CorkSport’s 7th Gear Membership – Is It Right For You?

Mazda car community

We created 7th Gear for a few reasons…

To be transparent, we know our 7th Gear Membership creates brand loyalty โ€“ nothing wrong with that – but there is so much more to the program, a lot more. The program supports all customers, whether you live in the lower 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, or live internationally!

We wanted our customers to shift the money they were spending on shipping and refocus those funds into their rides. Aftermarket car parts can be a bit expensive, and on average, these parts tend to be physically LARGE, HEAVY, or BOTH. Shipping these items across the country is not cheap despite our negotiated rates and can easily run you approximately ~$30-$80 when ordering a few aftermarket parts or a full catback exhaust. We feel it, too.

With our 7th Gear Membership, you receive a welcome package with merch and stickers, plus free shipping in the lower 48 states or discounted shipping everywhere else. The free or discounted shipping begins on your very 1st purchase and continues across the next 364 days following your date of purchase – Purchases for your vehicle only and requires a free registered CorkSport Account.

In addition, we created a community – Our Exclusive 7th Gear Facebook Group – to share information, chase performance freely, and discuss the variety, frustrations, and general love for your Mazda platform. It’s a place where everyone can openly ask questions without getting crucified in the process or having to decipher a bunch of misinformation.

We expect our members to uphold the spirit of our page and avoid the unnecessary pot-stirring, personal pissing matches, and general vendor bashing that tends to ruin other pages and negatively impact the Mazda Community. We love the support and information-sharing members provide to their fellow enthusiasts – even if this is your first Mazda, you are an OG Mazdaspeed owner, or you just purchased one of Mazda’s latest models!

Most of all – the TOXIC behavior you find on many other pages does not exist here!

mazda miata on the tail of the dragon

Fast Forward 6 + Years Later

7th Gear’s Inner Circle is far from just another โ€œCar Page!โ€ It has strengthened the larger Mazda community, too! Some of our members have been with us since 2017, and others have been done with their build years ago, but each of them continues to renew their membership to be part of the 7th Gear Facebook Group. No doubt, that says something.

Our 7th Gear Members continue to share and support others in and outside our page actively and, in many cases, are driving performance within their platform. They love the group’s atmosphere and know they can seek information as newbies or experienced mechanics without sarcasm or ridicule.

It should be of no surprise that we also tend to hand-pick our sponsored drivers from our 7th Gear Members to represent our brand.

On the flip side, many of our members renew their membership off and on over time as they continue chasing that perfect set-up or as their car evolves from a modified daily driver to a full-on-track car.

OK, So What Does It Cost & What Do I Get?

7th Gear Cost

The cost is relative to the purchase you will make and the build plan you have for your Mazda. Let us explain.

Example 1: You purchase a Cat Back Exhaust,ย whichย isย shippedย from Vancouver, WA, to your garage in Metairie, Louisiana.ย 

Cost of 7th Gear – The Shipping Cost of Your Current Order = Your True Cost of 7th Gear

$99.99 – $89.63 = $10.36 is the True Cost of Your 7th Gear Membership

That’s right! You receive the hat, shirt, stickers, access to the 7th Gear Facebook Page, and free shipping in the lower 48 states for a year – all for an additional $10.36. That, my friends, is an absolutely smoking deal, especially if you are planning to continue modifying your car over the next year.

Example 2: You just picked up a 2022 Turbo Mazda 3 and ready to start your mod journey. As your 1st purchase, you order a Turbo Short Ram Intake and a Heat Shield Shipping from Vancouver, WA, to your garage in Butler, Pennsylvania.

You already know you plan on purchasing Lowering Springs, a Turbo Inlet Pipe, a Down Pipe, and a Cat Back Exhaust over the next year.

Cost of 7th Gear – The Shipping Cost of Your Current Order = Your True Cost of 7th Gear

$99.99 – $43.35 = $56.64 is the True Cost of Your 7th Gear Membership

For an additional $56.64, you will receive free shipping on all your future orders over the next 364 days, plus the 7th Gear Welcome Pack and, of course, access to the Exclusive 7th Gear Facebook Page. It is a sound investment – to make now, not later down the road, as the membership will have already paid for itself by your second or third order.

Example 3: You have been slowly modifying your daily, but you are now ready to wake up the car and your neighbors with a full 80mm Cat Back Exhaust. Shipping from Vancouver, WA, to your garage in Clintonville, Wisconsin.

Cost of 7th Gear – The Shipping Cost of Your Current Order = Your True Cost of 7th Gear

$99.99 – $110.06 = Your 7th Gear Membership just SAVED YOU $10.07 on this order!

