Unleash the potential and growl from your car and take the step forward into more power! A full 80mm Turbo Back exhaust is now possible with CorkSport’s new Catted Turbo Downpipe for the 2021+ 4th Gen Mazda3 Turbo (as well as CX30 & CX50 Turbo Models)!
Our downpipe uses a two-piece design, making installation easy without the need to wrestle with a single large, cumbersome pipe. The Downpipe starts with a high-flowing cast 304 Stainless Steel Bellmouth, then joins the 80mm mandrel-bent piping with a V-band connection for a leak-free seal.
A high-flow 300 cell Catalytic Convertor is utilized in our downpipe and has been tested to have no significant effect on power potential. A catless option is not available.
Do I Need A Tune?
Addressing the other elephant in the room: Tuning. We highly recommend getting a tune after installing the 80mm downpipe as there are very strict airflow limits in the stock tune that severely limit power. This will result in some mild stutters, surging, or “hiccups” at wide-open throttle. This does not do any damage as it is simply a very conservative safety limit for stock components.
With more flow-efficient parts (i.e upgraded intakes , Turbo Inlet Pipe, and exhaust systems), these limits are being reached much easier and the ECU will limit the power output of the engine. The vehicle will be drivable on the stock tune and still give you an aggressive growl out of your 2.5T!
Here you can see the power gains with a fully-bolted Mazda 3 Turbo that is tuned vs stock downpipe and stock tuning.
Dynograph of the Mazda 3 Turbo Downpipe with CorkSport CBE, TIP/SRI – Tuned vs Stock Downpipe + CorkSport CBE, TIP/SRI – Stock tune.
Each Downpipe kit comes with a complete pack of all the hardware and gaskets needed for installation. This includes:
We (CorkSport) showed off our work-in-progress TC America TC Class Mazda 3 race car at the CorkSport Mazda Showdown event on August 5th. If you are asking yourself why this is a big deal and why I am reading a blog post about it, here’s the explanation.
On October 1st, 2019, Mazda announced they would join the TCR ranks with the car attending the 2020 season opener at Daytona with IMSA. The bodywork was excellent; it captured the body lines and presented an absolute WOW factor!
Unfortunately, the car was a no-show at the first round or any round scheduled in 2020. On August 15th, Emily Taylor from Mazda announced they had canceled the TCR program, citing the coronavirus as the explanation.
What About The Body Kit?
So what happened to everything from Mazda’s race program, and why is the bodywork a big deal? There were two sets of original molds made for the bodywork. The 1st set of molds went to the constructor Long Road Racing, and the second set sat at Mazda’s design center in Irvine, California.
The molds in Irvine were the first set made off of TCR “Show Car” bodywork and were not production-ready. The “Show Car” Mazda used for their 2019 announcement and future marketing campaigns wasn’t an actual race car. It was a production car with the bodywork on it, but the engine & drivetrain was stock.
CorkSport has been racing a 3rd generation Mazda 3 in the TC class for several years as the development tool for the Skyactiv Turbo kit we offer.
When running in a professional series, the series works with manufacturers and wants the newest models competing on the track to keep the series fresh and relevant for marketing for both the auto manufacturer and the race series. The last 3rd Gen Mazda rolled off the production line in early 2018, making our race car over a year old when the TCR program was announced and over two years old when the program was canceled.
We needed to race the 4th Gen Mazda 3s to keep competing in TC America,
The Journey For the Mazda 3 TCR Kit
This may seem like an exaggeration, but I spent over 200 hours on the phone, in meetings, writing emails, and talking with employees, ex-employees, and contractors that Mazda used to chase down where the bodywork went, who was ultimately in charge of it, and to see if we could get our hands on it.
Once I knew the molds still existed, additional meetings, phone calls, and emails were required before signing an, “OK, we will consider it. Your plan and history jive with a company (CorkSport) that can use the parts and provides a benefit to Mazda.” type of agreement. During this time, I learned the first set of molds had been destroyed, making the motorsports molds the only set left.
In October 2022, snagging the TCR bodywork molds became a strong possibility. I was headed to Texas to drop off some racing equipment to a friend. I decided to leave my truck and trailer in Texas since the bodywork molds were now located on the East Coast. If Mazda agreed we could pick up the molds in the next few months, the truck and trailer would already be halfway there.
