What’s in the Pipeline for the 2014+ Mazda3?

Here at CorkSport, we are always working toward the next new product. We create our catalog just like you build your cars. Since there’s so much in development, we thought we would give you all a glimpse into what’s coming for the 2014+ GEN3 Mazda 3.

2.5L SkyActiv-G Turbo Kit

Let’s start with the big one since you’ve all been asking for updates: the 2.5 Liter Skyactive Turbo Kit. We are still making steady progress and are more excited than ever for this Mazda3 Turbo. Our functional turbo kit prototypes are slowly starting to arrive, meaning we are inching closer and closer to having our Mazda3 test car on the dyno (with added turbo noises). Stay tuned folks; this is going to be a fun one!

2014-2016 Mazda 3/6/CX-5 Motor Mounts

We already showed you the new and improved CorkSport Rear Motor Mount, but there’s more to come with the CorkSport Transmission Motor Mount. Check out the CAD model above to see what we’re talking about. Keep tabs on the CS blog for more info on the design and function of this motor mount soon.

2014-2016 Mazda 3 Skid Tray

The CorkSport skid trays have been consistently requested for the Mazdaspeed models; so much, that we brought them back for both the Mazdaspeed3 and the Mazdaspeed6. Now we are providing the same benefits to Mazda3 owners. We just received and test fit our first prototype skidplate, and it’s looking very promising moving forward.

2014+ Mazda 3 Suspension Kit

Need some extra handling and style for your Mazda3 but don’t want the hassle of lowering springs? We have created a kit that includes the CorkSport lowering springs, adjustable shocks/struts, and camber plates all assembled with OE accessories and ready to install. No spring compressors needed, for ease of installation. Coming soon…

2014+ Mazda 3 Front Sway Bar

Reducing overall roll or “sway” can drastically change your Mazda’s handling characteristics. We should be receiving our first prototype to test fit on our Mazda3 any day now are excited to see how it complements the CorkSport rear sway bar. Oh, and the new front sway bar is 3-way adjustable just like our ND Miata sway bars!

2014-2016 Mazda 3 Steering Wheel

Last, but not least, our leather steering wheel will be making a comeback in the coming months. Featuring a similar profile to the CorkSport Mazdaspeed3 steering wheels, it is designed to increase confidence in both aggressive and daily driving while staying comfortable and stylish.

As you can see, we are staying busy with the newest generations of Mazda here at CorkSport, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing we are focused on.

We still have plenty of upcoming products for you Mazdaspeed guys and gals, and for some platforms you may not be expecting. Keep tabs on the CS blog, Instagram and Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Until next time,

-Daniel @ CorkSport

October 3, 2017September 21, 2023

The Wait Is Over: The CorkSport Performance Intake Manifold Is Here

Can you believe we started this project back in 2012?

Yes, it’s been a long journey, and a few too many “two weeks”, only to find that more improvements were needed. We’ll be frank, this has been a challenging project to tackle, but we have prevailed. We have pushed past the challenges faced in manufacturing the complex design, and are proud to announce that we are ready to present you with the most complete solution for the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazdaspeed 6 platform. Introducing the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold!

The CorkSport Intake Manifold is here for those of us who want some more flow in our lives.

Our design focuses on performance without sacrificing OEM fitment or drivability. With equal flowing runners, higher flow than OE, and TMIC fitment, it truly is a complete solution to the OE intake manifold.

Close up shot of the CorkSport Intake Manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

Fitment is huge when it comes down to large engine components like intake manifolds. While designing the CorkSport IM, we wanted to retain as many OE features and mounting locations as possible while maintaining neat and tidy packaging. By doing so, we were able to keep components such as the TMIC, OEM throttle body, MAP Sensor, and even the oil dipstick bracket in OE locations. This all means a relatively quick and easy part to install, but we made it even easier by clearing some space around hard-to-reach areas.

The CorkSport Intake Manifold may fit like OE, but that’s where the similarities end.

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is designed with performance and drive-ability in mind, with the larger plenum design and long cylinder runners. Since the intake plenum is about three times larger than OE, there is an increase in high RPM power capacity without sacrificing throttle response and drivability. By maintaining the length of the cylinder runners (vs the typical aftermarket intake manifold), we improved mid-range power while still having peak RPM capacity with the single runner design vs. an OE split runner design.

Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold with larger plenum design

The increase in performance also comes with an increase in engine health.

By optimizing the design for equal flow between runners, the CorkSport IM eliminates the flow imbalance of the OE intake manifold. This significant imbalance causes cylinders to run excessively lean or rich, affecting engine durability and performance. Check out the graph below to see the difference. Not only does the CorkSport Intake Manifold outflow the OE design by 70CFM per runner on average but also significantly reduces the flow imbalance to 2% or less vs the OE imbalance of 21%.

This means your engine can run stronger, longer, and have a higher potential to make power.

