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Project Mazdaspeed 3 Update!

It has been awhile since we provided an update on the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3. Because we are in a constant state of development for Mazdaspeed 3 parts, our shop car always has parts moving on and off it.

We recently took the speed3 back to stock to baseline it on our new dyno. We have been building the car back out again with bolt-ons to determine our maximum power on the stock turbo. The car is efficient enough that it can only run 18psi at redline and makes slightly more power at less boost which is interesting see on the dyno. For the final tune, we are running 26psi tapering to 17psi by redline. The peak torque is up 100ft.lbs over stock and really comes on hard. Overall we have seen a 36% increase in peak power and 50% increase in peak torque.

The next thing to do is figure out where the factory injectors die off. With only bolt-ons we are at 85% duty cycle to keep the air/fuel ratio in the 11 to 1 range. Generally a good rule of thumb is to not go over 85% so I can see a huge need for aftermarket injectors or a secondary fuel system.

As for the suspension, not only does the car run our coilovers, camber arms, prototype toe arms, front swaybar, rear swaybars, front and rear endlinks, and a few other braces but also some upcoming suspension components that include motor mounts and some others we will be announcing in the coming months.

With the power up and the handling on point, we needed to address stopping. We currently use our prototype brake pads on the Mazdaspeed 3 and our Mazda 2. We went with a compound that is made for the daily driver. They don’t have to be heated up to work very well, will last longer, and stop better than the factory pads. They also dust less which is nice if you like keeping your wheels clean.

The interior is getting a prototype shift knob that should have come from the factory. How many times have you thought that the mazdaspeed3 or mazdaspeed6 shift knob just doesn’t match the rest of the red and black interior? After running a few aftermarket knobs, my biggest complaint was that most of them are made from machined aluminum. Aluminum is not only lighter than the factory-weighted knob, which makes shifting harder, but the first time you grab a metal shift knob on a hot summer’s day, and your skin is on fire, you will never forget it. Proper shift knobs should be wrapped and weighted, which ours will be, and made to compliment the interior styling of the vehicle. Other than that the interior has not much changed.

The exterior is back to having the AutoEXE front bumper and is about ½” lower than it was last year which really shows off the 19” Advan RZ wheels.

Current mods:
Engine and Drivetrain
CorkSport Stage II Short Ram Intake
CorkSport FMIC for SRI Kit
CorkSport Cat Back Exhaust
CorkSport Catted Downpipe
CorkSport Silicone Radiator Hose Set
CorkSport Aluminum Skidplate
CorkSport Oil Catch Can

Suspension
CorkSport Adjustable Rear Swaybar
CorkSport Front Swaybar
CorkSport Coilovers
CorkSport Lower Tie Bar
CorkSport Trunk brace set
CorkSport Shifter Base Bushings
CorkSport Front Adjustable End Links
CorkSport Rear Camber Adjusters
CorkSport Braided Brake Lines
CorkSport Rear Adjustable Endlinks

Interior/Exterior Styling
CorkSport LED Light Kit
CorkSport Stub Antenna
CorkSport License Plate Frame
CorkSport Mud Flaps
J-Spec LED Tail Lights
CorkSport License Plate Relocation Kit
AutoExe Front Bumper
Advan RZ 19×8.5 wheels
Yokohama S-drive 235/35/19 tires

In Prototype
CorkSport Transmission Motor Mount
CorkSport Rear Motor Mount
CorkSport Rear Toe Adjusters
CorkSport Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank
CorkSport Front/Rear Brake Pads

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

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CorkSport: New Shirts and More for You!

I know many of you have been anticipating the arrival of a new CorkSport t-shirt to add to your collection. Well wait no longer! CorkSport is happy to introduce our newest CS shirt, the CorkSport “Established in 1998” shirt! Designed by our customer Ethan (thank you Ethan!), the shirt features a CS founders logo on the front and CorkSport across the back.

Of course this isn’t the only CorkSport brand item we carry in our merchandise catalog. As many of you know, we have a couple other limited run shirts and our popular CS hats that we released at the request of our customers several months ago.

Today, we have added a limited edition white and pink hat for the Mazda enthusiast ladies out there that want to show their CS spirit! Of course, no judgement here, this hat is available to anyone who likes white and pink and ladies, we have many other color hats that may interest you as well!

These are just a few of the CorkSport brand items that we currently have available in our catalog and from time-to-time we do limited runs of other highly requested items.

Requests come in by email, are posted on Facebook or Twitter, or mentioned to me at an event for hoodies, lanyards, garage banners and more. Have an idea of what you want to see added to the mix? Let us know by commenting on this post!

Gwynne-

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Turbo Potential

With all the talk of the new Mazda 6 Sky-D being released here in the US and the released Cx5 Sky-D in other markets around the world, I got to thinking about all of the fun modifications you could make to the 2.2 dual turbocharged Sky-D Engine.

If you look at the arrangement of the turbo setup on the Sky-D engine, you can see the whole setup is pretty convoluted to 1) keep costs down and 2) package everything in a tight space so you do not burn the insulation and paint off the firewall.

A more comprehensive view of the set-up shows how large the catalyst is that Mazda used in order to meet the strict emissions for diesels in the European market.

Looking over the setup I can see several improvements which could be made to increase the power output of the engine through work on the exhaust side. If you take a look at the engine Mazda announced with the press release about running in the Grand-am GX class with the Sky-D engine, they simplified the twin turbo setup on the engine by setting the turbo arrangement in a more traditional configuration using one turbo to feed the other unlike the stock setup where both turbos feed a common plenum.

