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Mazda said WHAT about the Rotary in 2017? Also, the 2016 MX-5

With more and more information circulating about the new Rotary and MX-5 Miata, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about these two beauties.

Rotary 2017

Mazda has been pretty tight-lipped about the next Rotary. In fact, just a few months ago, we heard a few sources claim that the Rotary wasn’t in development at all, or at least was no longer being focused on. Well, hope has been renewed! This news is thrilling, and it honestly lines up perfectly with what we published back in August: What Mazda Said That Will Have You Saying, “Take My Money!”

Mazda-Auto-Adapt-for-2020-CorkSport-Mazdaspeed-RX7-Rx8

So what’s the excitement? Well, according to an article posted here, Mazda Kiyoshi Fijiwara (Managing Executive Officer) recently was referenced stating that they should be coming out with a new Rotary in 2017 at the Tokyo Motor show. Mazda is pretty big into anniversaries, and this just reaffirms our hunch they’ll use the 50-year anniversary of their first commercially available Rotary to release a new one. They did it with the 25th anniversary of the Miata MX-5, so why not the Rotary?

This is exciting news, and the best part is, they say it should have close to 300hp!

In case you can’t read Japanese, see the (slightly modified) Google Translation below:

Kiyoshi Fujiwara, the Mazda Managing Executive Officer, at the event in Spain was saying that the company is thought to publish a new car equipped with a rotary engine at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2017.

2017: It’s a memorable year. The world’s first commercially-available car equipped with a rotary engine “Cosmo Sports” appeared 50 years earlier. The name of the new car is unknown. As specs become realities, it is clear the “RX-7” engine should come near the order of 300hp.

 

2016 MX-5 Miata Only Gets 155hp

In other news, the engine is officially confirmed at 155hp and 148 ft/lbs of torque for the next generation MX-5. Though this might seem underwhelming, we still have high hopes. The three reasons for these hope are as follows:

 Reason 1:

2015 Miata: 2,619 lbs, divided by 167 hp = 15.68 lbs per Horsepower

2016 Miata: 2,200 (estimated) lbs, divided by 155hp = 14.19 lbs per Horsepower

It’s only an estimate, but the next Gen MX-5 would have to weigh over 2,400 lbs in order to have a worse power-to-weight ratio than the current model.

Reason 2:

Mazda knows more than ever that everyone wants a faster and higher horsepower car.  This knowledge, and the fact that they don’t currently produce, and have not announced, plans to introduce a single Mazdaspeed variant of any of their cars, gives us hope. You might think that makes no sense, but consider it: Doesn’t all their silence about the next Mazdaspeed seem strange? How can a company that has the most vehicles racing in the World on any given weekend NOT have a Mazdaspeed? Secrets.

Mazda has been parading around their Super20 Miata since 2012—a roughly 250 horsepower supercharged Miata that’s received incredible press and reviews. Of course, it isn’t available for public sale. So why does Mazda continue to tease us? Why produce these totally reachable cars that people want without actually producing them for sale? It could just be for publicity, but our bet is also that Mazda has secretly been working on the next Mazdaspeed, and it will be an Mx-5. If we’re right…. we would guess everyone will receive a good confirmation of the next Mazdaspeed MX-5 soon.

Reason 3:

The MX-5 is the pinnacle of Mazdas to modify. More people are modifying their Miata/MX-5 than probably all other Mazdas combined. What does this mean? Turbos, Intakes, Exhausts, Suspension, Bodykits, Lighting: There are so many mods!! Mazda knows people love to modify their cars. If they don’t do it themselves, they know their customers will, which is why we have a feeling that with a few small tweaks, we’ll have this next MX-5 purring and putting out an extra 20-40 horsepower in no time.

Check out The Jalopnik article on the Miata and it’s 155HP: HERE.

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Top 7 Mazda Questions with Our Answers

Corksport Q&A

You had questions, we had answers. Here are the top 7 questions we found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter:

Question: What would be involved/required for CS to develop injectors for the MS3/6?

  • Questioner: Vincent Pham
  • Answer: Fuel injectors, especially direct injection, are complicated high-precision electromechanical devices. A project like this is outside the “normal range” for a small company like CorkSport; therefore, we would have to team up with an injector manufacturer like Bosch to tackle this project. We would also need lots of money. Even with these huge hurdles to overcome, we are investigating the project.

