A couple years ago we developed performance lowering springs for the new 2018-2021 Mazda 6. Read the Release Blog. Our goal was to transform the full-size sedan from a commuter to a fun luxury sedan you can daily and enjoy in the back country roads. While we succeeded, we also heard from the community that you wanted more LOW LOW. V2.0 Mazda 6 Lowering Springs gives you exactly that!
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Let’s start off with the big one: ride height changes. The Mazda 6 Lowering Springs V2.0 springs offer a more aggressive drop from the stock springs with about 1.75 inch lower in the front and about 2.00 inches lower in the rear. This height is more aggressive than the previous CorkSport Sport Lowering Springs (1.00in front & 0.75in rear) while still maintaining good ride characteristics for the daily commute.
The height drop will be noticed when you’re outside the car, but the handling improvements will be apparent when driving. By lowering the center of gravity and stiffening the springs, body roll is reduced in corners, giving you extra confidence when attacking that backroad. In addition, we stiffened the rear springs more than the fronts, reducing understeer. By number, this meant 4.6K front springs and 8.1k rear springs). Derrick, our resident racecar driver and Mazda 6 Turbo owner, loves the new V2.0 springs and is sitting on some Rays 57FXZ 18×10+40 with 265/40 tires.
While this may sound like a big jump, they ride very similar to the OEM springs, but do feel stiffer. We used natural frequency analysis to ensure we achieved comfortable characteristics. This affects how the car feels and responds when going over bumps, braking, accelerating, and through corners. While the overall spring rates are stiffer, the overall ride quality will not suffer like a Honda Civic on cut stock coils.
Last but not least, the CorkSport Lowering Springs are made from high tensile strength spring steel and come powder coated in our new CS Blue for long-lasting quality and corrosion resistance. They install just like stock, reusing all your OEM components. The only permanent modification is trimming the bump stops to match OEM suspension travel.
Be sure to check out the product listing HERE for more images, a product video with more comparisons to OEM, and pricing. Make your new Mazda 6 yours with just the right styling and handling boost from CorkSport.
Can you believe it’s already August of 2021? It’s crazy how this year has flown by! Between the engineering projects at CorkSport and the racing with @halfmilespeed3…the weeks have become a blurr. BUT sometimes you just have to put your foot down and go racing. That’s what I want to tell you about.
Barett here, Driver of Halfmilespeed 3, where my goal is to race a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 in the standing half mile. Much like the quarter-mile drag racing you have most likely seen or even participated in, but we stretch the race an extra ¼ mile and we race on no-prep airstrips. The added ¼ mile helps us reach speeds of 150+ up to 250mph for the crazy 2500whp builds. I’d like to invite you to see what’s happened with my 09’ Speed 3 over the last few months and what we hope to achieve at Shift Sector Indy this coming weekend (August 14th – 15th).
Let’s jump back to April 2021; the first race of the season at Coalinga CA. Like all the half-mile races I am participating in, this race was hosted by Shift Sector. If you want to check out Shift Sector more or see if they race you check it out here.
Anyways, the lesson learned was “Don’t change a bunch of shit on your car before the race”. I realize that’s extremely difficult it seems but trust me.
We nuked 3rd and 4th gear in my transmission Saturday AM because we thought it was a great idea to change the shifter assembly and cables a few days before the race. Those take time to get set up correctly or you can do damage…obviously. So, we found a used transmission locally (albeit a GEN 1 trans which is not ideal gearing) and got to work. By 330am (Sunday AM) we had the car running again and back in the trailer…off to the track by 8 am that morning.
Long story short, the car did drive off the trailer but then had an electrical issue that never let the car run again that day. The event was a bust…we eventually figured out the electrical issue was bad ground that was caused by the midnight transmission swap. Lesson learned!
The next event was a Roll Race hosted by Shift Sector down south at Willow Springs Raceway. I was excited to do my first roll race because we all know these cars are not great from a dig, but from a roll, they can really kick some ass.
If you haven’t done a legit (non-Mexico) roll race and get the chance…do it! It was an awesome experience and will be doing many more in the future. With that being said the race was held on the front straight of Big Willow Racetrack…so that meant we were lining up and launching at the exit of the last corner…that was interesting to say the least. The morning was four hours of practice and testing. The car was doing great, but the heat was really starting to wear on me and the car. By the end of practice, I was starting to see the heat really build up with 180+ degF intake temps and boost air temps in the 140+ degF range.
We let the car sit for almost a couple hours before the actual competition started. This helped alot, but damn was it still hot outside with ambient air temps over 100 degF. When my race came along I lined up with a 335i with a big single turbo and hood exit exhaust…we set off with a target hit speed of 40-50mph. Luckily this was right in the sweet spot for 3rd gear and just a bit of brake boosting to hit the launch hard. As we got to the finish line the light flashed and we went for it….but the heat said nope.
