Testing & Validation: CorkSport 2.5L SkyActiv Race Header

mazda 6 exhaust header

Over the past few months, we’ve been teasing you with tidbits of info on the CorkSport Race Header for the Mazda 3 2.5L SkyActiv-G in the GEN3’s. Today’s blog is a big one as we go through the testing we performed on the header and share some results, including power! Before we get too deep though, be sure to get up to speed with a breakdown of the OEM header and our design goals for the CS header.

mazda 3 skyactiv header
2014+ Mazda 3 Header Installed

Addressing Underhood Heat

In our previous blog, some of you keen-eyed individuals were asking about underhood temperatures with the ram-horn style CorkSport header. Well, we went through testing to ensure everything will function as before when the new header is added. We’re happy to let you know that we saw very similar under the hood temperatures as the OEM header. As a double check, we applied some temperature sensitive stickers to some areas near to the CS header, as shown below. These stickers will fill in with color if a temperature listed is reached. While these ended up reaching higher temps than with the OEM header, no areas are at risk of damage or malfunction. Furthermore, both the CorkSport racecar and our beta tester have run the 2014+ Mazda 3 race header at the track with no issues with overheating, power losses, or engine bay damage!

2.5l SkyActive Race Header testing
2.5l SkyActive Race Header testing with temperature sensitive stickers

How Does The Header Sound?

Before we get into the really good stuff, let’s go through a side effect of freeing up the headers on any engine: volume. We tested the Mazda 3 SkyActiv race header with multiple different setups: OEM cat back, CS 60mm cat back, CS 80mm cat back, and straight pipe. The race header on an OEM cat back is something that will not likely be used often (who runs a racecar with a stock exhaust?) but offers some nice growl and extra volume over the OEM exhaust. Both the CS 60mm and 80mm exhausts sound fantastic, with the 80mm being louder and having higher power potential than the 60mm. Even so, the 80mm is not uncomfortably loud and could be daily driven if full catalytic converter deletes are street legal in your area. We cannot recommend the straight pipe though. It is extremely loud and very uncomfortable. If you want a tease of sound with the 80mm cat back, check out our feature on our beta tester’s car in the video below.

80mm Cat Back with the 2014+ Mazda 3 Header!

The SkyActiv-G Race Header Adds Power

Full Race Header for the Mazda 2.5l SkyActiv Engine
Full Race Header for the 2.5l SkyActiv Engine

Alright, I’ve kept you waiting long enough, let’s talk power. The 4-2-1 design is very evident in our tests, as we did not see huge gains at peak WHP/WTQ. We did see very good gains throughout the midrange. From 2000RPM or lower all the way up to about 5300RPM we made 4-8WHP and 5-15WTQ. On our beta tester’s car with a good tune and supporting mods, this meant 194WHP and 226WTQ on 91 octane pump gas. The graph below shows a direct comparison of a 2016 Mazda 6 with a CS short ram intake, CS 60mm exhaust, and the same tune with and without the race header. Keep in mind, there is more optimization to be had with tuning with the header installed, and greater gains with an 80mm exhaust. The midrange gain may not seem like much but is extremely noticeable when driving the car.

Mazda 6 Race Header Dynograph
Comparison of a 2016 Mazda 6 with a CS short ram intake, CS 60mm exhaust, and the same tune with and without the race header.

That’s about it for our testing and validation blog. Next time you’ll hear about the CorkSport Race Header for the 2014+ Mazda 3, it will be released! Be sure to stay tuned to all the CS channels if you’re interested in being one of the first to pick one up.

-Barett @ CorkSport

P.S. We noticed a lot of you asking if this header will fit the auto transmission or 2.0L. The automatic transmission is 2-3” larger right where the lower section of the header sits, so for optimum pipe routing, we had to do away with automatic fitment. The 2.0L has a different bolt pattern and exhaust port spacing on the engine, so the 2.0L will not work with the CS race header either.

Please
submit a product idea here if you would like to see automatic fitment, 2.0L fitment, or any other product for your car. The more submissions, the more likely we are to produce one so tell your car buddies!

80mm Gen3 Mazda3 Cat-Back Exhaust

CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Installed
CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Installed

4 years ago, we released the 60.5mm Exhaust kit for the 3rd Gen Mazda 3 (both in axle back and full cat back flavors). It’s certainly been a hit, but there have been a few of you longing for more noise. Today we are proud to announce the 80mm variant of our cat back exhaust for the 2014-2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback and Sedan! At this time, just the hatchback version is available, but we will have the Sedan version ready in just a few short months.

The Dirty Details

CorkSport 80mm Cat Back Exhaust Exhaust
CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Installed

Now I know what you’re thinking, an 80mm exhaust for Mazda 3 seems excessively large for a naturally aspirated car making less than 200whp. But, hear me out because I think you’ll like what’s coming.

80mm piping allows for some unique & louder tones its smaller little brother can’t offer, but it wasn’t as easy as just using the old design and making the pipes larger. We had to do quite a bit of resonator experimentation and NVH analysis to get to the finished result with as little drone as possible. I’ll be upfront with you guys though, this is loud. It’s a good loud with tons of fun noises, but if you’re looking for something subtler, then our 60.5mm cat back or axle back may be a better fit. We do a good job of capturing the audio for you though so you have a good understanding of what you’re getting. Be sure to check out the product video to hear it.

Listen Now!

The Beauty of the Design

For those wanting this more aggressive exhaust note, sound isn’t the only bonus. We thought about the appearance, and how we could take advantage of this time to tinker with the design. The 80mm does a nice job of not only filling the exhaust tunnel under the car, but the axle back portion is a bit more prominent when you catch a glance.

On the Hatchbacks, the exhaust tips got a nice size increase up to 100mm and they are slant cut to help follow the profile of the bumper. Sedans have also been upsized to 100mm tips, which were lowered slightly to ensure your bumper doesn’t melt with the large piping. This has the added bonus of making the tips a little more visible from the rear and side of the car. In both cases, the way the upsized exhaust accents the rear of the car provides an aftermarket look, that’s classy and somehow the way it always should have been from the factory.  

CorkSport 80mm Mazda 3 Cat Back Exhaust Installed on Hatchback
CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Installed

CorkSport Quality

As with every CorkSport exhaust, this new 80mm Mazda 3 Cat Back Exhaust variant is made from fully polished T-304 stainless steel for long-lasting corrosion resistance. All flanges, hangers, and resonators are precision TIG welded in place while all of the piping is made with smooth mandrel bends. Each resonator uses a direct flow-thru design to keep the drone down and the volume up without sacrificing power.

CorkSport 80mm Mazda 3 Exhaust Hanger
CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Hanger

Power Levels

Speaking of power, check out the dyno graph below. The upsize to 80mm showed similar power gains as the 60.5mm variant, so the extra size isn’t really needed at similar to stock power levels (aside from the great noise of course!). The only change in parts or tune between the two graphs was the exhaust. OEM exhaust (red) vs. CorkSport Mazda 3 80mm Exhaust (green).

CorkSport 80mm Exhaust Power Gains
+6.6HP!

We also believe it’s also very important to be prepared. Future proofing your car for mods down the road is always a great idea, and you’ve probably heard that we have a turbo kit (yes it’s still happening!) and race header in the works. More on those projects later, but I’ll let you put 2 & 2 together…