New Performance Cat Back Exhaust For The Mazda CX50

Introducing the new CorkSport Cat Back Exhaust for the 2023+ CX50.  We are excited to bring another awesome performance product to the CX50 communityโ€ฆthis time we really want to make some noise about it!  Stainless steel construction, 4-inch tips, and an exhaust tone youโ€™ll love every day. This defines the new CorkSport exhaust.  

Back profile of the Mazda CX50 cat back exhaust

The Exhaust to Match the CX-50

The CX50 is already a fantastic-looking SUV (heck, we have two of them in the lot!) with great power and capabilities on and off-road.  Much like our development of the Mazda 3 & CX30 exhaust systems, we pursued a design that would add to the overall driving experience of the CX50, but itโ€™s so quiet. Like a dog without a bark!  We sought to change that with the CorkSport Performance Exhaust. 

The CorkSport asymmetric design may not be conventional, but it has a purpose.  The long high-flow resonator on the driver side controls the drone and rasp that would otherwise entire the passenger compartment, while the shorter passenger side utilizes 63.5mm mandrel bent piping to allow an exciting growl out of the exhaust.  Combined, we found the balance of noise output and drone control, creating a fun and comfortable performance exhaust for your daily driven CX-50

Exhaust Options

Our current release is for the entire Cat-Back Exhaust system, which will provide a more pronounced exhaust note.  For those looking for a less aggressive exhaust note, we offer the CX-50 Axle-Back exhaust system that still provides an improved look and sound. Add the Axle back to your OEM midpipe and you’re ready to go!

Best Cat back system for Mazda CX50

Designed to Fit

Like all CorkSport Exhaust Systems, the performance CX50 exhaust is designed to fit like OEM and maintain great ground clearance & departure angles for those off-road adventures.  The 4-inch dual wall slant cut tips fit tightly in the OEM bumper cutouts and follow the great body lines of the CX-50.  Designed for all AWD models of the CX-50 Turbo and non-Turbo

Photo of CX50 cat back exhaust showing tip

In our R&D testing, we found that Mazda allowed some manufacturing inconsistencies in its OEM exhaust components. As a result, we redesigned our exhaust with an adjustable flange that will compensate for these disparities.

What does that mean exactly? We’ve incorporated a new โ€œball & socketโ€ connection that allows for maximum adjustment to ensure the perfect fit.

Quality Design

Construction of the CorkSport exhaust systems uses 304 stainless steel mandrel bent piping and TIG welded joints that are strong and beautiful. All the necessary hardware is included for a quick and easy installation with basic hand tools. Supporting all that are color step-by-step instructions and the support of the CorkSport team by phone, email, and message.ย 

Thanks for checking out the new CorkSport Cat Back Exhaust for the 2023+ Mazda CX-50!

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Behind the Scenes of the Mazda CX-50 Skid Plate Development

For all theย Mazda CX-50ย owners who like to take the road less traveled, here is a glimpse of our new skid plate, released in the latter part of this year.

Taking your SUV off-road comes with a new set of challenges and we have designed a skid plate that is a complete solution for those who want and need extra protection for the critical components on the underside of your Mazda. Below, we will cover the unique features that have been added to the CX-50 Skid Plate during the design process.ย 

New Skid Plate for CX-50

Material Quality & THICKNESS Matters

For the new CX-50 model, we wanted to take our skid plate up a few notches and provide an even higher level of protection for the off-road oriented Mazda CX-50. The main areas that were focused on include the material thickness and mounting points.

The first addition that leads to the majority of the additional protection and durability, comes from the material thickness that was selected for the main plate vs the flimsy felted-plastic cover provided by Mazda.

Everyone knows that our aluminum skid plates are awesome and provide outstanding protection from the all the woes that on road life can throw at your street vehicle. However, we purposely increased the thickness of the main plate from our standard 0.090โ€ aluminum to 0.187โ€ or 3/16โ€ aluminum. This increase in thickness of the main plate, to over 2x of our standard material, allows for a plate that can withstand a great deal more abuse from objects that you might find out on the trail.

Mazda CX50 CorkSport Skid Plate Design

Robust Mounting Points

The next design update we implemented involved larger and more robust mounting points. We relocated the mounting points for the CorkSport CX-50 main skid plate to the 4 corners of the plate. To secure the main plate in these locations M10 size hardware was selected, which vastly exceeds the capabilities of the factory M6 hardware that currently secures the OEM cover. We are also using aluminum standoffs that take advantage of mounting locations in the subframe so that no modifications are needed for installation. 