Unfortunately my car stumbled and cut power. I went a bit to aggressive on the brake boosting and super-heated my boost air temps. This caused the ECU to pull power for a split second…just enough for the BMW to pull ahead.
Despite this I pushed forward and was reeling him in but there just wasn’t enough straight to catch him.
Video Link if Possible: “Built with Barett Episode 3”
Another lesson learned…I need to get my cooling in check before the next event. That next event is Shift Sector Indy. This is a standing half mile drag race at Marion Municipal Airport in Marion Indiana.
Image: shift-sector-indy-2021
As I write this, my Speed is sitting in a transport truck operated by English Racing along with nine other cars going to the same event. Quoting Myles Kerr @ English Racing…”4 GTR’s, 2 damn Honda’s, a Mazda, NSX, 570 and a 720.”
Yup, the Mazda is riding with the big boys. If I could take a guess, those two big rigs are holding upwards of 15,000+ whp of racecar…HOLY SHIT. I think my humble little Mazda is the only car not making 4 digit power…
Anyways, we made some changes for the Indy race for power, traction, heat control and reliability.
Heat killed us last time so let’s resolve that with a hole in the headlight (haha yes I said that) and force CO2 cooling on the intercooler.
So, to solve the high intake air temperature issue I cut a big ol’ hole in my headlight. Now I have a direct source of ambient air hitting the air intake system. Unfortunately, the CO2 cooling system did not arrive in time to get installed so let’s just hope it’s not so damn hot in Indiana.
For power and traction, I have finally moved from the restrictive stock ECU to the amazing Motec M142 ECU. With help from some awesome friends, I was able to get the Motec installed and running most of my desired auxiliary sensors (coolant pressure, oil pressure, PI fuel rain pressure, eMAP, EGT). There are two major benefits of Motec over the stock ECU (right now).
First, the Motec allows proper tuning control to 10k+ engine RPM whereas the stock ECU in the GEN1 flat lines control at 7k RPM. While the car/engine can rev out past 7k, the ECU stops actively controlling the tuning, and therefore power falls off. The new power band for the halfmilespeed3 carries to 8500rpm thanks to Motec and Justin @ Freektune!
Video Link if Possible: “Built with Barett Episode 4”
So with that wish me luck and I hope to see you at the airstrip. Get out and drive your car…you don’t have to have a bonkers build and power number to compete and enjoy your Mazdaspeed. Go get a number and send it down a runway!
Image: how-to-race-your-mazdaspeed
Thanks for checking out the latest update with @halfmilespeed3. Follow on Instagram for more updates and checkout the live link for the Shift Sector Indy event in my bio.
Putting a turbocharged engine in the GEN4 Mazda 3 was a step in the right direction for Mazda but it still misses the mark of a “hot hatch”. Well, that’s where we come in! Introducing the CorkSport Lowering Springs for 2021+ Mazda 3 Turbo. We took what we learned from the naturally aspirated Mazda 3 and applied it to the slightly heftier turbo models. This resulted in a great new ride height and improved handling to push the GEN4 closer to a hot hatch, without ruining the daily driving comfort. Read on for full details and images of the great new look!
Let’s start off with what everyone wants to know: ride height! With only one driveline & transmission option, we could really dial in the ride height for both turbo hatchback and sedan models. The CS lowering springs for the turbo models offer a similar ride height drop to the N/A models. For the turbo hatchback, this means a ride height drop of approximately 1.5” in the front and 1.8” in the rear. For the slightly heavier turbo sedan, expect a drop of 1.5” in the front and 1.9” in the rear. While the sedan is a slightly larger drop in the rear than the hatchback, it still sits level and looks great!
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This ride height is low enough to look great yet not too low to cause you issues on your daily commute. We found that this ride height can clear most driveways and speed bumps no problem. On really steep driveways, taking it slow and at an angle will help you keep your front bumper safe. We haven’t really found a driveway that was an issue though! One final note: we did test our regular, non-turbo Mazda 3 lowering springs on a turbo car. While they fit, the extra weight from the turbo system had the car sitting way too low in the front & looking ugly. We would not recommend doing this!
Moving on to the next best benefit from lowering springs: handling! The CorkSport lowering springs offer some much needed sharpness to the MZ3-T. By lowering the ride height, you lower the center of gravity of the vehicle. Combining this with stiffer than OEM spring rates, body roll is reduced, which greatly helps driver confidence through the twisties. We carefully chose our upgraded spring rates to also help reduce understeer when at the limit of traction. By increasing the rear spring rate more than the front, your turbo 3 gets better turn in and more neutral handling.
