Keeping you up to date with the latest CorkSport Mazdaspeed news!
Category: Research and Development
We are constantly in development of new products for the Mazda 3, Mazdaspeed 3, Mazda 6 and more here at CorkSport. This is the best way to find out what we are up to.
CorkSport is happy to announce touring car availability for those people/teams who want a fun-to-drive and great-looking race/track-focused Mazda 3! The goal of the build was to make a competitive and reliable TC race car and get Mazda back into multi-make competition, which goes back to the Speed Vision and World Challenge days of the early 2000s.
For the 2024 season CorkSport has been validating the design work and lessons learned racing the CorkSport Mazda 3 TC in the SRO TC America TC class. We had multiple podium finishes and ran at the front proving the competitiveness of the Mazda platform against the Hyundai, Honda, and Mini TC class cars.
The base of the build is the Mazda 2.5 Skyactiv engine with a CorkSport bespoke turbo kit developing well over 300 wheel hp in TC trim. The TC car engine management is handled by a Motec M1 ECU, in conjunction with a Bosch Motorsports LC2 wideband controller, and a Motec C125 dash/logger.
The 6 speed Mazda gearbox is equipped with a clutch type LSD and upgraded 3-4 gears with a transmission cooler, while the clutch is an off the shelf X-Clutch single disc clutch/flywheel combo.
Penske shocks/Swift springs, CorkSport upper mounts, and upgraded suspension pick-up points handle road racing while allowing for accurate suspension settings.
Braking is handled by a 364x32mm 6 piston CorkSport race brake kit which uses floating front rotors paired with upgraded rear pads and brakelines on OEM calipers. The brakes are covered with 18×10 Enkei lightweight RPF1 wheels.
To top off the build is the widebody kit which includes, front bumper, splitter, front and rear fenders, side skirts, rear bumper and TCr spec rear wing.
SRO Circuit of the Americas 2024
There is limited availability for the start of the 2025 race season. Currently 2 cars are left for delivery early 2025 for the 2025 TC America race season.
For all the Mazda CX-50 owners who like to take the road less traveled, here is a glimpse of our new skid plate, released in the latter part of this year.
Taking your SUV off-road comes with a new set of challenges and we have designed a skid plate that is a complete solution for those who want and need extra protection for the critical components on the underside of your Mazda. Below, we will cover the unique features that have been added to the CX-50 Skid Plate during the design process.
Material Quality & THICKNESS Matters
For the new CX-50 model, we wanted to take our skid plate up a few notches and provide an even higher level of protection for the off-road oriented Mazda CX-50. The main areas that were focused on include the material thickness and mounting points.
The first addition that leads to the majority of the additional protection and durability, comes from the material thickness that was selected for the main plate vs the flimsy felted-plastic cover provided by Mazda.
Everyone knows that our aluminum skid plates are awesome and provide outstanding protection from the all the woes that on road life can throw at your street vehicle. However, we purposely increased the thickness of the main plate from our standard 0.090” aluminum to 0.187” or 3/16” aluminum. This increase in thickness of the main plate, to over 2x of our standard material, allows for a plate that can withstand a great deal more abuse from objects that you might find out on the trail.
Robust Mounting Points
The next design update we implemented involved larger and more robust mounting points. We relocated the mounting points for the CorkSport CX-50 main skid plate to the 4 corners of the plate. To secure the main plate in these locations M10 size hardware was selected, which vastly exceeds the capabilities of the factory M6 hardware that currently secures the OEM cover. We are also using aluminum standoffs that take advantage of mounting locations in the subframe so that no modifications are needed for installation.
Improved Skid Plate Features
Other noteworthy features built into the CX-50 skid plate include the duct for the front differential and the flush-mounted oil filter cover. For the transfer case duct, we wanted to retain the cooling ability but also modify the design so there is less of an opening for larger debris to penetrate. We accomplished this by utilizing a slotted opening to reduce the size of the debris while still allowing airflow to cool the transfer case.
Moving onto the oil filter cover, we created brackets that go on the top side of the skid plate so that the cover can be fully recessed. This design lessens the chance of the skid plate getting snagged on objects that may come into contact with the skid plate while driving.
