He’s pretty well known on Instagram, and across several social media groups. We had a couple requests from customers to do an interview with Larrison aka @blkaut3 and his Mazdaspeed 3!
Luckily, he’s a friend of mine so I was excited to do a little write up on his car. I gave Larrison a questionnaire to answer about the modding process he took with his car.
Hope you guys enjoy the read, and seeing a bit of how this beautiful machine was put together!
Question 1: When did you buy your car?
“It all started in the summer of 2014. I bought it from Carmax, and had to have it shipped from Texas to Las Vegas. I ended up trading in my 2013 Mazda 3 for this. I used to have a slammed Mazda 626, after owning that, I knew I wanted something faster.”
Question 2: What took you down the Mod path you went with and why?
“With the 626, I was limited on how much I could modify, so I was excited to really do some things with this. I started doing minor mods here and there, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted my end result to be until my K04 Turbo blew. From there, I threw in a new turbo and all the supporting mods. I was ready for something more powerful! This is what really started everything.”
Question 3: What made you want to go with a track-inspired look?
“At first I just wanted something simple and clean. But then I saw Brian’s Car (The owner of BMSPEC) When he started producing his V1 wing risers, I knew I needed to jump on it. I put on the wing and splitter, and after that, it was clear this was the path I wanted to go with the car. After a bit, Brian and I established somewhat of a partnership. Promoting his products is what really made my car look like it does today. There is more to come, as I am always working on it.”
Question 4: What do you enjoy most about owning this Mazdaspeed?
“My favorite part would have to be owning something that is one of a kind. Something that has my own personal touches that make it mine. There isn’t another car that’s exactly like it, which is what makes it so fun. Getting to work on something that reflects my personality and style is what it’s all about.”
It was awesome of Larrison to share with us a bit of history on his Mazdaspeed 3. We look forward to seeing his progress continue!
We here at CorkSport are proud to announce the relaunch of the Mazda 3 Rear Motor Mount.
Yes, you read that correct, this is a re-launch. At CorkSport we push ourselves to design and develop new and interesting products every day, with that, we try new and innovative manufacturing designs and methods in an attempt to create exceptional, competitive, cost-effective products for our loyal customers.
Sometimes those new and innovative manufacturing methods end up not being as awesome as we originally expected. This is just part of the designing and learning process. Let’s get into the details.
The original, let’s call it V1, Mazda3 RMM used a new-to-us manufacturing method of applying the polyurethane to the billet aluminum body called vulcanizing. The billet aluminum body and the steel sleeves are mounted in a fixture then liquid polyurethane was poured into the assembly and cooled until the polyurethane had set to the final hardness. This process appeared to be very promising; each part was set up identically, it was nearly impossible to have any missing parts not sent to you, and most importantly the polyurethane was adhered to the billet aluminum body and therefore could not fall out. More on that last bit later.
We moved forward with the manufacturing method and had a few samples made with various polyurethane durometers ranging from 60A to 80A. After various testing, we determined that 70A was the best compromise of response and NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) experienced by the driver. We continued testing for a few months to verify long-term durability and found no issues. Hooray! We moved forward with production to get this new great Mazda6 RMM out the door to you.
Unfortunately, it appears that our testing period just wasn’t quite long enough. Eventually, the polyurethane would fail but fail in a style we had never experienced before. Long story short, polyurethane has excellent compression strength compared to the tensile strength. The polyurethane was being pulled/split apart due to the forces of the engine.
Now we had a few options of how to redesign the Mazda 6 Rear Motor Mount after going through the failure analysis.
We could have simply stuck with the same design and just increased the stiffness of the polyurethane. Increasing the durometer rating of the poly increases the tensile strength, but this would have resulted in an unsatisfactory driving experience for you which was unacceptable.
The other option was to start from scratch again to create a new design that did not compromise the driving experience or the durability; with challenge comes innovation.