The final spring rate numbers for the Mazda 3 2.5T lowering springs actually surprised us. We tested a few different spring rate combinations to find the best balance of ride and handling. Ultimately, the same spring rates as the naturally aspirated Mazda 3 won out (this was due to both cars using the same suspension design). A 3.4K front spring and a 5.9K rear spring offered a compliant ride for daily driving, yet great handling characteristics on a backroad. The OEM dampers on the turbo models are just a hair stiffer as well, so the increase in spring rate fits fantastic with no bouncy ride!
Each set of CorkSport lowering springs for Mazda 3 turbo are made specifically to fit directly in place of the OEM springs. The only small modification that is needed is to trim the bump stops to allow for correct suspension travel before the bump stop is contacted at the new lower ride height. The springs are all made from high-tensile strength spring steel. This ensures a consistently performing spring that will stand the test of time and will not settle. We finish off each spring with a powder coated red finish. We chose red instead of the typical CS blue to help the turbo models stand out and because red things are proven to go faster! We even include a spring silencer on the rear springs to prevent any noise.
That about wraps up the launch of the CorkSport Lowering Springs for Mazda 3 Turbo. Check out the product listing at the link below for more pictures. Be sure to give us a call with any questions you have, we’re happy to help!
P.S. The car in the above images is riding on Advan GT wheels in 19×8.5 +38 size, wrapped in Kumho 235/35 R19 summer tires.
Its 2021, you survived 2020 and finally got those last goodies installed on your Mazdaspeed 3…you’re finally fully bolted. It’s been about 6 months and now you want more, but your Tuner keeps telling you you are out of fuel. What the Hell does that mean!?
Let me tell what that means and let me show you the solution via the BEST Port Injection Fuel Kit for your Mazdaspeed 3 or MPS 3. If you know this is the kit for you don’t wait any longer (Link to ALL THE FUEL), but I do invite you to check out the great information below.
Say no to “out of fuel” and say yes to enough fuel to support 750+WHP! But first let’s take a step back to understand the basics.
Why is your Mazdaspeed 3 “out of fuel”?
The Mazdaspeed 3 and 6 use early technology for direct injection injectors which sadly do not have an aftermarket replacement and reach their flow capacity limit quickly. This basically puts a limit on the OEM fuel systems horsepower capacity. From what we have seen firsthand and in the community; the limit is around 360-390whp depending on the performance parts on the engine and the fuel used. The only current solution is to add a port injection system with either 2 extra or 4 extra injectors. We’ll talk more about that.
What is an auxiliary port injection fuel system? – This is a kit that adds (does not replace) port style fuel injectors to the intake manifold so that you can increase the total fueling capacity of your Mazdaspeed or MPS. There are a few ways this can be done and all have been done in the Mazdaspeed Community.
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2 extra or 4 extra injectors (aka 6th Port or 8th Port Injection)
While the CorkSport Port Injection Fuel Kit is designed for 4 extra injectors (8th Port Kit); there are options in the community that only use 2 extra injectors (6th Port Kit). CorkSport believes the 8th Port Injection kit is the superior setup because it has higher capacity, is more reliable and safer for the engine.
With an 8th Port Kit there is an extra injector on each runner of the intake manifold spraying directly into that one and only runner. With a 6th Port Kit there are two extra injectors spraying directly ahead of the throttle body and then depending on the flow distribution of the intake manifold to disperse the fuel to each runner and thus cylinder.
Return vs Returnless Setups
This is another option for Port Injection Fuel Kits in the community. While both have their place, the CorkSport 8th Port Fuel Kit uses a “return” style setup because again it has higher capacity, is more reliable and safer for the engine because it is easier to tune for.
In a “return” style setup the fuel pressure for the extra injectors increase as boost pressure increases keeping a consistent fuel flow rate per injector duty cycle which provides the higher capacity and much more consistent tuning. While the “returnless” style setup just plumbs the extra injectors into the OEM fuel feed to the HPFP. The fuel pressure does not increase with boost pressure and therefore the capacity is lower, around 500-550WHP.
Integrated vs Standalone Fuel System
Lastly is the consideration of how the Port Injection Injectors are fueled. This can come from the OEM fuel tank or from a completely separate fuel tank in the vehicle. Unlike the bullets points above, this is not really a “one is better than the other”, but more of “what suits the needs of your vehicle and uses”.
