Keeping you up to date with the latest CorkSport Mazdaspeed news!
Category: Mazda3
Since 2004 the Mazda 3 has been the go to compact car and we have been making performance parts for it since the release. The most powerful version is the Mazdaspeed 3 which was available from 2007-2013.
Introducing the new LED rear bumper lights for the 3rd Generation Mazda 3 and 6! The LED bumper lights are a great way to enhance the visibility, safety, and appearance of your Mazda. If you have added our LED interior lights to your Mazda 3 – you already know how much brighter and safer LEDs can be.
The new Mazda 3 LED marker lights are designed to fit like OEM with a very easy DIY install, you can now get rid of the old and faded OEM bumper reflector and replace it with a clear and bright LED light! Currently, we have fitment for the 2014-2016 Mazda 3 Hatchback, the 2017-2018 Hatchback/Mazda 3 Sedan (both use the same lights), and the 2014-2017 Mazda 6.
2014-2016 Mazda 3 Hatchback with LED Light UpgradeMazda 3 Sedan with LED Light Upgrade – 2017-2018 Hatchback use the same LEDs
Sedan fitment comes in the red lens option only and depending on your wiring setup, you can add braking OR turn signal functionality to the LED lights.
Here is the sedan running light brightness:
And here is the sedan brightness if you wire it for turn signal or brake light functionality:
Now moving over to the hatchback fans we have two color options! The standard red lens and a “smoke” color tint lens for a more stealthy appearance.
Here is the hatchback running light brightness:
And here is the hatchback brightness if you wire it for turn signal or brake light functionality.
As you can see, the LED bumper lights are a much needed improvement for both vehicles. They produce a crisp and clear light that can be seen from a distance and in low-light conditions, look fantastic, and improve your safety and signaling! It’s an awesome win-win for the Mazda enthusiast.
Let’s talk Oil Catch Cans! While not the most exciting performance part for your turbo Mazda 3; when properly applied they can be a keystone to improving the health and longevity of your engine’s life. With that being said, they are worth a discussion in more detail about why an oil catch can (OCC) is needed and what the benefits are. As with any performance modification, there are many different ways to achieve the end goal, but not all are created equal.
Let’s break down the CorkSport Oil Catch Can system so you can learn and understand why we utilize an OCC the way we do. While we did break this down a bit back in 2019 here, we want to take it a step further now.
Improving the System
First, let’s provide you with some context. What is the system on the car/engine that the OCC Kit is working to improve? All modern engines utilize a Pressure Control Ventilation (PCV) system to regulate and control the internal pressure of the crankcase. This is not to be confused with the pressure inside the combustion chamber.
As you can see in the image above, there are two major components of the PCV system on the engine. Typically there is a breather vent integrated into the valve cover that will vent/route directly into the intake system. On turbocharged engines this vents upstream of the turbocharger compressor inlet.
The second part is a “cover” on the front side of the engine block typically hidden under the intake manifold. This cover has built-in baffles/chambers and a PCV valve. The PCV valve is a basic one-way check valve that allows pressure to flow out of the engine crankcase and into the intake manifold directly.
Left Side: Here is an example of a SkyActiv-G 2.5L PCV Cover with the PCV Valve at the top.
Right Side: Here is an example of the baffling on the engine block inside the PCV Cover.
The Goal
So what’s the point/goal of the PCV system? Two main reasons:
Reducing the pressure buildup inside the engine crankcase. This improves the durability/longevity of the engine and improves engine efficiency.
Emissions control. The pressure buildup inside the crankcase comes from the combustion process in the cylinders. The rings on the pistons do not have a perfect seal, thus some combustion gasses and fuel are able to push past the piston rings and into the crankcase. This is called “blow by”. This blow by and fuel getting past the piston rings worsens during cold start and eventually results in dilution of the engine oil due to the excess fuel.
We invite you to check out the Engineering Explained video about this specific topic. He does a great job explaining and showing this exact system and issues with it. https://youtu.be/uVd-ZS5bnyY?t=337
Here you can see the captured fuel and water vapors of a CorkSport OCC installed for ~3000 miles on a 2018 Mazda 6 2.5T. This engine only had 500 miles at the time and had an average commute of 15 miles & 20 minutes of mixed traffic and speeds.
Had there not been an OCC installed, this vapor would have been directly ingested into the intake system at the turbo compressor inlet and the intake manifold. Over enough time, this builds up on the surfaces of the intake system, turbocharger, intercooler system and intake valves…diminishing performance and fuel economy.