The advantage of the race engine is that you are running an intercooler before the second turbo to make the most of the cooling and then you can run the charge from the second turbo into an additional intercooler from there. While the race setup is nice, it isn’t practical for most people on street driven vehicles. I would look at changing the turbo outlet package with a better and smoother flowing downpipe and integrate the catalyst at an angle which is not 90 degrees to the exhaust entry and exit.

Looking at the production turbo setup that Mazda is showing with the new Mazda 6, there are differences in the packaging of the turbos. You can see that Mazda changed the actuators to be more compact against the back of the engine.

Based on the size of the parts, I bet you can squeeze a Garrett GTX35 on the back of the engine and hit a solid 400 hp and 600 wheel torque with some upgraded injectors and pump. When I get one I will have to try it out and report back on how it goes. Incidentally here is a picture of the production Mazda 6 Skyactiv-D engine I wanted to share.

With that monster catalyst relocated, you get a large empty space on the back of the engine which would be perfect for a large waste gate and all of the needed piping to hit that 400hp number. You can imagine the surprise on someone’s face watching a Cx5 walk all over them on the street or the freeway.

Derrick-

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Product Release! CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3/Mazda 3 Rear End Links

Want your Mazda to handle like a track car? Add the new CorkSport Mazda 3/Mazdaspeed 3 Rear End Links to your suspension set-up to get the most from your rear sway bar. By dialing in your turn-in speed and stability you are able to make your end links a tunable component of your ride!

The CorkSport Rear End Links are a rock solid, precision designed piece developed to eliminate binding and preload on your sway bar and provide you with the highest level of adjustability.

We went with sealed 31 degree ball joints to keep wear and tear at a minimum for this essential part of your suspension tuning and used Depositioned Black Steel for a long lasting finish and durability.

With +/-10mm of adjustability, you can vary the lengths on either side of the vehicle to stabilize your car or allow for a particular handling set up for performance purposes. The bar can be pre-tensioned if you drive a track where there are more turns in one direction or you can lengthen the end links to help the bar from rubbing when moving to different adjustment settings that are closer to the twist position on your aftermarket sway bar.

Check out our product listing for additional details or to purchase today!

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Featured Car of the Month: Kritz’s Speed3

When Steve first approached me about being sponsored by CorkSport, he smartly sent along some swag from a recent surf competition near his home on the south shore of Long Island NY. Being an ex-surfer myself, it certainly didn’t hurt his chances, but buttering me up with free stuff wasn’t what convinced me that Steve would be excellent at representing CorkSport in the community. It was his passion for Mazda performance and for CorkSport, his unrelenting positive attitude, and his enthusiasm for being a part of the Mazda community that made him an ideal candidate to wear the CorkSport badge.

Steve Kritzberg (Kritz on the forums) is a true Mazda enthusiast if you’ve ever met one. This may be a more recent obsession for him, but he has immersed himself in the forums and become an active member in his local Nator New York group and the surrounding chapters in NJ and PA, hosting install days, BBQ’s, and helping to plan events for the local chapter.

His 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 is his first Mazda, but he has always had a love for cars. Modding took a backseat to raising kids and his work as a local 1 plumber for a while, but his wife of 18 years has been very understanding about his recent affliction of the “mod-syndrome” and all things car related. Now a weekend autocrosser and recent winner of Best Mazdaspeed at the annual Torontomazda3 Forum Meeting of the Mazdas, Steve’s work is really starting to pay-off.

Mazdas handle really well right off the lot, but Steve has spared no expense on perfecting the handling and suspension on his speed 3 adding a CorkSport Coilover Suspension Kit with Camber Plates, CorkSport Front Sway Bar with CorkSport End Links, CorkSport Rear Sway Bar, CorkSport Rear Chassis Brace Set, CorkSport Mid-Chassis Brace, Volk TE37 wheels with Dunlop Star Specs 245/45/17’s, and a CorkSport Short Shift Plate and Shifter Bushings.

But just because he has spent a lot of time perfecting the suspension doesn’t mean he forgot the go-fast parts with the addition of a CorkSport Downpipe, CorkSport Racepipe, CorkSport Large Core FMIC, Turbosmart BPV, and a custom tune by none other than Rob Finkle (da man) 50% E85.

If you’ve ever been to Storm’s OCC All Mazda Meet, you may have met Steve there and if you went last year, you may remember a little prank dreamed up by the local Nator crew with the help of CorkSport as Steve was given the CorkSport Senior Citizen award which he now proudly displays on his fireplace. He may be a little older than some of the crew he hangs with on the weekends, but “old man” Kritzberg is still young at heart!

What’s next on the list for Steve’s build? Well, big turbo of course!

Gwynne-

Full List of Mods:
CorkSport Coilover Suspension Kit w Camber Plates
CorkSport Front Sway Bar
CorkSport Front End Links
CorkSport Rear Sway Bar
CorkSport Short shift Plate
CorkSport Shifter Bushings
CorkSport Rear Chassis Brace Set
CorkSport Mid Chassis Brace
CorkSport Large Core FMIC
Turbosmart BPV
CorkSport Downpipe
CorkSport Racepipe
Resonator delete
James Barone Trilogy MM
Spherical shift knobage
CorkSport Interior LED Light Kit
Next Mod Front Grille Insert
Volk TE37 wheels with Dunlop Star Specs 245/45/17’s
Custom tuned by Rob Finkle (da Man) 50% E85