Features for Mazda CX-50 Skid Plate

Improved Skid Plate Features

Other noteworthy features built into the CX-50 skid plate include the duct for the front differential and the flush-mounted oil filter cover. For the transfer case duct, we wanted to retain the cooling ability but also modify the design so there is less of an opening for larger debris to penetrate. We accomplished this by utilizing a slotted opening to reduce the size of the debris while still allowing airflow to cool the transfer case.

Moving onto the oil filter cover, we created brackets that go on the top side of the skid plate so that the cover can be fully recessed. This design lessens the chance of the skid plate getting snagged on objects that may come into contact with the skid plate while driving.  

Mazda CX-50 Skid Plate

A Bigger Option For Better Performance

For the CX-50 skid plate, we will be offering the option to pick up just the main plate or add on the additional front plate for further protection on the front end. The front section maintains the same thickness of 0.090โ€ as our other skid plates so it will also offer a great improvement over the factory plastic piece. The mounting for the front section is tied to the main plate and we have added additional mounting points and standoffs to the front edge. These mounting locations attach to a metal structure in the bumper to provide a more solid place for the front edge to mount. 

That brings us to the current status of the project for the CX-50 skid plate. During the time until release, we will be continuing development and some features may change as we fine-tune the details of the skid plate. If you are interested in picking one up in the future, be sure to keep an eye on the website for when it gets released later this year.ย 

Announcing the NEW CX-50 Skid Plate!

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Oil Catch Can Tech Breakdown for SkyActiv-G Turbo 2.5L

Letโ€™s talk Oil Catch Cans!  While not the most exciting performance part for your turbo Mazda 3; when properly applied they can be a keystone to improving the health and longevity of your engineโ€™s life.  With that being said, they are worth a discussion in more detail about why an oil catch can (OCC) is needed and what the benefits are.  As with any performance modification, there are many different ways to achieve the end goal, but not all are created equal.  

Letโ€™s break down the CorkSport Oil Catch Can system so you can learn and understand why we utilize an OCC the way we do.   While we did break this down a bit back in 2019 here, we want to take it a step further now. 

CorkSport Mazda Oil Catch Can

Improving the System

First, letโ€™s provide you with some context.  What is the system on the car/engine that the OCC Kit is working to improve?  All modern engines utilize a Pressure Control Ventilation (PCV) system to regulate and control the internal pressure of the crankcase.  This is not to be confused with the pressure inside the combustion chamber.  

CX-50 Mazda Oil Catch Can

As you can see in the image above, there are two major components of the PCV system on the engine.  Typically there is a breather vent integrated into the valve cover that will vent/route directly into the intake system.  On turbocharged engines this vents upstream of the turbocharger compressor inlet. 

Here you can see this connection with the CorkSport Turbo Inlet Pipe.

Mazda 3 Turbo Oil Catch Can Valve cover breather

The second part is a โ€œcoverโ€ on the front side of the engine block typically hidden under the intake manifold.  This cover has built-in baffles/chambers and a PCV valve.  The PCV valve is a basic one-way check valve that allows pressure to flow out of the engine crankcase and into the intake manifold directly. 

Left Side: Here is an example of a SkyActiv-G 2.5L PCV Cover with the PCV Valve at the top. 

Right Side: Here is an example of the baffling on the engine block inside the PCV Cover.  

Mazda 3 SkyActiv PCV plate for the Mazda oil catch can

The Goal

So whatโ€™s the point/goal of the PCV system? Two main reasons:

  1. Reducing the pressure buildup inside the engine crankcase.  This improves the durability/longevity of the engine and improves engine efficiency.  
  2. Emissions control.  The pressure buildup inside the crankcase comes from the combustion process in the cylinders.  The rings on the pistons do not have a perfect seal, thus some combustion gasses and fuel are able to push past the piston rings and into the crankcase.  This is called โ€œblow byโ€.  This blow by and fuel getting past the piston rings worsens during cold start and eventually results in dilution of the engine oil due to the excess fuel.  

We invite you to check out the Engineering Explained video about this specific topic. He does a great job explaining and showing this exact system and issues with it.  https://youtu.be/uVd-ZS5bnyY?t=337 

Here you can see the captured fuel and water vapors of a CorkSport OCC installed for ~3000 miles on a 2018 Mazda 6 2.5T.  This engine only had 500 miles at the time and had an average commute of 15 miles & 20 minutes of mixed traffic and speeds.  

Oil Catch Can Fluid after 3,000 miles

Had there not been an OCC installed, this vapor would have been directly ingested into the intake system at the turbo compressor inlet and the intake manifold.  Over enough time, this builds up on the surfaces of the intake system, turbocharger, intercooler system and intake valvesโ€ฆdiminishing performance and fuel economy.  