Sadly, while Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology has provided some exceptional improvements in power and fuel economy, there are still negatives to the overall system. Dirty intake valves and fuel dilution are the main concerns.
Here is an example of direct intake valves…
Now let’s talk about what makes the CorkSport OCC System unique vs the current options available.
It’s a complete system, not a half system. Meaning the CorkSport OCC incorporates the valve cover breather AND the PCV cover on the front of the block.
Dual Chamber Design: this separates the incoming vapor from the valve cover and PCV cover to the lower chamber to condense and be drained later. The air then passes through a baffle to the upper chamber and then exits to the intake system.
Constant Vacuum: Due to the design, the CS OCC has a constant vacuum pulling pressure and vapor from the crankcase. This is important to note because with the OEM system, the PCV Cover and valve close while in boost…which is when most blow by is happening. With the CS design, you are pulling more vacuum through the OCC while in boost.
Low Mounting: While this seems trivial it’s important from a physics standpoint. The fuel in the oil turns into vapor once the engine and oil are up to temperature. Then the OCC can draw the vapor out of the engine. Once this happens the vapor will start to condense back into a liquid; most of it will make it to the OCC itself but some will condense in the hose. We want the hose to drain into the OCC, not the engine.
Here you can see the general routing of the CorkSport oil catch can over a CX50 engine bay (routing is the same for all turbo 2.5L SkyG models). The red lines are the routing from the valve cover breather and the PCV. They “T” together and then enter the lower chamber of the OCC. The blue line is the clean air exiting the OCC and being drawn into the intake system just before the turbo compressor inlet.
Let’s wrap this up! GDI Tech is great but has some issues. In factory form, the OEM PCV system works but could be better…enter the CorkSport Oil Catch Can Kit.
By changing the routing and adding a proper tank to catch the oil, fuel, water vapors that collect inside the engine you are effectively helping your engine breathe better. Reducing the amount of particulates and vapor entering the intake system reduces the overall build-up on the intake valves and other various components.
With the optional drain valve system, you can easily service the OCC when you perform you regular oil changes. While not sexy, it is essential and your Mazda will love you for it.
We hope you have enjoyed this tech blog and we hope it has helped you learn more about your beloved Mazda. Check out the Oil Catch Can for more details and to get yours today!
For those looking for a Rear Motor Mount upgrade for your 4th GEN Mazda 3 or CX-30 but don’t want to add too much additional NVH, we are excited to release the CS RMM Inserts. The CS Inserts utilize the OEM mount and offer performance quality between the stock and CS Rear Motor Mount. This means you will get less NVH from the upgrade when compared to the CS RMM, which will be great when driving around town. While not being as aggressive as the full replacement CS RMM, you will see a nice improvement in feedback and responsiveness when pushing it on the back roads or in other situations in which you are utilizing the full potential of your Mazda. If you are interested in this new option, keep on reading for more specifics on how the CS RMM Inserts were designed.
NOTE: NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) is a standard term used in the automotive industry. NVH is a byproduct of changing some OEM components to aftermarket components in the pursuit of focused performance. Examples of components that can increase NVH: are engine mounts, clutch/flywheel, intake, exhaust, suspension, tires/wheels…and many more.
During the design process, we started with the Mazda 3 OEM rear motor mount and worked on modeling inserts that would completely fill the two openings. Once the initial designs of the two inserts were completed we began testing the samples and started with both front and rear inserts installed at the same time. Our initial impressions were quite surprising. We found that this combo resulted in the same if not more NVH than when the full CS Rear Motor Mount was installed.
Since the dual combo didn’t get us to where we wanted, we then tried each insert one at a time. This helped quite a bit and reduced NVH down closer to where we wanted. The issue we encountered when using only one insert was that the gear with worse NVH varied depending on whether we were in drive or reverse. This led us to trim and remove sections of the front and rear inserts to try and get the best of both worlds. By removing the center of the inserts, we were able to find a design that operated in line with our target performance levels. It ended up being a good middle ground between the stock and CS RMM. A comparison of the performance can be seen in the video below showing all three options.
Now onto some other specs of the CS Inserts. The durometer of the polyurethane we selected for the front and rear inserts is 70A. This gives the inserts enough flex to be installed into the mount without too much effort. This all allows for a tight fit so they do not work their way out during operation. Locking tabs were integrated into the inserts to ensure they remained installed in their correct position.
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.