December 12th, 2022, Mazda gave me the green light to gain access to the molds after several more phone calls, ZOOM meetings, and agreements were made. I flew back to Texas and headed to Multimatic in Mooresville, NC, to complete this epic quest. After one very long drive, including a massive ice storm, and making it home on Christmas Eve, Mazda’s TCR molds were at CorkSport.
Since then we have been planning and slowly building the new TC Car – We cannot thank Mazda Motorsports enough for choosing to partner with us as we continue to shape our racing program!
The body kit is thick and the ride height was not adjusted prior to the reveal .Rear wing is not to racing spec and was added temporarily to represent what it might look like in the future – rear window will eventually be plexiglass.
Are These The Real Thing?
A common question that will get asked is, “I have seen the Mazda 3 TCR kit overseas, how is what you have the real thing?” Well, my friends, Technology and replication are a wonderful thing.
I asked the same question about the hill climb machine that TCP put together for Mike. If you compare the kits, you can see there are some differences in the kits with the aero, brake cooling, grill area, and more.
It was unofficially stated there were body scans done of the show car with Mazda Japan and those are the results. I cannot speak about the Thailand car but a handheld scanner and some import auto salon are my best guess.
Look forward to more updates on our build over the next several months, This is going to be fun!
Looking to elevate the handling of your Gen 4 Mazda 3 Hatch to new levels? If that is the case then you may be interested in the new CorkSport Rear Hatch Brace. The 4th GEN Mazda 3 Rear Hatch Brace (aka Rear Strut Brace) is designed for any 2019+ Mazda 3 Hatchback Turbo & non-Turbo model and is a must-have for those wanting to improve chassis stiffness. If you already have CorkSport’s Front Tower Bar, Rear Motor Mount, or Rear Sway Bar installed, this will be the perfect complement for your 2019+ Mazda 3 Hatchback.
We actually introduced this back in April 2023 with a Tech Blog that you can check out here. Now here is the final product!
The Need For A Rear Hatch Brace
First, let’s start by addressing why the CS Mazda 3 Rear Hatch Brace is only available for the hatch and not the sedan as well. One of the main benefits of a hatch is that you get ~50% more cargo area than what the sedan offers. This makes it very practical for day-to-day use and road trips but does come with some tradeoffs. The one that is most relevant to us as car enthusiasts is the removal of the support structure that is behind the rear seats. This support structure helps the chassis to better resist flexing and twisting. Since this support structure is missing in the hatch, it results in lower performance when comparing chassis rigidity. This is where the CorkSport Rear Hatch Brace comes into play and leads to an increase in the torsional rigidity of your Mazda 3 hatch, so you get even better handling characteristics
The Mazda 3 Rear Hatch Brace Has 2 Configurations
Available in two configurations, you can choose just how aggressive of a setup you want. Even if you start with the Stage 1, you can always upgrade to the Stage 2 down the road and carry over the parts you already have. Below we’ll get into more specifics of why you should consider picking up the CorkSport Rear Hatch Brace for your Mazda 3 Hatch.
Stage 1 – Single Top Cross-Bar
Stage 2 – Top Cross-bar with Triangulate Lower Bars & Lower Mount
The Components of the RHB
The CorkSport RHB is made up of two main types of components, the first being the brackets and the other the cross bar/s. The brackets are made out of 3/16in thick carbon steel so the cross bars have a rock-solid base to mount to. The cross bars on the other hand are made from 0.083in wall rectangular carbon steel tubing to provide a strong connection between the brackets. Both brackets and the crossbar get powder coated in textured black to provide a look that will blend in with the interior to give you an OEM look and feel.
Functional and Stylish Hardware
Connecting everything is stainless steel hardware, but not just your boring hex head bolts. Being a centerpiece of your hatchback, we wanted the hardware to not just be functional, but look great. To do that we used countersink head screws with conical washers to give a clean and purposeful look to the CS Rear Hatch Brace and your Mazda 3 Turbo.