This situation is a customer favorite – You quickly realize, by adding a 7th Gear Membership to your order, that you are not only receiving free shipping on your 1st order, plus the swag, and getting access to the 7th Gear Group, but you are also

Essentially, you received free shipping and a small discount on your exhaust order on day one, plus all future orders over the next 364 days will continue to ship for free.

It’s easy to see across all examples that our 7th Gear Membership not only PAYS FOR ITSELF in a very short amount of time but also continues to save you money over the entire year.

What IF I live in Alaska, Hawaii, or ship internationally? Do I Still save on shipping?

Absolutely, but shipments are not 100% free. As you know, shipping anything AIR Freight is expensive worldwide and brokerage/import fees can compound costs. In September 2024, we increased the shipping discount per order to help combat the costs. All orders outside the lower 48 states now receive up to a $40 discount towards shipping, to help take a bite out of the shipping costs to each of these locations.

7th Gear Welcome Swag Package:

7th Gear Benefits:

  • Free shipping in the lower 48 states or discounted shipping everywhere else.
  • The free or discounted shipping begins on your very 1st purchase and continues across the next 364 days following your date of purchase.
  • Exclusive access to our 7th Gear Facebook Page – This page is a membership favorite!
    • Occasionally
      • We offer closeout deals or specials on blemished parts
      • Share insider information
      • New products are almost always released here 1st
  • Free Renewal Gift if you choose to continue your membership for a consecutive year.
Mazda 3 car cruise at the tail of the dragon

What About the 5% back in CorkSport Points – Do I Still Get Those?

Absolutely! Regardless of whether you are a 7th Gear Member or not, you still earn ~5% back on your parts purchase – with a free registered account – to be used towards future purchases.

We do understand, however, that memberships are not for everyone – and that is AOK. But for those who have and continue to utilize the 7th Gear benefits and are actively supporting the 7th Gear Page โ€“ They are LOVING IT!

I will leave you with a few quotes from some current members:

.

Joining this group has been one of the best decisions I have made. Tons of new friends, adventures, and a wealth of knowledge have been gained since joining. Cheers to more fun times ahead!

Brayden


Honestly the best $100 I’ve ever spent I’m my 42 years of existence on mother earth! This group of car enthusiasts is more like family than anything else.

~ Santiago


You guys are awesome! Canโ€™t wait to renew my membership next year and see how much you guys grow as a community! And the stickers!!

~ Colby


I really enjoy the community on here too! Everyone is very nice in my experience and very helpful as well. Keep up the good work!

~ Rose
CorkSport 7th Gear Image

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The Ultimate Mazda Performance Guide

A few years ago, CorkSportโ€™s resident racecar driver – Derrick Ambrose – released a book titled The Ultimate Mazda Performance Guide.

The wildly popular book provides beginner and intermediate Mazda/Mazdaspeed owners a solid guide that outlines how, why and when to modify their ride. ย Now that the platform is a little older, these second-hand models are more attainable for first-time car buyers and Mazdaspeed Owners specifically are hungry to transform their ride into a +400 WHP BEAST!

With so many new enthusiasts joining the Mazdaspeed platform, we have been flooded with inquisitive calls and see an increasing number of new owners post up questions about turbos, ย High Pressure Fuel Pump Internals, axle back vs cat back vs turbo back exhausts, and what can I do to makeย 400 WHPย or evenย 600 WHP?

Many of these new Mazda enthusiasts are joining CorkSportโ€™s premier 7th Gear Membership to take advantage of the free swag package, free shipping in the lower 48 states and immense benefits from the troll free and exclusive 7th Gear Facebook Group – Where beginners can ask questions without getting clobbered!

So, whether youโ€™re just starting out with a new to you Mazdaspeed3 or Mazdaspeed6, or youโ€™ve hit the ground running with a new MX-5, Mazda3 or Mazda6 (turbo diesel!?). Our Mazda performance Guide will help answer some basic questions as well as set you on your path to get the most out of your ride.

Previous Interview with Derrick:

CorkSport: What made you decide to write a book about Mazda Performance and why?

Derrick: I really just wanted to give some of the new Mazda enthusiasts some of the knowledge that I have gained about Mazdaโ€™s from my involvement with them since the mid 90โ€™s. Many people are just now buying their first Mazdaspeed and donโ€™t really know where to begin. I wanted to help ease them into what they really need to know. It can be quite scary for some to jump into modifying or go into the forums or Facebook groups and not know anything.

CorkSport: We know all about the forums and responses to Newbs on Facebook haha.

