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Mazda Rumors – Mazdaspeed Cx3, Merger, Best Year Ever?

Oh man, so much goodness that we can’t help but be ecstatic!

With news rolling in about Mazda in the past month we have hardly been able to keep our heads. To start with, lets start with a beautiful concept from Mazdaspeed, the CX3 Racing.

What we love about this concept

Not only does it look awesome, but also the fact that it sort of reminds us of a Mazda 3…. but smaller, and thus lighter, and…. with the possibility of AWD. Yes, I said AWD since the CX3 is a CUV it will be offered with AWD which we all know makes most of us get a little excited about the friction created from extra rubber traction.

P.S. This wasn’t just an imagined concept, they actually made this thing for the Tokyo Auto Show. See more real-live photos here: Tokyo Auto Salon

 

Possible Merger on the Horizon?

So enough of that, lets get some more juicy news with the latest that Jalopnik is talking about…. a possible merger between Fiat Chrysler and Mazda? Obviously we already have heard that there are shared development of the latest ND MX-5 Miata (and it looks GREAT need we remind you?) that Fiat/Alfa should be making a version of, but we hadn’t heard anything of a merge.

“Fiat-Chrysler could merge with a U.S. company, but that seems unlikely… That leaves the Japanese and the two frontrunners are Mazda and Suzuki… it seems like Mazda is the obvious choice. ”

Now honestly why Fit-Chrysler and Mazda would want to merge is beyond me. I personally can’t see it benefiting Mazda. The differences in the two companies seems overwhelming and in my opinion the reason Mazda has been doing so great lately is the fact that they are a small player with no red-tape to follow. Remember those Ford years? Not the best for Mazda design or ingenuity. All told, I highly doubt this is anything more than one journalists hopes/ideas.

Speaking of Mazda doing well though, who isn’t absolutly stoked and excited that Mazda had it’s best year since 1994 this year?! That is awesome. Really we can see why, a beautiful lineup of amazing cars that continues to gain traction due to great design, economy and most of all, they are all a blast to drive. The CX-5 has been selling extremely well along with the Mazda3 and Mazda6! According to Jalopnik:

“Strong sellers for Mazda include the Mazda3, which had its second-best December ever, and the Mazda CX-5, which had its best December ever, period. The Mazda6 also had its best year since 2007. ”

Mazda-Best-Year-Since-1994

Yes, yes and yes again! We can get behind this. In case you didn’t realize though, when Mazda does well, we all do well! The more their staple cars sell well the more money they can put towards developing a new Mazdaspeed and/or an awesome surprise Rotary!

Keep it up Mazda, you know we will be your fans as long as you keep doing what you are doing!

 

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Top 5 Tips for Family Roadtrips in your Mazda

Dear Car Guy,

Hope this finds you well and enjoying the switch in seasons.

Wanted to give a shout-out to all of you Car Guy’s that are also Family Guy’s! You’re THAT guy that keeps his car clean regardless of the amount of french fries and jelly belly’s that are left on the seat after you’ve removed the car seat. You’re also the guy that gets to load everyone in your AWESOME ride because it’s highly likely that your wife hasn’t cleaned out her car in what seems like decades. So the dog, the kids and the luggage all get to replace your sound system in the back for the weekend as you go off to visit family for the upcoming holidays.

Here are some tips, since I know you’re always into life-hacks that keep your car in pristine condition, and to make your extended car rides a little bit more tolerable with family!

#1. Lay down plastic. NoCar Wrap Kidding!

Grab some painter’s plastic and lay it over your seats with holes for the seatbelts, and you’re less likely for spills to stain and cause a permanent mess. Not to mention when you’re done with the trip, be it out trick-or-treating, or heading to be with family for the weekend, you can just scoop up the dirt, broken crayons, half eaten suckers and candy wrappers all at once. Better yet, if you can convince the screaming kids and wife, don’t let anyone eat in the car 😉 If you have to… Here’s an idea: https://diningwithalice.com/twin-cities-live/travel-snacks-for-kids/

Candy Organizer

#2. Travel the road less traveled.

Those winding twisting, exciting roads will rock the kids and screaming tots to sleep (if you’re lucky, the wife too!). Leaving You with nothing but the wheel, the road, and some thinking time. (Please be careful with these roads as the weather gets worse). I love this way, even if it takes 20 minutes longer, it’s worth it for the silence and fun.

#3. Use your coats (full sized adults) and zip them over the front seats.

Keeping the little feet from leaving foot prints and stains on the back of your seats. Or use something like this: Seatback Protector

Seat Cover

#4. Put a full size towel, in a plastic bag and leave it in the wheel well of your spare tire.

This would be perfect for the unexpected messes or dogs that run off into the lake. We all know that someone will have an accident, spill a drink, forget a favorite blanket, or will inevitably fall into the only mud puddle seen for miles. Be prepared for our furry friends it always seems like it was on purpose!

#5. Embrace the show tunes, it’s highly likely your kids are into some form of musical torture.