Again we went through many different designs, with the greatest challenge coming in the form of retaining the polyurethane pucks. Typically the polyurethane pucks are retained by whatever the mount is bolting to, but with the Mazda motor mount, the steel sleeves extend far past the outer edge of the polyurethane pucks. This leaves the pucks free to slide out of the billet aluminum body and cause a major failure.
Using the conventional polyurethane puck style, we developed a design that would work, but more than doubled the number of parts needed which increased the chance for something to go wrong and drives up the cost. This design is shown below:
The red arrows show the direction the conventional polyurethane puck would slide out of the body. The red circles show the puck retention system to hold the washer and pucks in the body. This retention design required many parts to be successful.
With the cost going through the roof we had to go back to the drawing board. There had to be a better way… and there was.
The third major iteration shown above solved the problems of the V2 design and got us away from the vulcanized polyurethane of the V1 design. Things were looking good. With the V3 design, the polyurethane pucks are pressed into the billet aluminum body. The pucks have ribs, shown with the red circles that are just large enough to keep the puck in place, but small enough to let the puck be pressed into the body.
With this, we were able to make some clever designs to the RMM to keep it centered in the engine and chassis brackets on the vehicle. The smaller diameter puck extends out to the ends of the steel sleeves; this keeps the entire rear motor mount centered. The large diameter puck retains itself in the body and allows the associated steel sleeve free to slide for easy installation; shown with the red arrows.
Now… does it work? YES! Pretty fantastically, we might add!
We have had this design on a handful of vehicles, one of those being the CorkSport Mazda 3 Racecar during the SCCA Run-Offs at Indianapolis Speedway. Other than some dirt and grime, the tested RMM looks great.
You were probably expecting this blog to be all about the details and reasons you should buy this performance RMM for your Mazda 3, Mazda 6, or CX-5. All those details can be found on our website, and I invite you to check them out.
What we really want to get across here is this:
First and foremost, we will always do the best we can to take care of you and your car if there is ever an issue or concern with your CorkSport part.
Second, if you are a driving enthusiast, if you go driving for the sake of just driving, then you need this RMM in your life. It will completely change and improve your driving experience, plain and simple.
-Barett, CS Engineering
The Mazda 3 Rear Motor Mount 2.0: Back & Better September 13th, 2018CorkSport
For those of you who have forgotten or who did not see the initial post we recently purchased a brand-new 2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback. Dubbed the CorkSport Branded Ride (CBR), we set out to start making it less like your mom’s car and more like something that suits the CorkSport name.
We turned to you all for suggestions and got some great feedback. We heard everything from wide bodykits, “slam it to the ground”, turbos and engine swaps, to easier mods like wheels, coil overs, and a new front lip.
We’re sure you’re anxious to find out where we’ve started: Intake? Exhaust? Springs? Our choice might surprise you.
But before we dig in to the first mod for the CBR, we first want to give you guys an opportunity to do something really fun:
Vote To Pick One of The 4 Graphic Concepts For The CorkSport Branded Ride!
Following up on our introduction to the CBR, our team here has decided to involve you guys in a whole new level of making this car look sick: Body Graphics!
Not only are we asking of your ideas and feedback for the mechanics of the CBR, we want you to decide on the aesthetics too. We want YOU to choose what this things actually looks like.
Our design team has developed 4 different concepts for the CBR graphics, and we must admit, they look pretty sweet. The concepts bring in a bunch of different styles, from racing to street, and are sure to make this baby an attention-grabber.
Here’s where you come in: We need you to cast a vote for your favorite concept for the CBR.
A few different ways you can vote:
Repost a pic of your favorite concept with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR on social media so we can see your vote. Then, tag a friend and ask them to pick their favorite!
Comment on one of our CBR social media posts for your vote with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR.
Leave a comment on this blog post with your vote.
Here’s an example:
“So stoked to get to pick the design of the #CorkSport Branded Ride! My vote is on Concept #3 for sure. – @TagYourFriend, what’s your vote?? #CorksportCBR”
We will gather votes together and whatever concept the CorkSport Community chooses will ultimately be brought to life on the real CBR!
