Mazda Aftermarket Parts | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

November 16, 2022December 27, 2022

It’s Go Time with The Mazda 6 Turbo Kit

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you could have used another +100hp? As in, getting on the freeway safely or trying to beat that minivan at the red light so you don’t miss your next turn? Maybe you know a guy with a WRX with a muffler delete, and he just won’t shut up about how “fast” it is. Well, let me tell you, my 2016 Mazda6 GT will do all of that in comfort and style! I’ve been lucky to be the first person in the world to run CorkSport’s Turbo Kit on a Mazda6, which also happens to be an automatic! #ridetheunicorn

I bought the car in early May 2022, and by the 31st, the CorkSport engineers had transformed my naturally aspirated Mazda into something special with the CS Turbo Kit. Flash forward a little less than a week out, and I was on my way to @Idaho Mazda Takeover to show off the kit. It’s a 450-mile trip one-way from my house to Caldwell, ID, and does not include the +300 miles of community shenanigans I completed while I was there.

* This is Mazda 3 Manual Dynograph, with 80mm Cat Back Exhaust

As a testament to the CorkSport Mazda 6 Turbo Kit, I made the journey without a second thought. I averaged ~75 mph and snagged over 32mpg on the way there. This included spirited driving, stretching the car’s legs, and putting it through its paces, up, over, and through those difficult passes in eastern Oregon. I need you to understand this was a 100% stock Mazda6. The only thing we did was install our turnkey kit. In less than a week, I put over 1200 miles of “FUN!” on the car and have not looked back!

The car drives as it did right off the dealership parking lot; it’s quiet and very tame, with a stock catback. You lightly press the throttle, and the car’s cab starts to fill with all the right induction noises. Hearing that turbo spool up for the first time sent chills down my arms; I couldn’t believe it. My Big turbo Mazdaspeed3 isn’t even that seductive. But that’s only part of the fun…

When you drop the hammer, the auto transmission immediately puts in the work. I was surprised at how quickly it locked up the torque converter and rocketed the car down the road the first time I drove it. I was worried about the implications of having ~80 additional whp rifling through it. After a few deep dives into how these transmissions work, I feel more confident than ever about the Mazda 6 and Turbo Kit, and the last 10K miles of beta testing have been trouble-free.

I’d never driven a boosted automatic before, let alone an aftermarket one, so I didn’t know what to expect. What I’ve experienced has been more than I could bargain for. By design (of the OTS Professional Tune), you only use the boost when needed; otherwise, the car will drive like it’s not there if you want to go that route. However, if you mash the pedal to the floor, it’s “Go time!”

Since installing the turbo kit, I’ve supplemented this turbo kit with our 2014-2017 Mazda6 Catback. The stainless T-304 has enhanced this whole experience. The 90mm tips look great with those shiny resonators behind the rear bumper. It is starting to dial back on the sleeper, sleek and numb daily, and gearing more towards a fun, fast and capable 4-door sedan. The exhaust added around another 30whp and has me sitting comfortably near 260whp to the front wheels.

It didn’t take long for the numbness of the stock mounts to get to me. With this big bump in power, I wanted to do everything I could to help this car out. I installed the CorkSport transmission and rear motor mount, further evolving the turbo Mazda 6. Power delivery is now immediate and linear vs. the OEM mounts allowing the engine to bounce around.

A lot of us have very similar ambitions for our cars. We tend to create this inseparable bond between ourselves and the machine we’re driving. Having an OTS turnkey turbo kit that does precisely that is nothing short of spectacular. CorkSport has done an outstanding job offering a turbo kit that includes EVERYTHING you need, including a professional tune, battery, boost gauge, and boost controller. Heck, you even get Unicorn swag too!

I’ve created a new sense of ownership by taking this project on; it’s changed my view on what I wanted from a car. This kit checks all the boxes in my book and has surprised me almost daily. My whole experience with the Skyactiv-G + CorkSport Turbo Kit has been rewarding. I cannot wait to push this car to its limits and beyond to see what these engines are truly capable of.