Integrated Setup
As the name implies this means the Port Injection Fuel Kit sources its fuel from the OEM tank and in-tank pump. This can actually be done a couple ways 1) via the “returnless” setup as mentioned above but that has its issues or 2) via a surge tank that is mounted in the engine bay or cabin…which has some concerns.
The surge tank setup is a very common “racecar” setup and for good reason. It handles high G load corning, acceleration, and braking great and also fuels the entire car, not just the port injection system. However the cost is usually much higher and requires relocation of other engine bay components so you can mount the surge tank. Along with that you can only use one fuel for the entire system so if your car needs a special high octane fuel then you have to use it at all times during operation, whether cruising or full power.
Standalone Setup
In contrary this is a completely separate fuel source via a separate tank. This can be a really great option for the enthusiast that does some spirited driving, maybe some events here and there, but also daily drives their Mazdaspeed 3. How is this the case?
With a completely separate fuel cell for the port injection system you can run the exotic race gas/ethanol in the port injection tank and run normal cheap pump gas in the OEM tank. When you daily drive/cruise you only use the pump gas in the OEM tank and when you want power the port injection kicks in with the high octane fuel. It’s a win/win, especially if you do not have ethanol close by and have to special order the exotic fuel like we do here in the PNW. However this does mean you need a 2nd fuel tank for the port injection which can be a pain, BUT CorkSport has that covered in this complete kit.
Ok let’s recap on where the CorkSport Port Injection Kit for Mazdaspeed 3 fits in:
4 Extra Injectors aka 8th Port Fuel Injection Kit – one injector per runner for more precise fueling
Return Style Setup – Fuel pressure rising with boost pressure for more capacity and precision
Standalone Tank – Cheap pump gas for daily driving and high octane fuel for port injection power in the secondary fuel cell
I don’t know about you, but this sounds like you can have your cake and eat it to!
Image Credit: Shift Sector Coalinga 2020
Let’s look at the components that make up the CorkSport Port Injection Fuel Kit. What’s in the Box:
CorkSport Fender Mounted Fuel Cell
This is a huge element of what makes the CorkSport Port Injection Fuel Kit great. This fuel cell is custom CAD designed specifically for your GEN1 and GEN2 Mazdaspeed 3 to fit hidden under the headlight behind the bumper cover. At 2.6 gallons capacity you don’t need to refill the fuel cell often and there is an integrated level sensor to remind you when you are at 0.8 gallons. No in-cab tanks and smells.
Quantum Fuel Pump
A 380LPH inline fuel pump is used. This is a Bosch 044 style pump that has the flow capacity needed and is e85 safe.
DeatschWerks Fuel Filters
Two fuel filters are used in the system for complete filtration. A pre-pump 100 micron filter filters the fuel flowing from the tank to the pump, therefore protection the pump from debris. A post-pump 10 micron filter filters the fuel even more before entering the fuel injectors, therefore protecting the fuel injectors from very small particulates. Both filters use a dual stage filtration design that incorporates a magnet and a stainless steel mesh media.
Spec’d Length 6AN Fuel Lines
No headaches and ready to go! Like our Mazdaspeed high pressure fuel line, the included fuel lines are the CorkSport Fuel Lines are spec’d to length and fully assembled ready to use. The lines are PTFE lined with stainless steel braiding and a hytrel coating for a sleek finish and protection against abrasion. All fittings minus on 150deg fitting are permanently crimped and sealed.
Fuel Pressure Regulator
An AEM fuel pressure regulator is used for this return style setup. This provides easy adjustment and setup of the fuel rail pressure with the included Fuel Lab Analog Pressure Gauge
Electronics
Too further simplify, a 30amp relay kit is provided. Relays are a critical component in setting up a port injection fuel system. This allows you to safely and reliably provide power and control to the fuel pump. With that a Hobbs Switch is also provided, this acts as a trigger for the relay to apply power to the fuel pump when a set boost pressure is met. Example: when you reach 4psi the Hobbs Switch will signal the relay to apply power to the fuel pump. This is a great setup for daily driven cars because you only turn on the pump when needed vs running at all times. It greatly helps the life of your pump.
Misc Hardware
Lastly is all the misc hardware and brackets to get this into your speed. We’ve got this handled and clearly show the install process with the online color step-by-step instructions.
Alright that’s what’s in the box for the CorkSport Port Injection Kit; now let’s talk about the other required items. There are 2-3 critical items needed to get your port injection kit up and running.
Port Injection Controller
The OEM ECU and Cobb/Versatuner tuning options cannot control the extra 4x injectors in the kit so you will need a separate controller and software for this. There is a simple and proven option with the Split Second Additional Injector Controller AIC1. It comes with a ready to run harness for EV6 injectors and the harness integration for power, signal and control are very simple. Check it out here and add it to your CorkSport Port Injection Kit for a one stop shop.
