Tag: mazda 3 turbo

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2019+ Mazda 3 & 2020+ CX30 – License Plate Relocation Kit is here!

Mazda3 License Plate Kit

If you’re looking for a quick and easy mod to boost the appearance of your 4th Gen Mazda 3 and CX-30, the new CorkSport License Plate Relocation Kit is a great place to look. The factory front license plate location is front and center which detracts from the aggressive front grill of the 4th Gen Mazda 3. The CS relocation kit moves the front license plate out of the center of the grill and over to the side for an overall better look. A comparison between the factory and CS license plate locations can be seen below. The CS relocation kit is also super simple to install and takes only 15-30 minutes to complete. Read on for a detailed look at the components included in the Mazda 3 License Plate Relocation Kit.   

First let’s take a look at the tow hook screw that is used to hold the license plate bracket. The tow hook screw is made out of high strength steel and zinc coated so that it will hold up in all types of environments. The tow hook screw also utilizes the factory mounting location to avoid any permanent modifications to the front end of your Mazda. Now onto the main component of the CS kit which is the license plate bracket. Starting out as an 11 gauge 304 stainless steel sheet the bracket is bent to provide quick access to the main mounting bolt and to also flow better with the lines of your front bumper. The license plate bracket includes a quick detach feature so if you ever need to run through a car wash you can quickly loosen the bolt with the provided low profile 19mm wrench and lift it up and off.

We have also positioned the license plate bracket out of the view of the parking sensors so everything continues to work as it should. Finally, all of the hardware included in the kit is stainless steel and we provide tamper resistant screws to hold on your license plate so it’s more difficult if anyone tried to remove it.    

Thanks for checking out the CorkSport License Plate Relocation Kit for the 4th Gen Mazda 3 & CX-30! Be sure to head over to the product page and scoop one of these up if you want an appearance boost for the front of your Mazda.

Relocation License Plate blue overlay

License Plate Relocation Kit

Get the license plate relocation kit for the 2019+ Mazda 3 & 2020+ CX30

GET THE KIT

License Plate Relocation Kit

Get the license plate relocation kit for the 2019+ Mazda 3 & 2020+ CX30

GET THE KIT
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Gen4 Mazda 3 Turbo Performance Lowering Springs

Putting a turbocharged engine in the GEN4 Mazda 3 was a step in the right direction for Mazda but it still misses the mark of a “hot hatch”. Well, that’s where we come in! Introducing the CorkSport Lowering Springs for 2021+ Mazda 3 Turbo. We took what we learned from the naturally aspirated Mazda 3 and applied it to the slightly heftier turbo models. This resulted in a great new ride height and improved handling to push the GEN4 closer to a hot hatch, without ruining the daily driving comfort. Read on for full details and images of the great new look!

Red Mazda 3 Turbo Best Lowering Springs for 2021+ models

Let’s start off with what everyone wants to know: ride height! With only one driveline & transmission option, we could really dial in the ride height for both turbo hatchback and sedan models. The CS lowering springs for the turbo models offer a similar ride height drop to the N/A models. For the turbo hatchback, this means a ride height drop of approximately 1.5” in the front and 1.8” in the rear. For the slightly heavier turbo sedan, expect a drop of 1.5” in the front and 1.9” in the rear. While the sedan is a slightly larger drop in the rear than the hatchback, it still sits level and looks great!

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Red Mazda 3 Turbo with installed lowering springs

This ride height is low enough to look great yet not too low to cause you issues on your daily commute. We found that this ride height can clear most driveways and speed bumps no problem. On really steep driveways, taking it slow and at an angle will help you keep your front bumper safe. We haven’t really found a driveway that was an issue though! One final note: we did test our regular, non-turbo Mazda 3 lowering springs on a turbo car. While they fit, the extra weight from the turbo system had the car sitting way too low in the front & looking ugly. We would not recommend doing this!

CorkSport Best Mazda 3 Turbo Lowering Springs red

Moving on to the next best benefit from lowering springs: handling! The CorkSport lowering springs offer some much needed sharpness to the MZ3-T. By lowering the ride height, you lower the center of gravity of the vehicle. Combining this with stiffer than OEM spring rates, body roll is reduced, which greatly helps driver confidence through the twisties. We carefully chose our upgraded spring rates to also help reduce understeer when at the limit of traction. By increasing the rear spring rate more than the front, your turbo 3 gets better turn in and more neutral handling.

