhood air into your short ram intake and gain additional exposure to cool outside air using our unique design that pulls air from the front of the core support, resulting in reduced heat soak and more power gained from your short ram intake.
During testing CorkSport saw an average 10 degree drop in temperature at the intake compared to running the intake without the air duct installed and saw a 12 degree drop at idle for 5 min.
The CorkSport Mazda 2 Cold Air Duct is made from durable FRP construction that is ready to be painted, lightweight and an extremely strong, robust material. It takes less than 30 minutes to install making this part a no-brainer addition for any Mazda 2 owner currently running a CorkSport Short Ram Intake.
This is the only SCCA approved Intake and air duct for the popular Bspec racing class.
As CorkSport works through R&D on any new part we are developing, we always take the time to consider possible failure modes. This ensures the final product has been thoroughly thought out and developed to avoid as many potential failure scenarios as possible.
Failure modes can come in many different forms. There are failure modes brought on by the product that have to be considered, failure modes brought on by assembly and packaging to consider, and failure modes brought about by the installation of the product. Often a failure mode can be a simple issue that may seem trivial until you sit back and consider the potential consequences. For that reason, clamp placement is a critical issue that can be easily overlooked during installation.
The Common Cause of Clamp Failures
When a part is installed that requires clamps, it is easy to consider only the aesthetics of the part. The initial reaction is to want the clamps to be even and silicone to be on properly, but there are a number of other potential hazards that need to be addressed when installing clamps.
The motor itself rocks back and forth which is particularly noticeable on a Mazda where the motor rocks a lot. Because the motor rocks but the engine bay does not, the clamps on your installed parts may move around and come into contact with other parts of the engine bay.
Notice the picture above. Everything looks good until you look closer. The clamp is actually touching the radiator hose which can be a potential failure point with the part. By simply rotating the clamp slightly so the bolt does not come into contact with the radiator hose, you can avoid the contact point and a possible problem with your vehicle.
Clamp placement is critically important with a front mount intercooler install because the clamps have the potential to contact a lot of parts in the engine bay and other pipes. When it comes to intakes, it is also very important to consider clamp placement because they are much closer to critical wiring. Simply flipping the orientation of the clamp can mean the difference between worn plastic and wiring harnesses or trouble free operation for years to come.
Avoiding Clamp Failures
Using the picture below as an example, you can see that the clamp fits well and doesn’t touch anything, but imagine if it was tightened into the stationary object. When it moves back and forth it would eventually rub through the tape and shielding and contact the wires inside. By being aware of this, we can position the clamp so it will never contact. This is something easy to do while you are installing the part, but can be a much bigger headache down the road if it is not considered upfront.
Below is another example of a clamp that is not ideally positioned. We actually have the opposite scenario here to the last example. The clamp is on a pipe that is hard mounted to the frame, while the other pipe is attached to the motor and moves. This will cause the clamp and the pipe to contact and wear against each other over time. Although both are metal, the clamp will eventually work its way through the aluminum pipe and cause a vacuum and boost leak. This means a poor running car and loss of power.
Take Time to Consider Clamp Placement During Install
Take care during your installation and avoid potential pitfalls down the road. By maintaining good clamp placement, not only will you avoid scratching the pipes, but you can avoid other potentially serious issues like boost leaks and unintentional contact with other parts in your engine bay. So remember, always keep your car safe, beautiful, and protected by maintaining good clamp placement.
Mazda enjoyed releasing short YouTube videos teasing some different aspects of the new Mazda 6, which just recently started production in Japan. I admit, I fell into their trap and watched them as they were released to see what the videos would show for the new design. The official first picture of the Mazda 6 was shown as it rolled off the production line in Japan seen below.
Looking at the new 6 there are several things which are striking from the side view. The curve over the front fender and into the door is fairly pronounced in the sheet metal. It also gives a look to make the front of the car look longer, very 1st gen Rx8.
The Kodo design is strong in this model like the CX-5. The whole look is really shared with the CX-5 in the grille and headlight shapes. The tail lights are patterned after the CX-5 as well.
The bumpers on the car shown are very short. The rear bumper I expect to grown a few inches when the car is released in North America. The front bumper will probably stay the same, Mazda has been pretty good in the last few models in keeping the styling the same and still pass the crash standards for all markets.
I was eagerly awaiting more pictures of the production vehicles from the Paris and Russian Auto shows to decide if I liked it or not. Honestly I hope Mazda gives us a Mazdaspeed version of the new 6. With the Kodo design it would be easy to make the 6 look really tough in the styling department and do some trick stuff with the i-Eloop system. It would be fun to drop all of the power through the regenerative system to run an AWD launch for some wicked burnout fun.
The stuff that I saw from the Moscow Auto Show has me even more excited. The Mazda 6 wagon with the SKYACTIVE-D 2.2L diesel engine would be amazing here in the US, but I fear that it probably won’t be imported by Mazda USA.
(Are you reading this Mazda USA? BRING US DIESELS!)
There are some significant differences about how we designed our turbo inlet pipe compared to the other solutions offered for the DISI engine. We get a couple common questions that we thought would be worth reviewing for our readers about our design vs. the other options on the market today.
The first question we get asked most often is also the most obvious difference, which is why we chose metal over silicone. CorkSport uses a mandrel bent aluminum pipe to replace the factory plastic pipe instead of silicone. The reason we chose metal in place of silicone is to maintain a better flow through a very tight area. Metal cannot distort in shape or size and provides a smooth pipe to flow through that does not have the rougher characteristics associated with the nylon braid used in silicone.
The second question that comes up most frequently is, can a metal turbo inlet pipe transfer heat to the air rushing through the pipe at a rate that would increase the temperature of the air going into the motor? To begin with, the pipe itself is insulated from touching the turbo or block by silicone so the actual heat transferred into it is very low. It is insulated from the bracket that it bolts to by rubber and has no other contact with the engine bay other than through the air. The physical air in the engine bay should be the same no matter what intake you run so the turbo inlet pipe will eventually reach the same temperature.
In order to test this we ran our test car on the same day with less than 10 degrees difference between ambient air temp between tests. We put the car on the dyno and ran the car at the same load from the same rpm range at 20psi. This was about 2500 to 6500rpms. The above graph shows the difference between intake air temp and boost air temp. The intake air temp is basically outside air temp and the boost air temp is the temperature of the air entering the engine. There was basically no difference from metal to plastic telling us that the metal is not able to transfer heat any faster than the plastic to the actual air traveling into the motor.
Bottom line, during testing, the CorkSport Turbo Inlet Pipe showed a 14% improvement in flow over the stock turbo inlet pipe, resulting in improved boost levels, and customers can rest easy knowing that the aluminum piping will not affect the temperature of the air running to the motor
Brydon-
Turbo Inlet Pipe Differences February 28th, 2018CorkSport