If you have a 2.5L naturally aspirated 3rd Generation Mazda 3 or Mazda 6 sporting a manual or automatic transmission and want to get the most out of your ride – don’t hesitate to grab one of these turbo kits – the results are unthinkable!

The CorkSport TC America Car with the Turbo Kit

Questions? Feel free to reach out to our staff at sa***@co*******.com or by phone. . #ridetheunicorn

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June 30, 2022August 3, 2023

1st Gen Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

Are you looking for an exterior mod that will freshen up the look of your first gen Mazdaspeed 3? Well if that’s the case then the Carbon Fiber Spoiler is the perfect part to install on your build. The Carbon Fiber Spoiler retains the OEM look with the much-appreciated addition of carbon fiber. Keep on reading below for more info on the carbon spoiler.

2x2 carbon weave Mazdaspeed3 Rear spoiler wing

Since the Carbon Fiber spoiler is based off of the factory Mazda piece, installation is a breeze and requires no drilling or other modifications to the hatch. We have also pinned the third brake light so that it can reuse the OEM connector with no modification to the harness needed! The Carbon Spoiler also comes with all the necessary hardware to install the spoiler so you can be back on the road in no time. Fitment with other add-on parts such as spoiler extensions or gurney flaps should work with the OEM style shape, however, we have not tested it. The same goes for GEN1 Mazda 3, the CF spoiler should fit, however, you may have a different 3^rd brake light setup and/or have additional holes from the smaller Mazda 3 spoiler

Following the OEM MPS 3 design the top is carbon fiber with the bottom being a black gel coat

The Mazdaspeed Spoiler features a fiberglass base that is then topped off with a layer of carbon fiber on the top side of the spoiler. The underside of the spoiler is finished in gloss black and the whole thing is then coated with a UV-resistant epoxy resin to provide a mirror-like finish and the necessary protection from the elements. The two halves come together on the rear edge so there is a small seam, however, once installed, the seam all but disappears!

1st gen MS3 look of the stock spoiler but in a carbon fiber

If the CS Carbon Fiber Spoiler is a mod that you would like to add to your build, then head over and check out the product page for additional photos! Also, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

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Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

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Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

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December 22, 2021September 21, 2023

Mazda 6 Turbo Down Pipe

Time for more horsepower and boost with the Skyactiv 2.5 Turbo engine.

The Mazda 6 just got its next upgrade in the form of the CorkSport Downpipe for 2018-2022 models equipped with the 2.5L Turbo engine. We took the OEM downpipe and improved on it in every way, including sound, flow, power potential, and even ease of install! Help unlock power with the Mazda6 Turbo downpipe and take a step forward to more making power!

Mazda 6 Turbo Downpipe for 2018-2022 Turbo

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The CorkSport downpipe uses a 2-piece design that starts with a cast 304 stainless steel bellmouth. This provides a high-flowing, smooth transition from the turbocharger to the piping that will stand up to the test of time and the high heat of the turbo. The piping is upgraded from the OEM 65mm diameter to 80mm mandrel bent piping to maximize flow and reduce restrictions. The bellmouth is joined to the piping using CNC machined v-band flanges which ensures a leak-free seal.

The two-piece design is not all about flow through. We optimized the casting design to be easy to install and tighten all the hardware. Since you do not have the piping in the way, like you would with a one-piece downpipe, the mounting hardware at the turbo is very easy to access! Fitment is also spot on, as we used 3D scan data from the OEM downpipe when designing the CS downpipe. That means great fitment with your existing aftermarket exhaust, or even the OEM one! With exhaust, the CorkSport downpipe will change the exhaust note of your Mazda 6. With the full CS catback exhaust, we noticed a different tone with some extra “growl” and a very slight increase in volume. This goes for both the catted and catless setups, with just a hint more drone with the catless setup.