Thanks for checking out the CorkSport Rear Hatch Brace for the 4th Gen Mazda 3 hatchback! If you want to add this mod to your Mazda and get all the benefits discussed above, be sure to head over to the product page for more details.
Looking for an upgrade to your Mazda that improves braking performance? The new CorkSport Stainless Steel Brake Lines may just be the upgrade you are looking for. We are releasing brake line options for the 2019+ Mazda 3, 2014-2018 Mazda 3, 2004-2013 Mazda 3, both Mazdaspeed 3 generations and the Mazdaspeed 6. Each set of CS Brake Lines is application specific to ensure the best fitment possible. The CS Brake line kits will be available in both front and rear sets to be able to replace all of the OEM lines. So, if you already have the CS Big Brake Kit you can get just the rears to get even more performance out of your braking system.
The CS Stainless Steel Brake Lines offer the benefits of providing a more responsive and communicative brake pedal feel. This is due to the use of stainless steel in the construction of brake lines. The CS Brake Lines start with a PTFE inner liner that gets surrounded by a stainless steel braid which is responsible for controlling expansion in the line when force is applied to the brake pedal. This better control of expansion leads to an improved braking feel over the OEM lines, which gives you more confidence when reaching the limit. The CS Brake lines are finished off in a PVC coating over the stainless steel braid to help protect the line from road debris and ensure they will not get damaged easily.
We can’t wait for you all to experience the improved braking feel of the CS Stainless Steel Brake Lines! Check out the product listing for your specific application for more details and images. If you have any questions on the brake lines, feel free to reach out anytime.
Looking for the next mod to turn your 4th GEN Mazda 3 into the hot hatch Mazda should have made? We are proud to introduce the CorkSport Performance Coilover Kit for 2019+ Mazda 3 and Mazda 3 Turbo. Drastically improve the handling and looks of your GEN4 with stiffer spring rates, damping adjustability, front camber adjustability, and lowered ride height. We went back to the drawing board and created a completely new coilover kit design that shares no similarities with our older coilovers! Read on for full details.
The CorkSport coilover kit uses a 5K front spring and 7K rear spring (~280lb/in. and ~392lb/in.) for optimum balance of ride and handling. We went through extensive testing to ensure the springs bring stiff enough rates for novice autocross and track handling, yet soft enough rates for the daily commute. These spring rates have a larger increase in the rear than in the front. This helps to reduce understeer and bring the handling closer to neutral. This also keeps the car having a natural frequency of the rear suspension slightly higher than the rear. This matches OEM specs and ensures great driver feedback and comfort. You can even go for the optional Swift Springs for some added special sauce!
Paired with the 5K and 7K springs are a set of 30-way adjustable dampers. The damping was carefully chosen to match our spring rates and to provide a wide adjustment range for a variety of vehicle uses and personal preferences. A car on max soft damping has a sportier ride than OEM but is still perfectly comfortable on the daily commute. A car on max stiff damping has a much more active feel that offers great driver feedback when attacking a backroad or when on track. We find most people end up somewhere in the middle, with 10 clicks from full soft being our recommended starting point.
While the CS coilover kit is focused on handling improvement, it does add a noticeable appearance boost. At maximum low, the CS coilover kit is ~2.25” lower than OEM. There is ~2.75” of adjustability in the front and ~1.5” of adjustability in the rear. This puts the maximum high adjustment at ~0.5” higher than OEM in the front and ~0.75” lower than OEM in the rear. So if you prefer a more subtle drop for an OEM+ look we’ve got you covered! Lowering the ride height isn’t all about appearance though, it does make for a lower center of gravity for reduced body roll and increased driver confidence.
The CorkSport coilovers are an easy direct bolt-in for your Mazda 3, with no permanent modifications or special tools required. They can be installed in just a few hours using the full-color CS installation instructions and included hardware. You can be sure the installation with last as all components in the kit are made from corrosion-resistant materials and/or coated to keep the rust away. All aluminum comes anodized while all steel parts are powder coated for years of reliable performance!
If you’re looking to transform the look and handling of your 4th GEN Mazda 3, look no further than the CorkSport Coilover Kit! Check out the product listing HERE for more pictures and be sure to give us a call if you have any further questions!