Sadly, while Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology has provided some exceptional improvements in power and fuel economy, there are still negatives to the overall system.  Dirty intake valves and fuel dilution are the main concerns. 

Here is an example of direct intake valvesโ€ฆ

Dirty intake valves as a result of a poor oil catch can

Now letโ€™s talk about what makes the CorkSport OCC System unique vs the current options available.  

  1. Itโ€™s a complete system, not a half system.  Meaning the CorkSport OCC incorporates the valve cover breather AND the PCV cover on the front of the block. 
  2. Dual Chamber Design: this separates the incoming vapor from the valve cover and PCV cover to the lower chamber to condense and be drained later.  The air then passes through a baffle to the upper chamber and then exits to the intake system. 
  3. Constant Vacuum: Due to the design, the CS OCC has a constant vacuum pulling pressure and vapor from the crankcase.  This is important to note because with the OEM system, the PCV Cover and valve close while in boostโ€ฆwhich is when most blow by is happening.  With the CS design, you are pulling more vacuum through the OCC while in boost. 
  4. Low Mounting: While this seems trivial itโ€™s important from a physics standpoint.  The fuel in the oil turns into vapor once the engine and oil are up to temperature.  Then the OCC can draw the vapor out of the engine.  Once this happens the vapor will start to condense back into a liquid; most of it will make it to the OCC itself but some will condense in the hose.  We want the hose to drain into the OCC, not the engine.  
CorkSport turbo Oil catch can on a cx-50 engine illustration

Here you can see the general routing of the CorkSport oil catch can over a CX50 engine bay (routing is the same for all turbo 2.5L SkyG models).  The red lines are the routing from the valve cover breather and the PCV.  They โ€œTโ€ together and then enter the lower chamber of the OCC.  The blue line is the clean air exiting the OCC and being drawn into the intake system just before the turbo compressor inlet.  

Letโ€™s wrap this up!  GDI Tech is great but has some issues.  In factory form, the OEM PCV system works but could be betterโ€ฆenter the CorkSport Oil Catch Can Kit.  

CorkSport Mazda Oil Catch Can Kit

By changing the routing and adding a proper tank to catch the oil, fuel, water vapors that collect inside the engine you are effectively helping your engine breathe better.  Reducing the amount of particulates and vapor entering the intake system reduces the overall build-up on the intake valves and other various components.  

With the optional drain valve system, you can easily service the OCC when you perform you regular oil changes.  While not sexy, it is essential and your Mazda will love you for it. 

We hope you have enjoyed this tech blog and we hope it has helped you learn more about your beloved Mazda.  Check out the Oil Catch Can for more details and to get yours today!

-Barett @ CS

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The Wait is Over for the 2021+ Mazda Turbo Downpipe V2

Fits Models Mazda 3, CX-30, CX-50

Unleash the potential and growl from your car and take the step forward into more power! A full 80mm Turbo Back exhaust is now possible with CorkSportโ€™s new Catted Turbo Downpipe for the 2021+ 4th Gen Mazda3 Turbo (as well as CX30 & CX50 Turbo Models)!

2021 Mazda Turbo Downpipe

Our downpipe uses a two-piece design, making installation easy without the need to wrestle with a single large, cumbersome pipe. The Downpipe starts with a high-flowing cast 304 Stainless Steel Bellmouth, then joins the 80mm mandrel-bent piping with a V-band connection for a leak-free seal.

We used 3D scan data from the OEM downpipe when designing our CS pipe, which means fitment is just like OEM and the CorkSport Downpipe will fit with any aftermarket Cat-back exhaust system, or even OEM!

Best Downpipe for the 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo

An updated high-flow catalytic converter is utilized in our V2 downpipe. Our V1 downpipe used a Euro 3 300cel catalyst that showed mixed results with check engine lights (CELs). Our new and improved V2 unit uses a Euro 6, 500cel catalyst for the best in emissions control while minimizing those pesky CELs. Euro 6 is (generally speaking) a more strict set of emission parameters than in the USA. We also went for a more dense catalyst (500cel), which, when combined with an upsized 5โ€ diameter, showed no significant power difference from the V1 300cel or even a fully catless prototype unit (catless not available).

Best Mazda 3 Turbo Downpipe with Cat

The updated catalyst has shown no check engine lights through our testing. We cannot guarantee no CELs as testing all possible climates, driving conditions, local fuels, elevations, and any and all combinations of these is nigh on impossible! However, we are happy to report no CELs through ~10 months and ~14,000 miles of driving!

Installed Downpipe Mazda 3 Turbo

Do I Need A Tune?