All of the efforts to reduce flow restrictions are in the name of power! By smoothing the exhaust path and eliminating restrictions, the turbocharger can breathe better. While we have not been able to fully tune the car to take advantage of the flow gains (more on that later), typically an upgraded downpipe offers faster spool times, better peak power, and can help hold power better at higher RPMs. We hope to be able to test & validate the power potential of the MZ6T downpipe soon, but for now, know that the CorkSport Downpipe has enough flow capacity to efficiently support 500+ WHP, assuming you’ve got the mods to make that power!

So the elephant in the room: tuning. While the CorkSport Downpipe can be installed and driven on an otherwise stock Mazda 6 Turbo, we strongly recommend a tune after installing the CS downpipe. There are some fairly strict limits to airflow and torque in the OEM tune that can result in some mild surging or “hiccups” especially when at wide open throttle. This is simply the car hitting those limits and pulling back power. We have experimented with these limits and have found no long-term effects of hitting the limits or even going beyond. They are very conservative limits for safety with stock parts. With more efficient parts, your engine works easier and is able to produce added power/torque and consume more air so the limits are simply hit easier.

Let’s go through some housekeeping on the Mazda 6 Turbo downpipe. We offer the downpipe in both fully catless and with a high flow 300cel cat. As modifying or removing the primary cat is illegal in most areas, both options are sold for off-road or race use only. The fully catless setup will be the best for power gains but also comes with an all but guaranteed check engine light. The catted option cuts down on the smell of a fully catless setup but will sometimes still throw a CEL. This CEL can however be disabled with a tune.

Finally, what comes in the box with your MZ6T downpipe? Each kit comes with all the hardware needed for installation. This includes new turbo studs & crimp nuts, exhaust connection hardware, a Remflex exhaust gasket, and the stainless steel v-band clamp for connecting the upper and lower sections. Also included is a support bracket for the downpipe and even a custom heatshield to deflect heat away from engine bay components. Both come with required mounting hardware as well!

Be sure to check out the product listing HERE for more images, a product teaser video, and pricing. Ready your Mazda 6 Turbo for some big power with downpipe kit from CorkSport!

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June 4, 2020August 16, 2023

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold

Today is a huge day for the Speed community; one that has been coming for a long time with both celebration and frustration. Never the less time is up and this project is ready for the community as a whole!

We are proud to announce the Performance Exhaust Manifold for the Mazdaspeed 3 & 6! With over 2 years in development, the MPS exhaust manifold has been long waiting, but for good reason. A project of this scale does not happen overnight; many variables have to be considered, evaluated, and verified.

I’m confident you have seen “leaked” images from our 6 Alpha and Beta testers over the recent month, but we can make it official.

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold — CorkSport

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But with so many options currently available what makes the CorkSport option compelling? Why should you care?

Those are great questions and can easily be answered with multiple great reasons. The most obvious is the design: this includes the overall shape and the type of material & manufacturing.

Material & Manufacturing: In our initial investigation and vetting of this project we strongly considered two primary manufacturing methods; Casting and Tubular fabrication (check out the blog here). In a nutshell, we opted for a cast manufacturing method because it reduced the chance of failure modes, reduced the overall size and weight, and gave us more flexibility in design.

Like most exhaust manifolds, we opted to use 304 stainless steel because it is corrosion-resistant, handles heat well, and is a common and cost-effective material.

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold modling in CAD — Check out our other Blogs

Following up is the Design of The Exhaust Manifold

The list of details that went into the design is far too long to list here, but we can cover the major items that define the CS Exhaust Mani. With investment casting, we had a lot more flexibility in design with the bend radius, diameters, and wall thickness of the individual runners. This allowed us to increase the inner diameter of the runners to 1.59 inches, achieve a 0.200-inch wall thickness, and fine-tune the path and bends of each runner to optimize runner length and flow.

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold airflow modling — Check out our other Blogs

With that flexibility in design, we were able to increase peak flow and improve flow balance per runner. Overall we were able to increase peak flow 45% over the OEM manifold and 33% over the XS Power V3.