Injectors
You will need 4x injectors for the CorkSport 8th Port Fuel Kit. The injectors need to have 14mm o-rings top and bottom and the length of 34mm or 48mm (if using the CorkSport intake manifold). To use with the Split Second Additional Injector Controller AIC1; you will want the EV6 connection style. For capacity we recommend at least 1000cc/mm. To cover all these requirements just use the Injector Dynamics ID1050x. They are proven and reliable, you can grab a set right here with the CorkSport Port Injection Kit.
Bonus!
While this is not required for operation, it is highly recommended. The N2MB Racing WOT Box allows you to change the type of Redline and Launch Control cut to a safer method. OEM will deactivate the injectors for this vs the WOT Box deactivates the spark plugs. This is much safer for your engine, especially with running a port injection fuel kit. With this you can also Flat Foot Shift which is faster and way too much fun. (Insert Fireball Emoji Here)
Why doesn’t the CorkSport Port Injection Fuel Kit include these items?
That’s a good question and we have a good reason. Originally the kit was going to, but we asked the community how they would want the kit and the answers surprised us. A lot of people wanted the kit minus the Controller and the Injectors because they already had those items. So we pulled those out of the kit as solo items you can choose to add if needed.
Installing this kit into your Mazdaspeed 3 is a day project with some buddies. Bank on 6+ hours due to the wiring (its always tedious, but important to do right). Read the installation instructions before starting the install so you are ready with all the needed tools and supplies for wiring.
I do want to note that like any project that involves wiring, there will be some wiring required for the install and the extra wiring and connection you decide you need are not included in the CorkSport kit. Every car is different and how each person wants to get things wired up is different. There is also some very minimal drilling required to install the tank mounting brackets.
I hope you found this blog helpful and informative not just to learn about the CorkSport Port Injection Fuel Kit, but to also learn about the other setups and options you can choose from. I hope this helps you decide what is best for your car and goals. Give us a call if you have any questions, we’d be happy to help.
Stickers are worth 5hp right?…So it was only logical to wrap the whole car in a GIANT sticker! Anyways, on a real note we knew that the @Halfmilespeed3 couldn’t just be fast, it had to look good and what Car Guy or Gal doesn’t want their car to look good?
We have a plan at CorkSport to wrap all of our R&D Shop Cars with an awesome blue that aligns with our “CorkSport Blue”, but we want each car to have a little unique character to it. Thinking about the halfmilespeed3 build and goal we had the brilliant idea of a split wrap…seems fitting right? Half and Half…
So what did the car look like before the wrap?
Metro Grey Mica is the color name and its pretty bland in my opinion. I added the white roof and hood accents along with white wheels to help brighten up the car, which it did, but it was time for change. Oh yeah; white wheels and track spec brake pads don’t mix, just an FYI.
So what is like to get your car wrapped? What’s the process? I can’t personally give you details as I did not do the wrap myself, but I was close to the action and watched it all come together. Respect to those that take this on themselves and to the professionals out there. It is a tedious process that requires attention to detail to get a great final result.
A local friend is a professional and was open to doing the work in the CS shop since the Speed was not in a running and driving state at the time.
Saul S. (@saulywood) did the work over a few weeks’ time in evenings and weekends. He kicked a** on a project that turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected.
Installing a wrap is a process of pulling, stretching, heating, cutting…lots of different skills and abilities to get the job done. All this has to happen without damaging the vehicle you are wrapping. It’s quite a feat.
Going through the process the build kind of evolved if you will. Luckily Saul was very open-minded to it and even a bit eager to try some new things.
Probably my favorite aspect of the wrap is the unique and new wrap from 3M. Called “Shadow Black” this wrap has a slight texture to it that depicts patterns sort of like camouflage.
We used this on the roof and in a narrow strip over the seam between Satin Black and Blue Gloss; it really added a unique aspect to the look and style and brought the two colors together. Pictures just do not give it justice nor can you feel the texture.
So let’s wrap this up (see what I did there?) with some finished images.
I have to admit I’ve fallen in love with my car again. The exterior of my car was pretty beat up and neglected with rock chips, scuffs, and just generally not well taken care of paint. With the new wrap there is a whole new rush of pride and enthusiasm to keep it looking amazing.
Lastly, and this is bit cheesy, I requested Saul to match my helmet to the car…
Why not right? It’s not just another black helmet and I love it.
With that I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into wrapping a Mazdaspeed. Stay connected as we share more and more about the @halfmilespeed3 build…engine, seats, roll-cage, and power! At some point this season an event will open and we can actually race!
