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CorkSport Across the Pond – Dave Higson’s Gen2 Mazdaspeed 3 Build

I’m Dave or piggy as my mates call me (Long story). My fiancé, Caroline and our two year old son Jason are my life, modding is my obsession.

I’ve always loved cars beginning with an apprenticeship as a mechanic for Peugeot for a couple of years then later in life a year in commercial mechanics, followed by 18 months as an assistant manager at a car modifying superstore. I most recently spent eight years as a parts specialist for Mercedes Benz.

I own a Gen 2 Mica Black Mazda 3 MPS (Mazdaspeed). I was originally going to buy an RX8 (a very popular car here and are cheap) but the parts that are available are generally body kits and wheels and I loved the look of the Gen 2 Mazdaspeed 3, mainly because of the bonnet scoop (although I’d love to get my hands on a raised scoop! hint hint CS).

There are literally about 5 companies in the UK that have any clue how to tune Gen 1 or Gen 2 Mazdaspeed 3’s and even fewer companies that sell parts for them. This is actually the second time I’ve modified this car. The first time the company that did the map messed it up and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong so I took it back to standard and started again at great cost because I sold all the parts. Now I have a full CorkSport build and could not be happier with the result.

For power, I started by adding the CorkSport Cat Back Exhaust, CorkSport Downpipe, CorkSport Racepipe, CorkSport FMIC for Ram Air Kit, BBR star tune & HPFP internals, and HKS4 BOV. I also added the CorkSport DISI Silicone Bypass Valve Hose, and CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Silicone Radiator Hose Set.

The power gains are very noticeable even without the re-map. The tuner even said it’s a very good setup. The ram air intake breaths really well and the tubo spool packs a harder punch once the boost comes in. I’ve not had a dyno run yet, but 320hp is roughly what it has with the set-up.

For handling I went with eibach with a 30mm drop, Bridgestone RE050A, CorkSport Short Shift Plate and Shifter Bushings, CorkSport Mid Brace, CorkSport Front and Rear Sway Bars,CorkSport Sway Bar End Links, CorkSport Front Upper Brace Bar and CorkSport Lower Front Brace Bar, CorkSport 4-Way Brace Bar, CorkSport Front Camber Plates, and CorkSport motor mount inserts.

Usually a steering wheel will have some play, allowing you to move the steering wheel an inch left and right while driving and nothing happens but that’s gone giving me a much sharper response. Now I can feel the car taking a corner so much better and I have a much greater idea of what the car is doing when I corner. The ride is much firmer so not for the faint hearted. The mods take away the factory smooth and comfortable ride and give you a sharp responsive car with much more grip.

Then of course there is the styling which I decided to go with a red and black theme on the outside and a blue theme under the hood.

I got Rarerims red wheel nuts, Wheelworx gloss black powder coated wheels, CorkSport Rear Smoked Led Reflectors, CorkSport Interior LED light kit, CorkSport Number Plate relocation, black mud flaps, red calipers, and rp boost gauge.

Just placed 3rd in the ultimate street cars online voting and 4th at the main show @ Santa pod raceway losing out by one point to 3rd. 1st was a tuned RS focus with massive ice install and dripping with carbon fibre. My next event will be the 2nd of September, Trax at Silver Stone.

My next mods will be CS Oil Catch Can, CorkSport Eyelids, and CorkSport Rear Camber Arms. I am planning an ice install already have vibe space twin 12″ subs are 3000 watt a piece. Carbon dipped alloys 8.5J (if they’ll fit) so I can plant the power and I’m also looking to upgrade the discs and pads all round.

I have had a lot of different cars including a jdm Subaru sti 6 but once I saw the gen2 speed3 i was hooked and for price, you can’t beat them. I am an active member on mpsowners.co.uk and my car club is freshadditions.co.uk. If you wanna chat about parts I’ve fitted then add me on Facebook, Dave Corksport Higson or ask CorkSport for my email address.

Dave-

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Dyno Differences and Understandings

It’s not everyday you get a dyno. Not all dynos are created equal and not all dynos read the same. After a little bit of research we decided on a Dynotech, a widely recognized chassis dynamometer. Dynotech uses a large drum of mass to measure the amount of force a car can exert on it. It takes this information and calculates the horsepower and torque of the vehicle. In order to do this calculation it also needs a tach signal. The reason for this is that the calculation is a relationship at given rpms. (HP = Torque x RPM ÷ 5252)

The true torque of a motor can only be seen at the engine as torque is a relationship of distance from the center line of the crankshaft. If the transmission was truly 1:1 you could measure this at the wheels but since most transmissions have no gears that are exactly 1:1, we chose a gear that is close to 1:1. This gear is generally 3rd or 4th. As an example the mazdaspeed 3 uses gearing of 1st 3.21, 2nd 1.91, 3rd 1.37, 4th 1.03, 5th 0.95, 6th 0.79. As you can see 4th gear is the closest to 1:1.

Dynojet

The dyno dynamics dyno we chose uses an electromagnetic force to measure power. This makes the unit smaller and more portable. It also makes the dyno able to change loads. You can literally apply a certain load and very the rpms or very the load and keep the same rpm. This is great for load based tuning and limits the need for a “Road Tune” as you can create real life conditions on a dyno.