A Bigger Option For Better Performance
For the CX-50 skid plate, we will be offering the option to pick up just the main plate or add on the additional front plate for further protection on the front end. The front section maintains the same thickness of 0.090” as our other skid plates so it will also offer a great improvement over the factory plastic piece. The mounting for the front section is tied to the main plate and we have added additional mounting points and standoffs to the front edge. These mounting locations attach to a metal structure in the bumper to provide a more solid place for the front edge to mount.
That brings us to the current status of the project for the CX-50 skid plate. During the time until release, we will be continuing development and some features may change as we fine-tune the details of the skid plate. If you are interested in picking one up in the future, be sure to keep an eye on the website for when it gets released later this year.
Welcome to part 5 of the Mazdaspeed3 AWD Swap (sorry for the delay; things got really busy for a bit)! This blog covers the rear-end drivetrain and the huge modification that makes it all work.
There are a lot of images and explanations of those images so you can see and understand the differences between the Mazdaspeed 6 and CX7 rear drivetrain.
What is the Rear Differential
Jumping right into it, let’s identify what the rear differential is. The rear differential transfers power from the transfer case via a PTO/driveshaft, through the ring and pinion, out to the axles, and then to the wheels and tires.
CX-7 vs Mazdaspeed Differential Comparison
However, as with many modern AWD systems in compact cars, there is a clutch mechanism between the PTO/driveshaft and the differential. This clutch mechanism controls the percentage of engine torque transferred to the rear tires.
In the diagram below, we’ve identified the two major sections of the differential assembly. The line demonstrates the connection point between the two sections. The rear section is the gear housing, and the front is the clutch housing.
Now that you understand the differential assembly. Let’s identify the difference between Mazdaspeed 6 and CX7. There are two major differences.
Differences In Differential
The first difference is the clutch housing mounting points for the front subframe mounting brackets. In the image below, you will see two mounting points with threaded holes on the right side of the differential, while the other differential does not have those mounting points.
The CX7 differential is on the left, and the Speed 6 is on the right. The CX7 on the left)has TWO front mounting points whereas, the Speed 6 only has a ONE mount. While this may not be a big deal for a daily driver with modest power levels, it’s a huge advantage for a racecar with nearly 900whp.
Left to Right: CX-7 and Mazdaspeed Differential
Moving to the inside of the gear housings, the CX7 uses an open differential setup, vs the Mazdaspeed 6, uses a Mazda proprietary LSD (limited slip differential). The LSD is more desirable because it will provide better power distribution to both rear tires vs the open differential.
Fun Fact: the Mazda-developed LSD uses “friction cone washers” sandwiched between the spider gears and differential carrier housing to create the limited slip effect. As load is applied through the spider gears, the increased load presses the spider gears against the friction washer, which makes this a very street-friendly and progressive type of LSD. Check it out below.
Mazdaspeed limited slip differential
So here we are at a point where we need to use the CX7 differential because it has the ideal two-mounting front section, and we have a CX7 subframe, so…duh, but we want the rear LSD for better power distribution.
Time to split these differentials in half and see if we can swap things around.
Rear Differential Separated
Splitting them in half to separate the clutch housing and gear housing, we can see a splined connection that interlocks the two halves.
Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Gear Housing
On the gear housing side, the pinion gears are retained by an internal nut, which is good because splitting the assemblies did not affect the pre-load on the bearings.
Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Clutch Housing
Let’s look at the clutch housing side. The clutch pack is retained by the external nut on the driveshaft flange; again, splitting the assemblies did not affect any bearing pre-load.
Things are looking great! And with that, we assembled the CX7 clutch housings with the Speed6 gear housings without issues!
Now to review: if you are doing this swap, you will NEED a CX7 rear differential assembly, but you DO NOT NEED a speed6 rear differential assembly. We only did that to learn and to get the LSD. You can use the CX7 as is because the gear ratio is the same, and the LSD is not required.
Next up are the suspension trailing arms; when using the OEM Speed3 suspension, the trailing arms need to be modified to use the OEM CX7 wheel bearings.