Addressing the other elephant in the room: Tuning. We highly recommend getting a tune after installing the 80mm downpipe as there are very strict airflow limits in the stock tune that severely limit power. This will result in some mild stutters, surging, or โ€œhiccupsโ€ at wide-open throttle. This does not do any damage as it is simply a very conservative safety limit for stock components.

With more flow-efficient parts (i.e upgraded intakes , Turbo Inlet Pipe, and exhaust systems), these limits are being reached much easier and the ECU will limit the power output of the engine. The vehicle will be drivable on the stock tune and still give you an aggressive growl out of your 2.5T!  

Here you can see the power gains with a fully-bolted Mazda 3 Turbo that is tuned vs stock downpipe and stock tuning. 

Dyno information for the Mazda catted downpipe
Dynograph of the Mazda 3 Turbo Downpipe with CorkSport CBE, TIP/SRI – Tuned vs Stock Downpipe + CorkSport CBE, TIP/SRI – Stock tune.

Each Downpipe kit comes with a complete pack of all the hardware and gaskets needed for installation. This includes: 

  • New turbo studs and crimp nuts
  • Stainless Steel V-band Clamp
  • Exhaust connection hardware
  • Remflex exhaust gasket
  • Custom headshield and mounting hardware
Hardware for the Mazda Catted downpipe

Be sure to check out the CorkSport Mazda Catted Downpipe for more images, pricing, and installation instructions.

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5 Reasons You Need The Cold Air Box Intake System for the 2019+ Mazda 3 Non-Turbo

The CorkSport Cold Air Box for the 2019+ Mazda 3 has finally arrived!  Long awaited since the introduction of the CorkSport Short Ram Intake for the non-Turbo Mazda 3, CX30 and CX50; the Cold Air Box is ready to team up with your SRI and give you the increased performance from cooler ambient air that youโ€™ve been looking for.  

Installed for the Best Cold Air Intake Box

Designed For Performance

Designed specifically for the non-turbo models in conjunction with the CorkSport Short Ram Intake; this creates a complete performance cold air intake system that bolts in with ease.  

To maximize potential airflow AND keep the hot engine bay air away from the intake we incorporated the OEM intake snorkel and opened the airbox end to take in cooler ambient air from the fender area.  

Mazda 3 2019 and newer cold air intake box

Here you can see the open end of the CorkSport Airbox providing full airflow to the filter from the fender area and the opening on the front of the airbox for the snorkel to interface.  The result is maximum airflow and minimal hot air from the engine and radiator.  

Cold Air Box illustration of air flow

Tested & Approved

To validate this design we did on car testing in real-world situations.  Below you will see a graph showing air intake temperature of the CorkSport SRI only vs the CorkSport SRI + Cold Air Box.    Both tests use the same car and begin testing with an up-to-temp car in approximately 80 degF sunny weather.  

Cold Air Intake Data for the Mazda CS Air Box

The testing starts with a 5 minute idle period to simulate sitting in traffic or staging line at a drag race.  This is the โ€œheat soakingโ€ that is so commonly mentioned in social media channels.  After that, the car is moderately accelerated to 50mph which pushes fresh ambient air into the intake snorkel and fender area.  You can see that in both stationary and moving testing, the cold air box keeps intake air temperatures cooler by approximately 10 degF.  

CorkSport Installed on CX30 Cold Air Box

Efficient & Responsive

Is a cold air box necessary for your Mazda already equipped with the CorkSport Short Ram Intake?  No, but the cold air box WILL help your engine breathe easier, run more efficiently and feel more powerful and responsive in all driving situations.  It will help make your Mazda even more fun to drive, which is why we all do this!  

Mazda 3 Cold air box

Built CS Strong

Now letโ€™s talk about the construction of the CorkSport Airbox.  CAD designed and manufactured via a rotor molding process allows us to create very unique shapes that can fit in the engine bay.  The material is XDPE plastic that is very durable and resilient to engine bay temperatures and chemicals.  In fact, itโ€™s the same material we use for our Mazdaspeed Fender Fuel Cell and the 4th GEN Mazda 3 Turbo Inlet Pipe.  The translucent cover is a grey/brown tinted acrylic material that is durable and looks fantastic in the engine bay.  

Mazda CX50 cold air box installed

With the removable cover, servicing is super quick and easy, so you donโ€™t have to remove the entire airbox just to clean your air filter. 

CorkSport Care & Support

Lastly, like all CorkSport performance parts, you receive color step-by-step instructions, all the needed installation hardware, and support from our knowledgeable team at CS HQ.  Thanks for checking out the latest and greatest from CorkSport!  

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