Derrick: Exactly, the purpose of the book was to help give people a path and empower them with information that may take a lot of years or a lot of searching to find. I didnโ€™t want it to just be about selling CorkSport parts, we actually mention, and feature, many non-CorkSport parts in the book. That being said, Iโ€™m very proud of CorkSport and what we have done to help the Mazda community.

CorkSport: So who is this book really for?

Derrick: I wrote this guide for the beginner to the intermediate Mazda enthusiast that really wants to learn more and really get the most bang for their buck. I wanted to answer some of the most common questions Iโ€™ve seen on the forums and in person about aftermarket performance and where to start. If you have changed your turbo or are cross-weighing your coil-overs, you are probably past this book in terms of technical ability. I did, however, include many sources for additional information, contacts and even a brief history of Mazda itself; which is a topic I may even write another book on for the true Mazda fanatic.

CorkSport: I see, what do you think was the most challenging thing about creating a book?

Derrick: Everything, (laughs). When you have no idea what youโ€™re doing as an โ€˜authorโ€™, it takes a LOT more time than you could ever imagine. I was lucky to have a lot of help from some truly amazing people and am very grateful to all of them. Writing a book is a much bigger endeavor than I would have every thought, but having an actual piece of history afterward is truly a special moment. Having that glossy cover in my hands, seeing the ISBN on the back and knowing that I will be in the Library of Congress forever is just an amazing feeling. Itโ€™s weird how just making a book can make you feel patriotic, but it really did.

CorkSport: Well hopefully we can talk you into signing a few for us and we look forward to helping to make the next one. Thanks for letting us get a little more insight into this great addition to the Mazdaspeed community.

Derrick: Thanks, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did making it. If just one person gets the mod bug I did when I was younger because of this book then I will be happy.

CorkSport 7th Gear

Become of member of our new, exclusive program 7th Gear and get gifts, early access to new products, and more!

Youโ€™ve likely seen a quick glimpse of our 7th gear program previously, but there is NO WAY you have made it this far knowing all of the benefits and still not pulled the trigger.

There is just no way… and if so…You are MISSING OUT!

Weโ€™ve loved how this program has grown over the last year, with members giving product ideas, insight into their builds, and passing the EXCLUSIVE info on the gains weโ€™re experiencing on our prototypes; it has truly become a community of enthusiasts. With pushing one another for higher power and better builds as a center, great parts, and direct insights provide for instant feedback and inputs on projects.

Become of member of our new, exclusive program 7th Gear and get gifts, early access to new products, and more!

If you havenโ€™t heard, or looked fully into this program, here is a brief overview and some insight directly from our members!

As a 7th Gear Member, youโ€™ll receive โ€ฆ

An exclusive gift package worth $99 when you sign up.

    • You can only get these apparel items by becoming a 7th Gear member! – worth the cost of the membership by itself!!

CorkSport's exclusive new membership program, 7th Gear, is all about building a family of dedicated Mazda enthusiasts.

Access to our exclusive 7th Gear Facebook group.

    • Weโ€™ll provide insider information on our products, lifestyle, and happenings!

    • Youโ€™ll interface with other elite members of the Mazda Community and receive CorkSport answers faster than anywhere else on the web.

    • Youโ€™ll have first access to new product releases via the 7th Gear Inner Circle thanks to your membership

 

If you’re buying anything with a significant shipping cost, it would be patently stupid to not get the 7th gear membership. The hat is top quality flex-fit and the shirt is nice too, big vinyls if you’re in to that. Exclusive access to sales, skipping the line on new parts, and you get behind the scene access for product development. Combined with CS points it’s a much better offer than competitor’s “free shipping”. – Jason Gambill

Free Shipping to the lower 48 States. (Hawaii, Alaska, and International orders get reduced rate shipping.)

    • You heard us right! Free shipping to lower 48 and reduced cost shipping for our members elsewhere!

 

“Do you love buying Corksport parts for your Mazda? Then why wouldn’t you want to join 7th Gear? Early information on upcoming parts so you and your wallet can plan ahead. Corksport is one of the few companies still developing new and exciting products for the Mazda/Mazdaspeed platforms. Why not join them and get an even deeper inside scoop!  Even though I’m in Canada and I don’t get free shipping, the discount I receive does help! The cost of 7th Gear could be covered from just a couple orders.
And even the occasional sale exclusive to 7th Gear is great.” – Michael Cheek

Automatic Annual Renewal that includes an awesome anniversary gift worth, at least, the cost of membership!

    • Once again, no one has access to this exclusive gift item unless theyโ€™re a 7th Gear member!