CFM Bar Graph for the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But enough talk about numbers and flow, let’s SEE some numbers. The dyno graph below shows the difference before and after the CS IM on a Mazdaspeed3 with a CorkSport TD05H-18G turbo equipped. Not only was there an increase in power and torque across the entire RPM range, but the turbo also spooled around 100RPM faster than with the OE intake manifold.

Dynograph testing for the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But wait there’s more! Along with the overall design improvement over OE; there are additional design features that you need to know about.

Firstly, we increased the size of the throttle body opening. This allows the OE throttle body to work great but also allows for a larger throttle body to be installed without modification.
Next, there are added fueling ports for each runner. They are standard 1/8-27 NPT ports that can be used with methanol nozzles or other fueling options.
Finally, there is an extra 1/8-27 NPT port that can be used for boost controllers, gauges, or the like.

Now you may be thinking, But there aren’t any larger throttle bodies available. To that, we say, not just YET!

the CorkSport throttle body on the Mazdaspeed intake manifold

Along with the great features of this new Performance Intake Manifold, we are also providing nearly all of the hardware you need for installation; that is, the brass fittings that come pre-installed on the intake manifold and the additional hardware and hoses needed for auxiliary components.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold hardware included

Now we would like to circle back to where we started with this conversation:

We here at CorkSport pride ourselves on doing everything in our power to provide you, our customers, with the best possible products out there. We also are committed to being real with you guys as well, because we too are Mazda-lovers who get a thrill out of overcoming the toughest challenges that stand between us and the ultimate car experience.

The most challenging aspect of this project has been getting the manufacturing to an acceptable quality, and consistent among each intake manifold. We have tested the intake manifold on multiple cars in-house and with various beta testers, the results speak for themselves: this is an exceptional performance product that your Mazdaspeed will love to have.

Believe us when we say that this design is tough to manufacture, and that process results in no two parts being exactly the same visually; but it also means that each manifold has its own unique look and character, the same way our cars do.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold interior view

top view of the CS mazdaspeed intake manifold

We guarantee that the CorkSport Intake Manifold will give you the best performance out there, but if for whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the unique look of your IM, please contact us and we’ll be more than happy to take care of you like we always do. – We’ve got your back!

The intake manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

That being said, if you’re looking to take your Mazdaspeed to the next level in both speed and reliability, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is the best comprehensive solution on the market.

These babies are only available while supplies last, so don’t wait, they’ll be gone before you know it!

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September 26, 2017January 30, 2019

Charging for the WIN!

Track Tested CorkSport Approved 3rd Gen Mazda 3 Parts – Leading the Pack.

The last race weekend I had available before the runoffs turned out to be pretty interesting.

Locally there are very few T4 (touring 4) class cars so I often find myself running with other class cars and this weekend was no exception at Portland International Raceway. I showed up for qualifying on Friday morning with a new part to test and a suspension setup with something I had not tried.

I looked over the entry list the day before, and there read a list of cars you would expect to clobber a Mazda 3 on the track. 3 Porsche 911s, a pair of V8 mustangs, an STL Miata and more.

To make sure I had a clear track for qualifying, I hustled to the pre-grid to make sure I was the first car out. Straight out of the pits, I went flat out to get some distance on the Porsches to be able to push the car for the entire time I was out qualifying. As I watched the lap timer in the Mazda 3, my times kept dropping lap after lap. 6 laps in and I had already bested my fastest lap time at Portland by a second, so I called it quits and pulled in to the pits.

On the way out of the track I grabbed the time sheet to review and see where I placed. A quick review of the sheet showed I had qualified the Mazda 3 in second out of 10 cars and I was in front of 2 of the Porsches.

The start of the race didn’t go that great. Out of all the cars on the track I was in the bottom ½ for horsepower. But I was making up the speed in the corners.

One of the back cars jumped the start a bit and managed to take us 3 wide into a corner which is only good for 2. I was forced to give up some room to one of the Porsches to keep from having contact which put me back to 4^th. Several laps into the race one of the Porsches who got ahead of me at the start spun off the track so I was able to move back up a spot while trying to chase down the leader who was running ~1 second a lap faster than I was. The 30 minute mark came pretty quick, and the race ended on a not-so-exciting note of me being in 3^rd, and the leaders ~ ½ a lap ahead and all but a few of the rest of the field being lapped.

The big question you all want to ask is: “What were you testing for the 3^rd Gen Mazda 3?”

First things first, the changes we made to the Mazda 3:

We made an adjustment with the CorkSport rear adjustable swaybar. Being able to make quick adjustments on the rear swaybar bar allows us to soften the suspension to match the alignment changes.
We had taken more rear camber out of the back of the car with the CorkSport adjustable camber arms, trying to decrease rear grip (yes you read that right). We have been having problems with front end push (understeer) so we worked on dialing rear grip out of the car. – We had the CorkSport front camber plates maxed out for camber to the class limits, but it wasn’t enough to offset the rear grip.
We originally were running our CorkSport Mazda 3 adjustable shocks on the track but we had to remove them as they are not legal for the Touring 4 class. The adjustable shocks make a world of a difference over what I have to use on the car and I wish we could’ve changed back. Being able to fine tune the Mazda 3 suspension is a great asset for any performance driver.