Next up in design, and arguably the most exciting and unique aspect, is the modular flange system.

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold modular flange system — *Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold*

This is unlike any other manifold available for the Mazdaspeed today…you can choose your flange between OEM Stock Flange, Precision V-Band, or T3. Sure all these options are available today from other options, but none are modular. Say you pull the trigger on the OE Stock Flange today, but a year from now you want to upgrade your build to a Precision V-band flange. With any other manifold, you would have to buy another $900+ manifold to get the new flange, but with the CorkSport Exhaust Manifold, you just have to get the new flange elbow for your setup. This is MUCH MUCH cheaper and easier to change!

Installed Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold — CorkSport

Speaking of install, compared to the typical performance exhaust manifold the CS design is cake to install. With the modular design, you are not fighting the entire bulk for the manifold and flange at the same time. You can leave you turbocharger unmoved connected to the downpipe and intake system, you just install the flange elbow after the manifold is in and bolted to the engine.

Full product Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold — *Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold*

Making life even easier…we opted to develop a pre-fabbed dump tube (screamer pipe) for the Tial 44mm EWG. This is an optional feature for the kit, but one we highly suggest because it’s just so damned easy. Designed for MPS 3 and MPS 6, it fits around most standard downpipes and dumps below the sub-frame right behind the drive axle. Also included with each kit is a SS heat shield that is required for the GEN1 and GEN2 Mazdaspeed 3. You Mazdaspeed 6 guys just get a cool garage ornament.

So how does the CS exhaust manifold stack up on power?

Dynograph of the Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold on CST4 Mazdaspeed Turbo — Check out our other Blogs

First up is a fully bolted CST4 MS3 with a 6th port fuel system: Comparing the CS EM to the OEM EM, this drop-in test we found that the turbo was spooling faster, carried more mid and upper range power and held that gain through to redline. Overall it improved power under that curve which is what truly makes a car fast and fun to drive.

Mazdaspeed with CST6 Turbo and Cast Exhaust Manifold Dynograph — Check out our other Blogs

Next up is a fully bolted and built CST6 MS3 with 8th port fuel system: Just like the previous graph, we saw an improvement in spool, mid and upper rpm ranges, and carried it to redline. The difference here is the exhaust manifold we are comparing. This is showing the difference between the CS EM and the XS Power V3.

With that being said, the CorkSport Exhaust Mani has been proven to 685whp on this same car and with the Mazdaspeed CST6 Turbo. We are confident the CS exhaust manifold has far more capacity to support; if we have anything to do with that we will prove it.

Mazdaspeed Cast Exhaust Manifold with TIAL — *Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold*

Lastly is sound…we’ve been asked a lot about the sound. How will it affect the sound? Will it sound like a Honda now? Will it be louder?

We knew the sound was critical because let’s be honest…we are all car guys/gals and Mazdaspeed has a great unique sound to it. We did not want to lose that so we did our best to hit performance goals without sacrificing the Mazdaspeed grumble.

One of our Beta testers put together a great video comparing the sound of OEM vs CorkSport. The car is a GEN1 MS3 with a built engine, full bolt-ons, CST4 Turbo, and Cobb Exhaust system. Check out this video link for sound!

In our design, we kept a varied length runner design to help maintain the Mazdaspeed grumble. We believe we succeeded in keeping that classic grumble, but also refined the sound a bit. We like to describe it as exotic. Either way, the grumble lives on, and honestly, none of our beta testers can stop grinning ear to ear with every WOT pull.

With that being said act fast! We know these are going to fly off the shelf and we are going to do our damn very best to keep them in stock for everyone, but don’t wait!

Grab yours here!

Thanks for tuning in with CorkSport Mazda Performance.