As a 7th Gear member, rest assured that weโ€™re here to ignite your Mazda dreams into reality. With first access to parts, exclusive gear, exclusive 7th Gear promotions, and direct links to our CorkSport team, the free shipping is just a perk. Head to CorkSport.com for more information on 7th Gear today.

WHY GET INVOLVED IN THE MAZDA COMMUNITY?!

A car club by any other name is just a group of enthusiasts getting together to celebrate their gains, reach out for support, gather advice and inspiration, and ultimately find a reason to connect.

With Mazda clubs, specifically Nator Clubs, there is a LOT more to it than just the benefit to you as a single person.

We recently sent Kim out to the Epic Nator Meet in Robbinsville, NC, to ride the trail of the dragon, reach out to the Mazda community, and just generally bring her personality to ignite the shenanigans at the event. If youโ€™ve ever had the โ€œpleasureโ€ of meeting or hanging out with Kim, you know what weโ€™re talking about. You never know what will be said, how loud it will get, or how late into the night the event will goโ€ฆ especially if thereโ€™s a campfire.

She came back with some good info, great shots, and some awesome stories that reignited our LOVE of the NATOR MAZDASPEED CLUB and the Mazda community as a whole!

Mazda Community

From the moment she started to plan her drive from Richmond, VA, she was able to connect with a fellow West Coast transplant, and make the drive in her rental following the Mazdaspeed booty. Stopping for coffee, food, and to refuel it was an awesome drive all the way to Robbinsville, NC.

Tail of the Dragon Mazda Route

Pulling in, the hotel parking lot was already full of Mazdaโ€™s, and what a sight for sore eyes it was! Good friends from Canada, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Maryland, and so many other places! For those who had come in during the week, running the Tail of the Dragon had still not gotten old, and Mazdaspeeds were coming back from mid-day runs for dinner.

Nights filled with good friends, talk of cars, and connecting to just catch up were the basis of the meet, and hopping from one car to the next to get feedback and different set-ups and parts was awesome! No need to drive the Dragon in a rental when there are so many built Mazdas around!

Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda tail

We got reports of the spirit of the Nator Mazda community still being alive! With part swaps and repairs in the parking lot – all hands on deck, pickups on trailers for those with bigger issues, and unfortunately we saw the spirit of Nator in having one anotherโ€™s backs as people as well! From fender benders to a hospital run to keep our squad safe and healthy!

There is nothing, and we mean it, absolutely nothing better than seeing what the Mazdaspeed Nator club is capable of when it comes to supporting one another, donating to a cause or raffle, and just genuinely having a great time!

CorkSport Mazda Community Swag

Keep an eye out, as we will be sharing about our trip to the Mazda Takeover Event in Idaho very soon, and hosting our own Mazda Showdown, event at the end of summer. There is very little that tops the feeling of being connected to a core group of Mazda enthusiasts, and from West Coast to East Coast, we do our best to stay connected and keep the spirit of the Mazda Community running deep!

Until next time, stay safe, stay fast, and stay happy my friends!

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CorkSport Extras

Have you ever felt the love?!

Here at CorkSport, we are known for paying attention to the little things when it comes to our customers. Often, youโ€™ll see we send out some extras like the following, to pass just a little bit of extra joy to our customers!

We do Little things, like notes, cards, drawings, and candies. Who doesnโ€™t need a little extra fuel during the install?

We do Big things, like Christmas Packages for Deployed Soldiers, unexpected gifts for customers going through life changes, and surprise drop-offs when weโ€™re in your town. Always looking for a way to give our thanks for your support!

We do Baby Thingsโ€ฆ to welcome the newest members of the CorkSport Family to the world, not to mention that little T-shirts are just plain awesome!

And Holiday Things, to spread joy, cheer, and love when the season is just right. Not just Christmas, weโ€™ve been known to hit Valentine’s day too, (warning here that sometimes Girlfriends get jealous if they see the valentines we send out)

Sometimes there are silly things, like drawings, games, and toys. Of course, having a signed autograph from Derrick may be silly to some, but SOLID GOLD for others.

Really, we just love doing all the things. No matter what you get or see as an โ€˜extra WOWโ€™ in your packages, just know we did it out of love and thanks.

That is Why we do it.

To bring that extra bit of joy to your day, as if receiving CorkSport parts wasnโ€™t enough. Itโ€™s our favorite. Surpassing customer expectations and seeing their joy come right back to us via social media. As you can see our customers share the love right back when they post our simple little tokens of gratitude.

Have you been one of the lucky few to receive a bit of Corksport WOW in your life? We’d love to see you post it up with #CorkSport or tag us with @CorkSport.

Nothing satisfies the CorkSport Team more than seeing happy, satisfied customers!
  • Kim