2021+ Mazda 3 Turbo Lowering Springs

The final spring rate numbers for the Mazda 3 2.5T lowering springs actually surprised us. We tested a few different spring rate combinations to find the best balance of ride and handling. Ultimately, the same spring rates as the naturally aspirated Mazda 3 won out (this was due to both cars using the same suspension design). A 3.4K front spring and a 5.9K rear spring offered a compliant ride for daily driving, yet great handling characteristics on a backroad. The OEM dampers on the turbo models are just a hair stiffer as well, so the increase in spring rate fits fantastic with no bouncy ride!

Front Mazda 3 Turbo with CorkSport Lower Springs

Each set of CorkSport lowering springs for Mazda 3 turbo are made specifically to fit directly in place of the OEM springs. The only small modification that is needed is to trim the bump stops to allow for correct suspension travel before the bump stop is contacted at the new lower ride height. The springs are all made from high-tensile strength spring steel. This ensures a consistently performing spring that will stand the test of time and will not settle. We finish off each spring with a powder coated red finish. We chose red instead of the typical CS blue to help the turbo models stand out and because red things are proven to go faster! We even include a spring silencer on the rear springs to prevent any noise.

Red Lower Springs for Mazda 3 Turbo

That about wraps up the launch of the CorkSport Lowering Springs for Mazda 3 Turbo. Check out the product listing at the link below for more pictures. Be sure to give us a call with any questions you have, we’re happy to help!

P.S. The car in the above images is riding on Advan GT wheels in 19×8.5 +38 size, wrapped in Kumho 235/35 R19 summer tires.

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Turbo Kit in Development for 2014+ Mazda 3 & 2013+ Mazda 6

Mazda 3

I am writing this exciting blog because the Mazda SkyActiv-G is getting some CorkSport TURBO LOVE.

Quick note, this kit is releasing in April 2022, take a look at the several videos #1 #2 #3 we have posted up on the kit.

Since 2013 and the loss of the Mazdaspeed 3, Mazda has really left a lot to be desired as far as power goes for its line-up. Don’t get me wrong, we love Mazda here at CorkSport; the interiors and exteriors are on point, they get great gas mileage, and are exciting to drive. We will always continue pushing and developing the platform that Mazda is kicking out, but let’s be real…we love power too much to let this one slide.

Our Decision Process

2.5l Mazda 3
©Car & Driver

I’ll admit, we thought long and hard about moving forward with such a large turbo kit for the Mazda 3 and 6. We hoped, we wished, and we dreamed that Mazda would eventually wise up and kick out a GEN3 Mazdaspeed, and we got really excited when we heard about the CX-9 Turbocharged 2.5L engine. Unfortunately, Mazda chose not to go down that path. Once we found out for sure, we decided it was time to pull the trigger on the GEN3 Mazda 3 & 6 Turbo Kit.

Moving forward on a project of this size was not a trivial decision. There were many aspects to consider:

  • Do we make a complete kit or just design and manufacture difficult components?
  • What is the right power level to shoot for?
  • How will the engine and drivetrain hold up to the increased stress of forced induction?
  • How do we properly tune the engine?

These are all important aspects we had to consider.

The Choices We Made

The most difficult and time-intensive aspect of the kit is designing the physical components that will make up the kit… the entire kit. And yes, we decided that a 100% complete kit was the only way to make this a great setup, so that exactly what we intend to provide.

A complete kit needs to include everything from the air filter to the downpipe, and everything in-between. This includes the intake system, turbocharger, intercooler piping, intercooler, exhaust manifold, downpipe, and all the necessary silicone couplers, hardware, and wiring extensions.

This will be the most complete turbo kit you can purchase for the 2.5L SkyActiv-G powertrain.

Mazda 3 CAD Turbo Kit
CAD Designed Turbo Kit Mock-Up

Right behind developing all the components for the kit comes the tuning. We are working with Versatune to develop the software to control the 2.5L Sky-G engine with forced induction. This portion of the project will be kicked into high gear in the near future once all functional prototypes are on our test car and strapped to the dyno.

The Things We Don’t Know

We’ve got a long way to go with this project, and there are still some uncertainties we will have to address when we get there. We will need to find out if the engine can take the added power, and how much until it goes zoom-zoom-boom!

Time will tell on these questions, but we do have some stuff in the works that will help. While I’m just spit-balling here, something around 280-300whp would be a lot of fun in the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6. Make sure to stay tuned as this project evolves through testing and development in the coming months. I have only skimmed the surface of this project and I could easily write pages and pages if time allowed.

What are your thoughts on this new project? Questions? Leave them in the comments section, we would love to hear from you.

-Barett @ CS