The downfall of the dyno dynamics is that it is often called a heart breaker dyno. The actual reported numbers are some of the lowest numbers out of any dyno. This fact makes it important to understand that increases in power should always be measured in percentages. That way when you compare numbers, the percentage gained should be about the same while the increase in actual value might be less. You can see this below in the graphs.

Dyno Chart

The lower powers are with a stock Mazdaspeed3 and the higher values are with the exact same mods. The left dynojet graph shows a 30hp difference at one point . This is about a 14% increase in power. If you dyno the same modifications on the dyno dynamics and you see about 25hp difference which is also a 14% difference. Even though the dynos show a 5hp peak difference we know the modifications increased the same amount of power. This is shown in the percentage difference. Horsepower numbers can be shown to be a higher value but the percentage should always be similar. A point not missed when we recently dyno’ed a mazdaspeed3 that made almost 700whp (~+206%) on a dynojet but 580whp (~+204%) on our dyno dynamics. The percentage change was the same but peak difference was massive.

With the power of our new dyno literally at our fingertips, we have complete control over the test and the demands placed on the vehicle. Utilizing the dynotech software will allow us to evaluate the entire drive-train condition for the purpose of all-out performance development. Stay tuned for more rock solid, well engineered products that will take your Mazda to the next level.

Brydon-

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Product Release! CorkSport LED Hatch Light for the 2010-2013 Mazda 3

CorkSport released our Mazda 3 Sedan 3rd Brake Light in April and our many Mazda 3 hatchback customers wanted an LED option for their vehicle as well, so today CorkSport is pleased to provide an answer to that with release of the all new CorkSport LED Hatch Light for the 2010-2013 Mazda 3.

Now our Mazda 3 hatchback customers can enhance the look of their brake light with this direct replacement for the Mazda 3 hatch light. This premium quality light assembly includes ten LED lights in the lens and has been built for durability and reliability. Precision manufactured to match the OEM factory specifications, the CorkSport LED hatch light is easy to install and is the perfect addition to your Mazda 3 hatchback.

The CorkSport 2010+ Mazda 3 Hatchback Brake Light comes in clear or red for a customized look and can be purchased today at www.corksport.com

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Product Release! CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Catted Downpipe

CorkSport is happy to announce the release of our all new CorkSport Catted Downpipe for the Mazdaspeed 6! Check out the Downpipe V2 for the Mazdaspeed 6.

Mazdaspeed 6 catted downpipe

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Downpipe is designed to replace the restrictive catalyst in the stock downpipe and deliver improved exhaust flow for significant power gains and noticeable improvements in turbo response time and reduced backpressure. During initial testing, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Downpipe showed power gains of 26 horsepower and 32 ft. lbs. of torque at the wheels.

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 downpipe is constructed from polished 3 inch 304 stainless steel piping for lasting corrosion resistance and reduced heat transfer to the engine bay. Unlike many downpipes on the market the CorkSport downpipe uses a unique divorced wastegate design that will reduce boost spikes and exhaust flow disturbances due to waste-gate operation.

The new catted version includes a high-flow spun metallic 200 cell catalyst and three O2 bungs to allow for the addition of EGT or other sensors. The Mazdaspeed 6 catted downpipe also includes the addition of the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Racepipe, adding to the value and power customers can expect to see from the addition of this part to their vehicles.

If you have a turbocharged vehicle, adding a downpipe is one of the best modifications you can make to add power.   Our non-catted track version of the downpipe has been very popular with our speed6 customers so it only made sense to develop a catted version that daily drivers could enjoy as well.

The new optional catted downpipe is available for purchase from CorkSport’s online catalog at https://www.corksport.com/corksport-power-series-mazdaspeed-6-downpipe-en.html

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Featured Car of the Month – It’s July in August! Tommy’s Speed3

July’s featured car ended up coming to you in early August this year. It was a hard fought battle between two 2010 Mazdaspeed 3’s that went down to the wire!

In total we had over 100 people vote on which car they wanted to see featured in our blog post with Tommy’s supporters coming in heavy in the end and pushing him above Kennedy FTW.

Tommy has a passion for extreme sports as a BMX racer and avid auto racing fan, but it wasn’t until he purchased his first Mazdaspeed 3 that he truly got into tuning cars.

It started innocently enough with a K&N Cold Air Intake that he admits purchasing before he knew about CorkSport. But once he found out about CorkSport and started spending some time on our website, the mods started adding up beginning with a CorkSport Front Tower Brace and Stoptech front and rear slotted rotors.

By then he was hooked and more go fast parts got added to the list with a CorkSport Racepipe, CorkSport Cat Back Exhaust, CorkSport Exhaust Hangers, and a Turbosmart dual-port B.O.V.

For some added style Tommy also picked up some CorkSport Lightweight Lug Nuts, LED Interior Light Kit, and LED Rear Bumper Light Kit along with an updated front grill color matched painted.

“Speed3’s are some of the best looking cars on the road today,” said Tommy when asked what attracted him to Mazda, “What I love about not just my car, but all speed3’s, is when you see one on the street it grabs your attention. People stop what they’re doing to check it out, just like I do when I see another one”.

Well Tommy’s Speed 3, or as his daughter calls it, his “roller skate” is definitely worth a second look!

Gwynne-