Modifying the Trail Arms of the Mazdaspeed
Mazdaspeed 3 Trailing Arm Plate
The OEM trailing arm has a beefy steel plate welded to the stamped steel structure. While the bolt and center holes look correct, they are slightly different in bore and location.
Mazdaspeed Trailing Arm
To make the Mazdaspeed 3 trailing arm work, modification was needed via welding the original bolt holes shut and then redrilling the holes in the correct bolt pattern for the CX7 wheel bearing. Along with that, the center bore diameter had to be increased slightly as well.
New Welded Holes for the MazdaspeedFitment of the Rear Trailing Arms & CX7 Wheel Bearing
Modifying the rear trailing arms is only 1 of 3 major fabrication projects needed for the AWD swap. The others are building a Rear Motor Mount (which I designed a badass billet one for) and the center driveshaft mounting plate which I also designed.
Now, with the trailing arms and wheel bearings in place, we can finally figure out the rear axle lengths. Checking both the Speed 6 and CX7 rear OEM axles, I found they use the same wheel bearing and differential inputs, which is great. However, The lengths are not the same.
Unfortunately, in test fitting the Speed 6 and CX7, we found that both needed to be shorter for the Speed 3 application. With that fact, the cost is a lot more expensive for anyone swapping because of the needed custom rear axles.
I was personally going to get custom rear axles either way due to the power levels and use of the Halfmilespeed3, but it’s not a requirement.
700WHP Rated Custom Rear Axles
Fast forward many weeks, and we have a set of custom-length 700WHP-rated rear axles to compliment the front DSS 5.9 axles.
All bolted in and looking great! While doing this I learned a few things and realized that one of my assumptions was wrong.
The front axles work and don’t work from the MS3. The driver front MS3 axles will interface perfectly with the Mazdaspeed6 transmission. However, the inboard CV housing/spline section for the passenger side front will need to be replaced/modified to work with the speed6 intermediate shaft.
The rear ABS sensor for the Mazdaspeed3 will not work with a Speed6-style ABS trigger wheel. They use a much different and more modern magnetic trigger wheel incorporated in the rear ABS sensor for the Mazdaspeed3 will not work with a Speed6-style ABS trigger wheel. They use a much different and more modern magnetic trigger wheel incorporated inside the wheel bearings…which we don’t have when using the CX7 wheel bearings. This has led me to develop custom ABS trigger wheels to work with the OEM Mazdaspeed 3 sensor. More on that later.
Alright, that wraps up the rear drivetrain setup. There are plenty more huge milestones to overcome, which are coming up in this multi-part blog series!
I hope you are enjoying this series about the Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap. Stay tuned for more blogs to come!
We are excited to announce another product for both the 4th Gen Mazda 3, 2021+ Mazda 3 Turbo, and 1st Gen Mazda CX-30! The new offering to the lineup is the CorkSport Skid Plate which utilizes our tried and true 11 gauge aluminum construction with a 2-piece design for an OEM-like installation. The CS Skid Plate is perfect for anyone who is lowered or anyone who likes to take their car out on forest roads and wants more protection over the thin factory splash guard. Keep on scrolling for more details!
OEM Splash Guard vs CorkSport Skid Plate
Starting with the OEM splash guard, there is much to be desired in terms of protection. The factory piece is made of thin plastic that is only designed to protect the bottom of your engine and transmission from things such as water, dust, and small debris. This can lead to a problem when you have lowering springs on your car or go on a camping trip.
In both of these situations, there is a greater chance of objects such as rocks and other larger debris hitting the splash guard and puncturing or even ripping off the splash guard completely, leading to potential damage to your oil pan or other critical components.
The CS Skid Plate on the other hand is all aluminum and can better protect against these threats to ensure that you can get to your destination and back intact. This provides you with peace of mind whether you like to go on rocky forest roads, up to the mountain through snow & ice, or are lowered and trying to get over speed bumps.
Improved Plate Design
To provide a factory fit, we have CAD-designed the CS Skid Plate to mount directly in place of the OEM splash shield. This means no drilling, cutting, trimming, or issues during the installation.