Question: What’s the most power you have seen a SkyActiv-G engine put down?Screen Shot 2015-01-21 at 12.34.32 PM

  • Questioner: Shane Foster
  • Answer: I haven’t heard of any high-power SkyActiv-G, and we probably won’t know for some time, unfortunately. Currently, the 2.5L SkyActiv-G engine produces 165hp at the crank, which is nothing to brag about in a market full of 300hp turbo 4-cylinders and 600hp V8s. Although the SkyActiv engines do have something to brag about, they are some of the most technologically advanced engines on the market. With a 14:1 compression ratio, direct injection, and variable valve timing that’s designed to run on 87 octane fuel, there is huge potential for power. CorkSport has an eye on this potential. For more in-depth information, check out the link below.

Question: Best way to clean carbon on the direct injected cars without pulling manifold and media blasting them?

  • Questioner: Alex Gonzalez
  • Answer: From my research and personal knowledge, everybody has their own method for better or for worse. One method is to use a ½” diameter hose attached to a shop vac and scrap away, but I don’t recommend that. Another method is to use the PCV port on the intake manifold to slowly suck Seafoam into the intake runners, but again I can’t say I recommend it. You can’t control how much or which ports it goes through and the idea of running something other than gasoline through the combustion chamber bothers me. Ultimately, you should remove the intake manifold and then clean it with a heavy-duty foaming engine cleaner. This will also give you a chance to inspect the intake valve and I do recommend purchasing an EGR delete kit.

Question: What oil should I use in my speed?

  • Questioner: Alex Duran
  • Answer: Alex, you really want to stir that pot? O-well, let’s give it a shot. I personally run Mobil-1 Full Synthetic and half a quart of Lucas Oil Stabilizer for 3000 miles. I’m not going to recommend a specific oil, but I will say this. You should run a full synthetic oil and quality oil filter. The oil should be SAE certified and have the manufacturer’s suggested viscosity or be slightly thicker. I say slightly thicker because I have found good results when doing so with higher-than-factory horsepower setups and in severely worn engines.

Question: Think you guys will ever offer full performance engines and components. I.E. big valve head, billet cranks, high comp pistons, or a 2.5 bored to 2.7 with all that plus cams?

  • Questioner: Colt Krahwinkel
  • Answer: I’m going to assume this question is directed to all recent Mazda engines for the sake of variety. Unfortunately, we have no plans for the naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engines other than bolt-ons; there just isn’t a big enough market for that investment. As for the DISI MZR engine, we have produced camshafts and plan to re-release those in the future. Other bolt on’s are either already done or planned, maybe even a turbo, but we don’t plan to get into the engine internals.

Question: How well might breathing mods affect power on the Mazda 2? Say CorkSport SRI, Headers, and CorkSport exhaust?axl-6-276-blue_installed

  • Questioner: Mike Wildt
  • Answer: With the combination of those, the highest gain I would expect on a Mazda 2 is 20hp. The exhaust manifold would show the biggest gains, followed by the SRI. The exhaust system will give marginal gains, but a little grumble is always nice.

Question: Why do you highly recommend resonated over straight pipe? (Referring to the Gen2 Mazdaspeed 3).

  • Questioner: Phil Young
  • Answer: This can be a very biased opinion and is probably the most highly debated subject among all automotive enthusiasts. Despite that, I will try to throw in some facts. Personally, I can’t stand an exhaust system with an excessive drone. If you can barely hear your passenger, then what’s the point, right? That’s why resonators are important and why I should define the difference between resonators and mufflers. Resonators are typically canisters with strait-through design and perforated tube and packing material. Mufflers generally are canisters with chambers and baffles that divert flow. The resonator does not reduce the grumble of the exhaust that we love; it targets specific frequencies that cause the annoying drone. Mufflers are the opposite. Also, we have had many customers order the strait pipe exhaust system to return it for the resonated exhaust later.

Thank you for your questions, and keep them coming. We’ll have a Q&A every month for your Mazda performance questions.

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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!

 

Zoom-Zoom

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