-Barett @ CS

May 6, 2020July 31, 2023

Barett’s 1/2 Mile Mazdaspeed 3 Build – Part 1

Hey Everyone, if you don’t know me already I’m the engineering manager at CorkSport Performance & @Halfmilespeed3. I want to make a formal greeting and invite you to follow along as I take the next huge step with my personal build. I drive a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 that has been through many iterations. I bought it nearly 6 years ago and have since used it in excess to support CorkSport R&D. Hundreds if not thousands of passes on the dyno with so many parts…it’s been a beaten test mule. The time has come to set a focus.

Now, with the 4^th engine going in it, I’m setting the build focus for ½ Mile Drag Racing. Power, Aero, and some “Mad Scientist” R&D is going into this build. (see WTF is THAT)

Mad Scientist Add-ons — 600hp Mazdaspeed Build Path – CorkSport Barett’s 2009 Mazdaspeed

My goals are 700whp on the CST6 stock flange (with Will @ PD Tuning giving it the sauce) and 180mph in the standing ½ mile. I plan to play in the 1320, but half mile is the focus. My first event was going to be Never Lift @ Coalinga Munical Airport in Late March, but with recent events, this was canceled and a new date has not been set. Fingers crossed the country gets through this and the next events hosted by Shift S3ctor Airstrip Attack in June and November hold.

Back to the build…I know that pushing a Mazdaspeed through the air at 180mph is a lofty goal and that physics are against me. With the help and advice of Aaron O’neal @ English Racing I am exploring high-speed aero design.

The primary goal is stability at high speed. I want to be safe in this type of racing so I need to do what I can to make the car stable and predictable at speed. This means I need the car to cut through the air as smoothly as possible, and if possible, generate downforce.

To do this I’ve made a prototype drag wing (which I will share more detail on in a later blog) per the advice of Aaron and my research. This wing is two feet long at the top! And with the closed sides, this should reduce the amount of lift generated at the back of the car.

There is still a lot more work to do here but you get the idea so far.

Upfront I am still very much in the conceptual phase of design. Nearly the whole front bumper will be sealed off with a single sheet of ABS plastic formed to the front of the car. The only opening will be a rectangle about the size of the intercooler for cooling airflow. I also plan to build a chassis mounted splitter. The red parts in the image above are the one-off brackets I designed to mount the splitter to the chassis and still be able to adjust the height (Again I’ll share more detail in future blogs as the prototype comes together).

The other less intuitive aero bit I’m doing on the front of the Speed is hood venting. Thanks to Jonathan Castro @ JC Speedworks for the hood vent I’m able to kill two birds with one stone here. If you’ve done any type of racing you know heat is a killer and must be managed. With this hood vent, I am both evacuating any high-pressure air build up in the engine bay and promoting more efficient airflow through the intercooler and radiator.

With the 300 miles I’ve put on the car, I can already see a huge difference in normal operating temps. Maybe more vents are in the works? 😉 Oh and shout out to @mz_rawr (Aaron Maves) for cutting holes in my hood.

CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Transmission Mount Blog

In the process of getting the engine and transmission together, I wanted to fix a 2^nd gear drop out issue I had. Over a weekend @thatonepnwguy (Bryce Peterson) and I split my transmission and replaced the shift forks. We certainly did it the wrong way and had to chase some balls around and get them back into their respective locations; despite all that, don’t be afraid to tear into things and learn the hard way.

How To Achieve 400 WHP In Your Mazdaspeed Blog

The powerplant made it in the car and is running great. Right now I’ve got about 300 miles on the engine. I’ve been working out some little details with heat management and setup of the Vacuum Pump (WTF is THAT). I am just now starting to do logs and tuning with Will Dawson at Purple Drank Tuning. With these goals, I still intend to keep the car street legal and driven on a nearly daily basis (I wish you could see the stares I get from people). I’m putting this out to all of you as an invite to follow along with the build on Instagram @halfmilespeed3. All the inside info and goodies are there for you to see along with @corksport for other stories and build updates. I’m stoked for this season and to explore a racing series that has largely been untouched by the Mazdaspeed community. I will be finding limits and new challenges for the platform that I hope to overcome.

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Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

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Following up is the Design of The Exhaust Manifold

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.