The Skid Plate is also a 2-piece design similar to the OEM splash shields so that installation is easier and that there is some adjustability for minor variation between vehicles and to also help reduce the shipping cost. We also implemented an air duct into the CS Skid Plate that is similar to the one on the factory AWD splash shields to help supply cool air to the front differential.
Finally, there is an oil access cover that you can move out of the way to easily change your oil and filter without removing the 2 main skid plate sections.
Quality Matters
Each CorkSport Skid Plate is made from laser cut and precision formed 11 gauge 5052 aluminum. This ensures a consistent fitment that will make installation straightforward as well as the much-needed increase in engine protection. Included with the CS Skid Plate are stainless steel button head bolts that provide great corrosion resistance and are lower profile than a traditional hex bolt to reduce the chance of them getting snagged.
If you want to increase the protection to the underbody of your Mazda, the CorkSport Aluminum Skid Tray is a great option! Head over to the product listing for the video and more images and feel free to call us with any questions!
This project began after slaying the Tail of The Dragon’s 318 curves last October. We determined that the new Mazda 3 would benefit from additional bracing, and we are currently testing the first round of prototypes. In this blog, we will go into the development process of the Rear Hatch Brace and the steps we took to get to our current sample, which will be the design you can purchase for your hatch in the coming months.
This project began by searching for suitable mounting locations to tie the brackets and cross bars into the chassis effectively. After removing a good amount of the hatch trim panels, we found that the existing mounting locations for the seat back latch were a perfect spot to use as the location for the main cross bar brackets since they are tied into a main chassis structure. They also feature two M10 bolt locations perfect for providing a secure bracket mounting point.
After we nailed down the main cross bar’s mounting locations, we looked for another spot to tie in additional bars required to triangulate the brace. The bracket that links the rear seats back together was an obvious choice since it also offered two M10 mounting locations that were easily accessible. The CAD model depicts the brackets below, which are highlighted in blue.
Once we identified all the mounting locations, the next step was to move on to designing the brackets and cross bars. This process was considerably easier since we created the parts using the Mazda 3 hatch chassis in CAD, as seen above. The first components to be designed were the brackets. The brackets needed to match the angle of the rear seats without sticking out too far into the storage space to retain the practicality and usability of the hatch.
Retaining practicality is also the main reason why we wanted the brackets and cross bars to be separate. If you ever need to remove them for additional space, it can be done quickly without removing any trim pieces. We also wanted to provide two configurations or “Stages” of the RHB to give you more options. Once all these constraints were taken into consideration, it resulted in our bracket design, which is currently being tested on one of our shop cars. Below you can also see a comparison between the CAD model’s Stage 1 and 2 configurations.
Stage 1 – Single Bar System
Stage 2 – Triple Bar System
For the design of the cross bars, we initially started with an alternative design and material. The first iteration of the cross bars featured a round tube that would be welded to bent sheet metal end brackets to provide a mounting surface to interface with the brackets attached to the chassis. While this design would have been functional, it looked less OEM than we wanted. Additionally, it would have added considerable difficulty to the RHB’s manufacturing and overall cost.
We decided to search for a better solution that would function as expected while also improving in the areas the previous design lacked. Over the course of the design process, we moved to a rectangular tube as the stock material. The R&D process resulted in the rectangular cross bars we are testing on the car now. A comparison between the two designs is highlighted in the images below.
The last detail of the Mazda 3 Rear Hatch Brace is all the hardware tying the brackets and cross bars together, along with the coating used on the parts. For the hardware, we wanted to provide bolts that matched the clean look of the brace and complemented the look we were going for. That led to us selecting countersunk bolts and finishing washers which are stainless steel for excellent corrosion resistance and help add the extra flare we were shooting for. The cross bars and brackets are textured black powder coat, further complimenting the factory interior while providing a rugged finish. As you can see below, the results are beefy!
Thank you for reviewing the details of the design process of the CorkSportRear Hatch Brace. If you are interested in picking one up for your 4th Gen Mazda 3 Hatch, stay on the lookout – it will be hitting the website in the coming months.
