Derrick Ambrose | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

June 30, 2015February 24, 2025

We Need Your Feedback on Our Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

Guys, we want your feedback on a project we’ve been working on for the past year.

We’ve shown glimpses of our Mazdaspeed intake manifold from time to time, including the one below when we had it installed on Barett’s Mazdaspeed 3, which popped up on our Facebook page—on April Fool’s—while it was being tested.

This manifold is designed to be a bolt-in. It’ll work with the stock throttle body, stock intercooler, stock you-name-it. This means if you’ve upgraded to a front mount intercooler, it’ll also work as it keeps the OEM throttle body location.

We’ve been through a few iterations of the intake manifold, and below is a picture of the latest version. We’ve changed several things in the design from the last test version, including individual ports for the runners to install meth injection.

In our testing, we’ve found spool to be 200 rpm sooner with the manifold installed. This has been shown on a 1st gen Mazdaspeed 3 equipped with the CorkSport turbocharger and a 2nd gen Mazdaspeed 3 with a GT35r installed.

We also had a peak increase in power of 17 horsepower at the wheels on the 1st gen Mazdaspeed 3 in back to back testing with the manifold.

So. This is where you the Mazdaspeed owner comes into play. We want to know: Would you buy this if we made it? Tell us your thoughts, and if you are interested, shoot us an email so we can keep you updated.

Cheers,

CorkSport

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June 26, 2015September 13, 2018

Flashback Friday: 6 Hilariously Classic Mazda Models

We can’t wait for our new Mazda MX-5. Every time more rumors surface about the next Mazdaspeed, all of us at CorkSport can hardly contain our excitement. Still: We appreciate nostalgia, and for all the performance updates that Mazda has made over the years, it’s still fun to reminisce on their past accomplishments.

For a small player in the industry, Mazda has released some incredible cars over the years. Some have evolved into the models we mod out today; some disappeared like dinosaurs. They’re gone, but not quite forgotten, at least not by true Mazda heads. These are six of our favorite Mazda models from the past.

1. The Mazda Mazdago

First vehicle manufactured by Mazda — Mazda Philippines

Is it a motorcycle? Or an ATV? Or a truck? Technically, the Mazdago was the first “autorickshaw,” but we remember it more as the first vehicle manufactured by Mazda.

2. The Mazda Savanna RX-3

Long live the rotary, right? We can’t wait for the new one, whenever that will be, but we love any shot from the rotary family. Given the Savanna’s huge success in the 70s, it won’t ever be forgotten, but it’s sadly rare to see one of these morsels on the road today.

3. The Mazda Titan

Not to be confused with the Nissan truck, this commercial behemoth actually lives up to its name. The boxy Mazda Titan is still around, and still not the prettiest truck on the road.

4. The Mazda Bongo

Technically, these sometimes trucks, sometimes vans remain in production—at least for a little while longer. It’s the photos of the first models, though, like the first gen pictured above, that catch our eye. The Mazda Bongo has never been a sleek van, but that’s OK when their main job is to be functional.

5. The Mazda REPU

This was not a popular truck. Known for guzzling gas, its appearance right before the 1970s gas crisis might have sealed its fate. The Mazda REPU was a lot faster than its competition, though, and we kind of love that it had a rotary engine.

6. The Mazda MX-3

The Mazda MX-3 died out the same year CorkSport was born, and we remember it for the performance modifications. The MX-3 was basically made for Mazda performance enhancement. If you see one on the road today, chances are someone’s been under the hood, installing a lot of upgrades.

Did we miss any? (Rhetorical question, people. Mazda has made a lot of cars.)

Cheers,

CorkSport

June 23, 2015June 20, 2017

Love for the Skyactiv

We have gotten some great response back from our customers who have the SkyActiv Mazda 3, 6, and CX-5s over the past few years with product suggestions and questions about power, technology, and more.

We decided to have an in-house example of Mazda’s current sport model of the Mazda 3, a 2015 2.5 liter SkyActiv manual transmission. As everyone’s favorite television series host has put it in the past: There is no better way to test the breed than motorsports. So that is exactly what we are going to do with this brand new Mazda 3. Strip the interior, outfit it with CorkSport parts, install some safety gear, and go racing.

Yes. We are really going to take apart a perfectly good car to race on the track with a bunch of other people who suffer from the same mental disorder. We will be posting regular updates on the car as we proceed through the build, which will include time on our dyno and results on the races.

This also means there will be a garage sale on brand new parts from this car, interior, wheels, etc. It has every option so if you want something shoot us an email.

Stay tuned for updates.

-Derrick

June 20, 2015

The New CorkSport Mazdaspeed Aluminum Pulley Set

Make your engine bay pop with our 2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 Aluminum Pulley Set!

This sleek blue pulley set will catch your eye every time you pop the hood of your Mazdaspeed, giving your bay a nice personal touch of 6061-T6 aluminum and anodized CorkSport blue.

They come preinstalled with new OEM replacement bearings for quick installation—and they weigh 15% less than the OEM steel pulleys, so you’ll drop some weight when you add this mod. Oh yeah, and they’re precision CNC machined too, so they’ll look and perform great for years on the track and the road.

To learn more and buy your new Mazdaspeed 3 pulley set today, visit the product page, and watch the video below.

Pssst: 2006–2007 Mazdaspeed 6 owners, you can rejoice too. These blue beauties will fit your Mazda as well.

Cheers,

CorkSport

June 18, 2015

How Fast Is the 2016 MX-5?

At CorkSport, we can’t wait for the new 2016 MX-5.

We pre-ordered ours as soon as the sale went live, and we’ve been planning new Miata parts and upgrades since we first heard about the launch. The actual R&D has to wait until we have the MX-5 in our garage, but that hasn’t hampered our excitement—especially when we read the reviews of the lucky first drivers, who all love the car’s new updates.

This little roadster has been turning heads since it first hit the roads. During a recent balance test, Dave Coleman, the Miata Product Manager, said, “The Miata really is the most pure, elemental, simple, straightforward sports car you can get.” Whether you own one or not, it’s hard to disagree that the MX-5 is a beautiful piece of engineering. Just about every Miata model looks pretty and effortless—but at CorkSport we always want to know: How does it fare on the road? (Or better yet, at the track?)

We love speed, power, and handling at CorkSport, and most our products are designed to give your Mazda the most boost and control possible. From all of its initial reviews, it sounds like the new MX-5 engineers had similar aspirations, and from the videos we’ve seen, it looks like they succeeded.

Mazda UK just released a test drive video, showing how the new 2016 MX-5 compares to the original 1990 MkI. Given how much has changed in engine technology over the past 25 years, they gave the original a nice 4-second head start, just to make things fair. The result reveals the beauty of both designs—and promises viewers that the new Miata will be just as fun (and great) to drive as the first one.

If that doesn’t make you want to hit the track in a Miata, nothing will. We can’t wait to do tests of our own, so stay tuned.

Cheers,

CorkSport