The CorkSport Leather Shift Knob for Mazdas

It’s back, and it’s better than ever! Re-introducing the CorkSport weighted leather shift knob for 2004+ manual transmission Mazdas.

Side View of Mazda Shift Knob

Weighing in at a respectable 320 grams, the CorkSport leather shift knob will help smooth your gear changes and customize the interior of your Mazda while doing so. With an ergonomic design and large top surface, the CorkSport leather shift knob is comfortable to use for any grip position. Check out the difference between the OEM shift knob and the CorkSport leather shift knob.

OEM and CorkSport Shift Knob Comparison

Manufactured from Delrin plastic, then hand-wrapped and stitched with high grade black leather, the CorkSport leather shift knob will stand up to daily driving and track use day-in and day-out. The baseball style stitches are tight and clean, leaving no loose edges to fray or annoy you; and the leather has a slight texture and plushness to it, so it feels great in your hand.


View of CorkSport Mazda Shift Knob

Don’t wait! Get your leather shift knob today before they’re gone!

-Barett, CS Engineering

The New CorkSport Adjustable Short Shifter

The Mazdaspeed platform is a pretty well-supported car in the engine performance and suspension market, but it seems to be lacking in some of the markets that truly allow you, as the driver, to connect to the car. This is especially true for the GenWon owners. Well, CorkSport has decided to help the forgotten GenWon owners become more intimately connected to their Speed3. So what are the components of a car that the driver is most intimate with? I would have to say the pedals, seat, steering wheel, and, of course, the shifter.

So which of those did we release? It’s not pedals. (Autozone has that covered.) Unfortunately, it’s not a seat, but that would be awesome. It’s not a steering wheel…yet. (Oops. Did I say that out loud?) I’m happy to say it’s a short shifter, and not the kind that goes under the hood. Sure, there are a few options out there, but they leave a lot on the table and the price seems ridiculous.

Introducing, the all-new CorkSport Adjustable Short Shifter for the 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3.

The New Mazda Short Shifter Is Here

Manufactured from high-grade 6061-T6 aluminum, this precision machined double adjustable short shifter is sure to give you that intimate connection and control with your Speed3. Plus, it’s 100% designed and manufactured right here in the Pacific NW, USA.

So what sets the CorkSport Short Shifter apart from the competition? This short shifter is double-adjustable, but not in the way the competition defines it. First, there are four throw positions ranging from OEM throw distance to the 35% shorter throw distance. Second, the shift knob height is adjustable from 11.75 to 9.5 inches tall with the OEM height being 11.125 inches. Lastly, just look at it: It’s gorgeous. It’s a shame it gets hidden under the shift boot.

Take a look at the comparison images below:

This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the OEM shifter.
This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the OEM shifter.
This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the CorkSport Short Shifter in its shortest height and shortest throws position.
This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the CorkSport Short Shifter in its shortest height and shortest throws position.

Of course, a product like this doesn’t come to life overnight. There were many hours of design, testing, and revision done to verify that the product you receive is the best it can be. Below are a couple images of 3D-printed prototype we made on our 3D printer to help speed up the R&D.

Mazdaspeed3 adjustable short shifter prototype

In addition to the prototype testing, we also perform FEA (Finite Element Analysis) on all applicable components to verify they’re strong enough to last for many, many years. Below is a complete CAD model and the FEA for the throw adjustment arm with 50 lbf applied to the shortest throw position. This is the worst case scenario, so if it doesn’t fail here it won’t fail in the other positions.

Mazda Short Shifter under Pressure

With the 50 lbf applied to the arm, the maximum stress was ~10k psi which is great news. This component alone is 4 times stronger than it needs to be if you were able to apply 50 lbf to the arm.

One more shot of the short shifter

I have personally been using this shifter in my 2009 Speed3 for a month now and have nothing but great things to say. Don’t take it from me, though. Here is a quote from a beta tester:

I’m taking a spirited drive today to get a better feel for it. So far I’m enthusiastic about the (extreme) difference. When shifting with the OEM shifter the throw was so long that I spent a lot of effort synchronizing the clutch with the motion of shifting—essentially slipping the clutch while completing the motion of going into gear. With your short throw shifter the entire motion has changed dramatically and all I have to concentrate on is the clutch, and that’s been reduced by ~50%. I just throw it into gear and pop the clutch. It’s so stiff anyway and really likes to engage/disengage near the end when releasing pressure on the pedal that the motion becomes much more fluid. The shifter motion has gotten much tighter and requires (what feels like) more pressure to move between gears, but the motion itself has been reduced so much that it creates a sense of precision and removes (what felt like) sloppiness when using the OEM shifter. I’m sure that adjusting the height & throw from such an extreme position would reduce what I would describe as the rigidity of the shifts, although I intend to continue using it in the position we installed it.

My 2 cents so far. Overall I’d highly recommend.

Hope all is well,

Michael

So what are you waiting for? Take the leap, you won’t be disappointed!

-Barett, CS Engineering

Mazda Meme Madness

To end off the year right, here is a revisit to some of the Mazda Meme Madness of 2014.

 

To all those failed drifts of 2014. Better luck next time guys.


Drifting

 

To the many awkward conversations with your significant other… when they realize you’d rather order parts for your Mazda Speed 3 than go to the movies…


girlfriend

 

To those moments when you are in the middle of stepping up your Mazda’s performance with some major mods… and people still give you props. (They don’t even know whats coming.)

 

startrek

 

To the boost and racing… Nuff’ said.

 

grandma

 

To every minute you spend checking for the delivery driver through the window, via email… or calling the house, etc.

 

dogface

 

To that #ZoomZoom exhaust!

 

wisdom

 

To all those awesome pics you guys send in. Keep up the sharing, we love to brag for you.

 

baby

 

… This one speaks for itself.

 

sadgirlfriend

 

Some people do yoga… we work on our cars. To all that hard work and time put in to each and every Mazda out there.

 

wonka

 

And finally… to all the future memes of 2015 and beyond… bring em’ on.

 

christmas meme

 

Thanks for taking a drive through 2014’s Mazda Meme Madness.

-CorkSport

#ZoomZoom and then some.

Product Release – Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor –

Mazdaspeed Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor

After two years of testing, design and research, CorkSport is proud to announce the release of our Mazdaspeed Camshafts for the 2007 – 2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and the  2006 – 2007 Mazdaspeed 6. Specifically designed around the MZR DISI engine platform, this camshaft set is engineered to reliably provide an increase of power and torque without sacrificing lower rpm power and torque.

Mazdaspeed Turbo Camshafts

 

Mazdaspeed Turbo Camshafts

Dyno Test of CorkSport Cams -vs- OEM Cams

The cams have been thoroughly tested on our in-house Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer. Controlling test conditions to rule out power differences from tune, gas, temperatures, and other factors our camshaft set produces dyno proven power gains of up to 26 horsepower on a OEM motor! We accomplished our goal; a large band of power increase, limited lower rpm power loss, and a smooth idle.

We regularly beta test our products with customers. These cams have already been daily driven and track proven by multiple cars.

Camshaft! What the heck is that? We break it down for you in our whitepaper and give you the gory details about our development process.

Order your CorkSport Camshaft Kit  today – Click Here

The perfect upgrade for every 2007 – 2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and 2007 – 2009 Mazdaspeed 6 owners that wants to fine tune their motor to perfection.