If you just embrace it and sing along they’re less likely to want to continue with that soundtrack. What better than the voice of Dad over the “Frozen” theme song to annoy the kids, or a great rendition of Miley Cyrus screamed in your best falsetto. Unless you’re into the same song on repeat….

HIMYM

Don’t worry, we’ve taken these ideas from the Dad’s here, and they really work. So find a way to “Let it go”, and yet still protect your favorite ‘baby’ from your beloved brood.

Stay Safe, Stay happy, and Enjoy the ride!!

Kim Russell-01

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New Mazdaspeeds? You Heard it Here First!

Motortrend-Mazdaspeed-6-Article

 

Motortrend recently published this Article in their magazine. If you can see it, the article states that Mazda is planning a Mazdaspeed 3 in 2016, they list the details that have been floating around for months, 2.5L Skyactiv, Turbo, 300hp, AWD….. tell us something new!

We just want to point out that this is old news. In fact we even quoted Motortrend quoting their “source” back at the start of November saying the exact same thing!

Check out the post that is almost word for word the same article:

https://www.corksport.com/blog/lets-do-this-mazda-mazda-6-coupe-cx-3-mazdaspeed-2016/

As if that wasn’t enough, we also pointed out in August an article found a few places on the internet about a MS3 in 2017.

https://www.corksport.com/blog/mazdaspeed-3-coming-in-2017-with-awd/

In the article we say: “According to Ryan Beene at Autonews.com the next Mazdaspeed is planned for 2017.”

We also discuss the likelihood of AWD which we had previously pointed out in November of 2013! That’s over a year ago!

See that one here: https://www.corksport.com/blog/will-there-be-a-new-mazdaspeed-3-with-all-wheel-drive/

Now before you get upset that we are just pointing fingers and saying “we said it first” I hope you realize that this is actually a good thing! The more that we share a rumor, and so does other reputable sources like Jalopnik, Motortrend, AutoNews and more, the more credibility it gets! I doubt that the rumors of AWD, 300hp and it being a MS3 are that unlikely when it seems everyone is reporting on them.

So, more props to you MotorTrend! We are right there with you and look forward to 2016, 2017 and all the new cars Mazda brings us!

 

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Top 10 New Years Resolutions for a Car Guy

Barett-Strecker-2014-12-11-P3

 

It’s about that time of the year where we tear out a piece of a paper and jot down all of our New Years resolutions. Most forget about these resolutions halfway through the year, but this year is your year. It’s time to grasp your resolution with your bare hands and get it done! Here are some New Years resolution ideas that you can incorporate into your own list:

1. Hit the local Autocross event this year.

We all love going in the straight line or hitting the racetrack, but there’s nothing like the accessibility of an Autocross. An autocross gives you more of a visual of your driving abilities and gives your car less of a beating than if you were on a full-length race course or a quarter-mile drag strip. Of course this depends on how smoothly you go through the course and whether or not you lodged any cones in your wheel-well.

2. Buy the Corksport Adjustable Struts & Shocks Combo you’ve always wanted.

We’ve all been here. Every session online you get distracted by visiting the Corksport web store and stop by the Corksport adjustable struts and shocks combo product page. You keep looking into the Mazda forums, doing research, and dreaming how that pesky wheel gap makes your car look like it’s a monster truck. Now is the year to save up and finally treat yourself. Try getting a jar and commit to saving a small percentage of your paycheck to work towards paying off the suspension kit (or any other awesome modification) with straight-up cash.

3. Attend a Mazda Meet.

Butch Bender

There’s nothing like attending a Mazda Meet and talking cars with other Mazda owners. This is where you can get inspiration, connect with other local Mazda owners/enthusiasts, and even local tuning shop owners. Have an issue with your Mazda? We bet you can find somebody at the meet who had the same problem and knows exactly how to fix it. Checking out the forums is a great step but there’s nothing like a Mazda enthusiast actually seeing what the issue is in person. Besides, who doesn’t want to make more Mazda friends?

4. Learn to Race.

We’ve all taken on-ramps at a faster than suggested speed, trying to establish a race-line. It’s fun to think of yourself as a race car driver. What if you can actually be one? There are a lot of opportunities at your local track to get instruction from professional race car drivers. A great place to start is the SCCA website. Maybe it’s time you actually became a race car driver?

5. Let somebody change the radio station or playlist.

Most people hate it when a passenger starts messing with the radio. Who wants to listen to a slow jam with four dudes in the car (maybe some of you do)? From the great words of the most played out song in 2014: let it go! Relax. One day just let a passenger do whatever they want to the radio. Only once of course.

6. Finish that project.

Everybody has that one project that sits untouched in the corner of their garage or shop for what seems like forever. It’s collecting dust, and you’re starting to pile stuff around it. Time to get it out and finish it up. Whether it be plasti-dipping the valve cover, finally getting an alignment after lowering your car, or actually installing that Corksport Transmission Motor Mount that’s been sitting in your garage for a few weeks. Maybe it’s time you set everything aside and just do it.