Now to the fun, what I got to test that was new:

The engineers here at CorkSport have been working on a revised Mazda 3 Rear engine mount for the 3/6/Cx5 over the past few months. The best way we have to extreme test parts is on the track.

Think of the race-testing this way: I am driving full throttle, banging gears, and when I am off the throttle means I am on the brakes, so there is no time for the mount to get any rest. There is the maximum amount of heat, load, and stress in a compressed time line, compared to street driven cars, so if failure is to occur it would be on the track.

At the end of the month, I will be doing a test on a final version of the rear engine mount at the SCCA Runoffs and competing to bring home a National Championship for CorkSport and Mazda.

This brings me to my next point: All of the parts mentioned above have been punished on the track and had zero failures. I have been on the same rear sway bar, rear camber arms, camber plates, and short ram intake, and cat back exhaust since we started racing the car at Daytona in 2015.

You just can’t beat the fact that our CorkSport parts walk the talk when pushed to the extreme, which means they won’t let you down, no matter what you’re doing.

Charge for the WIN!

Derrick

September 19, 2017September 13, 2018

Welcoming Our New Partners of The CorkSport Shop Program!

What is CorkSport Up to?!

We know you’ve been seeing the social media posts calling for US Performance Installation Shops to contact us. So, as a customer, you have likely been reaching out to your local shop and telling them to call in or head to our link in order to get more info!

First off: A big THANK YOU to those who recommended their favorite shops, and to those Shops who have understood what we are about and got started in an awesome community partnership with CorkSport!

We’re excited to experience the support that has been passed along to the community, as well as to other small businesses through these partnerships.

We’re continuing to work with the Mazda Community to build, expand, and grow the number of enthusiasts out there. In doing this, the partnerships we are building will help the ‘newest generation’ of Mazda enthusiasts to get started somewhere. With the help of a local shop, they can learn what they need to know, have a trusted place to take their car, and find themselves inspired by the work they do.

CorkSport’s Community Partnerships will allow for Mazda Enthusiasts to have a place to go for installation help, questions, concerns, and inspiration on what their car is capable of.

If you know of a Performance Installation Shop near you, or are one yourself; get in contact with CorkSport to see what we’re capable of accomplishing together!

Shout out to the following companies for being the earliest adopters of CorkSport’s Shop Program!

You’ll see below some of these Performance Shops are run by well-known Mazda enthusiasts, which is why we’ve chosen them as trusted community partners!

This is not an exhaustive list of our partners. We are building that list and you will soon be able to see which Shops we are partnered with on our website. This resource will provide you with a quick guide to where to go for installation help in the future!

We are looking forward to what we can build together in our expanded CorkSport family!

CorkSport Community Partnerships: building the Mazda Community, one enthusiast at a time.

Cheers,

Kim Russell,

Corksport Performance

September 13, 2017May 23, 2023

4 inch Intake and a Clean Engine Bay? The CorkSport 51R Battery Box & ECU Relocation is NO Compromise

Mazdaspeed 3 Engine Bay with battery reolocation kit and 4inch Short Ram Intake.

CorkSport is proud to announce the new ECU Mazdaseed Relocation Battery Box designed for the 51R battery and 4” short ram intake systems.

We love the clean and simple look of the CorkSport full-size battery box and we know you do also. Our goal was to bring that same level of awesomeness to all the big power guys and gals running 4” intakes and 51R batteries in your Mazdaspeed.

We knew we couldn’t compromise on the fit and finish you’ve grown to love, and this new battery box doesn’t disappoint.

The greatest challenge came in the form of locating the ECU inside the box; as that is the whole point of the CorkSport battery boxes. With a bit of massaging and adjusting, we innovated a sleek solution for the ECU placement without compromising the style and fitment of the battery box.

In the original CorkSport Mazdaspeed battery box, the ECU was located on the front panel. This packaged well with the full-size battery and made access easy, but in order to increase the clearance for a 4” intake system in your Mazadaspeed, we had to reduce the width of the battery box as much as possible. This required us to rethink the location of the ECU and the overall design of the battery box to accommodate it. Check out the computer-drafted model below.

Design of the ECU Mazdaspeed Relocation Battery Box

Moving the ECU to the side provided ample clearance for a 4” intake system and retained the standard battery location. The front of the battery box had to be extended out a bit, but this also gave us a chance to keep the wiring harness inside the box to maintain the high-level fit and finish. To finish off the installation, the battery is retained with M6 studs fastened into the battery box and a 0.120” anodized aluminum bracket.

Overall the new Mazdaspeed 51R ECU Relocation Battery Box hit all the marks for fit, finish, and performance.

Stay Up-to-date with CorkSport

Installed Mazdaspeed ECU Battery Box Relocation Kit.

If you’re looking to downsize your battery, upsize your intake system, or are just plain tired of looking at all those unsightly wires then let the CorkSport 51R ECU Relocation Battery Box be the answer to your goal.

Click HERE to View Product & Purchase

-Barett @ CS

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