Tag: 2010 Mazdaspeed 3

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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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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

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Product Release! CorkSport Cold Air Intake for the 2010+ Mazdaspeed 3

When CorkSport set out to develop a Cold Air Intake (CAI) we took several things into consideration. First and most obviously, we wanted the CAI to make more power over stock and allow for free-flowing air into the intake chamber. The factory intake overall on the Mazdaspeed 3 is chock-full of poor bends and choke points. Just by changing the filter section, you can get a large increase in horsepower and when coupled with an aftermarket turbo inlet pipe that runs between the intake section and the turbo, the increase is even greater.

Mazdaspeed intake system

The new Stage III CorkSport Power Series Cold Air Intake does just that by replacing the factory airbox with a cold pipe intake system to dramatically reduce intake restrictions and provide an impressive improvement in power throughout the entire engine’s RPM range. During initial testing the CorkSport Stage III Cold Air Intake for 2010+ Mazdaspeed 3 saw a 10-12% increase in power and torque when tested against the stock intake system.

Dyno of air intake

Next, we thought about the best intake system to run in all weather conditions and came up with a system that is convertible between a short ram intake and a cold air intake. This gives customers an optimal set-up for their intake system year-round. During the warmer months, a cold air intake can be run which will suck air from the fender liner instead of the hot engine bay where a short ram intake would be situated. While testing, we saw differences of up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the moderate climate of the northwest. This could be higher in other parts of the country that hit much higher temperatures. While driving the engine bay is not much warmer than outside but while you sit the engine bay becomes very warm. Moving the intake to the fender liner pulls air that is not in the engine bay so the air is much cooler.

Then during the cooler rainy and snowy months, you can switch out your CAI with the Stage I or Stage II SRI intake just by quickly and easily removing a pipe and moving the filter location. With the SRI set-up the path to the turbo is greatly decreased and there is almost no chance of sucking up water during the wet months making it ideal for cold, rainy weather.

Mazdaspeed 3 Short Ram Intake System

Finally, we compared our product to the competition on the market. We purchased a popular competitor Cold Air intake and did a head-to-head test, of their intake against ours on the dyno. We also attempted to verify the competition’s claims of a 33hp gain. The below graph shows the results. The red line is the Stage III Corksport Cold Air Intake with Turbo Inlet Pipe, green line is the Corksport Cold Air Intake without turbo inlet pipe and the pink line is the popular competitors Cold Air Intake.

Dyno data for short ram intake system for the Mazdaspeed 3

Notice the peak power is almost the same between the CorkSport’s two intake set-up’s but there is a massive increase in mid-range power and torque with the optional turbo inlet pipe. If you look at the competitor’s results compared to the Corksport intake, you will notice the lines stay together for a while before diverging slightly in the mid-range and top-end. Both intakes show improvements over stock but the CorkSport Intake shows slightly more mid-range and upper rpm power and torque.

The Corksport Stage III Intake that comes with optional turbo inlet pipe shows the most gains overall being at some points 7% more efficient than the popular competitors. The turbo inlet pipe is also not offered by the competition making the upgrade to the full system a perfect choice for those that want the most efficient system posible. At no point could we duplicate the +33hp gain or roughly 15% improvement claimed by this competitor.

The CorkSport Cold Air Intake can be purchased as a standalone performance part and includes our precision machined MAF housing made from billet aluminum with included air straightener, durable dry flow air filter, mandrel bent aluminum cold pipe and custom reinforced silicone connectors. It is also available as an upgrade kit for current customers with a CorkSport Stage I or Stage II Short Ram Intake with included mandrel bent aluminum cold pipe and custom reinforced silicone connector and optional Turbo Inlet Pipe.

The kit is available to purchase in powder-coated black or polished aluminum with any combination of red, blue, or black fliter and silicone connectors and the choice of polished aluminum or stealth black T-bolt clamps to truly customize the look of your engine bay.

To find out more or purchase a CorkSport Cold Air Intake today, please visit the CorkSport catalog online today at www.corksport.com or call 360-260-CORK.

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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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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-