7. Take a noob out to the shop.

Shop Life

We all have a friend that is very eager to learn more about working on cars or just about cars in general. This person can be just one of your friends or even your 7-year old nephew (it’s never too early to learn how to turn that wrench). It’s time to pass on your knowledge, because, to be honest, everybody remembers that one person that taught them everything to help them get started in tuning and modding. It’s time for you to be THAT person.

8. Help a friend with their project.

We all have that friend who buys a ton of parts and pays for an auto shop to install it for them. It’s time to lend your services and give your friend a helping hand. If you think about it, you can technically complete resolution number 7 and 8 at the same time.

9. Give a friend a bluetooth device.

With all the laws being passed in every state regarding hands-off communication devices in the car, this can not only prevent your friend from receiving a ticket but also keep them safe on the road. Buy one for yourself if you haven’t already!

10. Participate in the next Mazda toy drive.

Mazda Toy Drive

It’s time to give and have fun doing it. Every year a local car club runs a toy drive to benefit needy kids in the area. It’s also a great time to meet other Mazda owners and just talk cars. Most car clubs will do a food drive in November and a toy drive in December. You’ll be doing a good deed and you get to see some awesome local Mazdas.

Don’t forget to put your New Years resolution somewhere that’s highly visible. To be honest it’s hard to complete all the resolutions you ever make but there’s nothing like that accomplished feeling you get when you do complete one.

Good luck this year and don’t forget to keep reminding yourself about your resolutions by posting notes EVERYWHERE!

 

– Corksport

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Corksport Aluminum Swaybar Bracket

Feeling a little loose in the rear end lately?

Take a peek and you will probably find another broken steel, gold zinc-coated bracket.  Stop your 4 month ritual to the local auto parts store and upgrade to something much better!

Gold Zinc Coated Bracket

Introducing the new CorkSport Sway Bar Bracket!

Manufactured from high-grade 6061-T6 aluminum, these precision machined brackets are strong, durable, and look great.  Plus it’s 100% designed and manufactured right here in the Pacific NW, USA. (BUY NOW)

CorkSport_Mazdaspeed_Heavy_Duty_Swaybar_Brackets_Group

But wait, there’s more! 

Not only did we fix the broken bracket problem, we went a step further.  We use 1” and 1-1/8” poly bushings to really get your sway under control.  Made from 90A durometer polyurethane, these bushings are far stiffer and much more durable than rubber bushings.  Polyurethane will not deform or crack over time like the rubber counterparts so frequently do.

CorkSport_Mazdaspeed_Heavy_Duty_Swaybar_Brackets_Logos_Bushing_Top

Time to get technical!

If you have any doubts about the strength of the CorkSport brackets then let the next images put your mind at ease.  The magenta arrows represent the force that is applied in the approximate direction that the bar pushes on the bracket.  The green arrows represent the “fixturing” or bolting of the bracket to the vehicle. cgi bracket force chart

Above is the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) result after applying a force of 1000 lbf to the steel bracket.  Obviously the bracket has deformed significantly, but is also an exaggeration to show the deformation.  The deformation scale factor is 16:1 (I’ll talk about this in more detail later).  Now there are two key things to see from this image. 1. The yield strength of the material is ~51k PSI, but you can clearly see that the maximum stress in the bracket is ~150k PSI.  2. That maximum stress is represented by the color red.  If you look back at the first image in the blog you will see where the typical fracture in the bracket is; the exact same location as the red in the image above.

Now let’s take a look at the CorkSport bracket with the same force in the same direction.

cgi bracket force chart2

Above is the FEA result after applying a force of 1000 lbf to the aluminum CorkSport bracket.  Obviously the bracket has deformed significantly, but is also an exaggeration to show the deformation.  The deformation scale factor is 192:1 (Yup, you read that right).  Now let’s compare those two key things. 1. The yield strength of the material is ~31k PSI, but you can clearly see that the maximum stress in the bracket is only ~26k PSI.  2. The bracket is not experiencing any yielding (permanent bending) due to the 1000 lbf.

Let’s talk about that “deformation scale factor”.  In most instances when conducting FEA, the material deforms so little that you can’t actually see it.  To assist in the designing process the computer program automatically scales the deformation (exaggerates it) so that the naked eye can easily see it.  So what’s another way to “look” at this deformation scale factor?  If the same force of 1000 lbf is applied to both brackets, yet the steel bracket has a 16:1 (small exaggeration) scale and the CorkSport bracket is 192:1 (extreme exaggeration) scale, then there is an obvious difference of strengths.

With such a huge difference, my engineering curiosity kicked in, I began investigating. The conclusion I came to is staggering.  The steel bracket began to yield when a mere 350 lbf was applied, whereas the CorkSport bracket could handle 1200 lbf.  This means that the CorkSport bracket is nearly 3.5 times stronger than the steel bracket!

Excited yet? You should be! Stop your 4 month ritual right now with the CorkSport Sway Bar Bracket Kit!  Zoom-Zoom!

-Barett, CS Engineering

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