We decided to go for a reliability mod that many people may not consider right away: a CorkSport Oil Catch Can kit.
Now, why would we install this right away on a brand new car? It shouldn’t have any issues with engine health. – Well, that’s the exact reason we installed it.
If it doesn’t have any issues right now and the engine is clean and new, then why not keep it that way?
As an engine operates, oil mist, fuel vapor, water vapor, and other gases can pass from the crankcase to the intake using the stock PCV system. Over time, as these gases condense, they form gunk and carbon buildup on valves, piston tops, and other vital engine components. An oil catch can exists to catch all of the oil mist and other vapors before they get back to the intake and dirty all of the nice clean engine components. Additionally, these other gases do not do any favors to the combustion cycle. – Just ask anyone who has emptied one during an oil change; what an OCC collects is pretty nasty.
Now let’s get to the install.
Locating the can itself is a snap, and finds a home in the driver’s side fender well. Routing the hoses is the difficult part, surprisingly, as you have to gain access to some of the factory PCV hose. This means removing the air box, intake tube, and even the starter. Once the factory hose is removed, the new hoses are installed and routed to the OCC.
Finally, we added the ball valve to the bottom of the CorkSport Oil Catch Can, which means next time the CBR needs an oil change we have an easy way to drain the OCC as well.
So what’s next for the CBR? That’s completely up to you!
Help us decide by submitting ideas for what YOU would do if this was your car.
REMINDER: We will give you cred for submitting an idea that we use for the mods. In short: This means Your Name will actually be put on the CorkSport Branded Ride!
Stay Tuned, you’ll be seeing more of the CBR soon.
Remember to cast your vote for the CBR Graphics!
Again, here’s how to vote:
Repost a pic of your favorite concept with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR on social media so we can see your vote. Then, tag a friend and ask them to pick their favorite!
Comment on one of our CBR social media posts for your vote with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR.
Leave a comment on this blog post with your vote.
The First CorkSport Branded Ride Mod + Vote For The CBR Graphics! October 13th, 2017CorkSport
Can you believe we started this project back in 2012?
Yes, it’s been a long journey, and a few too many “two weeks”, only to find that more improvements were needed. We’ll be frank, this has been a challenging project to tackle, but we have prevailed. We have pushed past the challenges faced in manufacturing the complex design, and are proud to announce that we are ready to present you with the most complete solution for the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazdaspeed 6 platform. Introducing the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold!
The CorkSport Intake Manifold is here for those of us who want some more flow in our lives.
Our design focuses on performance without sacrificing OEM fitment or drivability. With equal flowing runners, higher flow than OE, and TMIC fitment, it truly is a complete solution to the OE intake manifold.
Fitment is huge when it comes down to large engine components like intake manifolds. While designing the CorkSport IM, we wanted to retain as many OE features and mounting locations as possible while maintaining neat and tidy packaging. By doing so, we were able to keep components such as the TMIC, OEM throttle body, MAP Sensor, and even the oil dipstick bracket in OE locations. This all means a relatively quick and easy part to install, but we made it even easier by clearing some space around hard-to-reach areas.
The CorkSport Intake Manifold may fit like OE, but that’s where the similarities end.
The CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is designed with performance and drive-ability in mind, with the larger plenum design and long cylinder runners. Since the intake plenum is about three times larger than OE, there is an increase in high RPM power capacity without sacrificing throttle response and drivability. By maintaining the length of the cylinder runners (vs the typical aftermarket intake manifold), we improved mid-range power while still having peak RPM capacity with the single runner design vs. an OE split runner design.
The increase in performance also comes with an increase in engine health.
By optimizing the design for equal flow between runners, the CorkSport IM eliminates the flow imbalance of the OE intake manifold. This significant imbalance causes cylinders to run excessively lean or rich, affecting engine durability and performance. Check out the graph below to see the difference. Not only does the CorkSport Intake Manifold outflow the OE design by 70CFM per runner on average but also significantly reduces the flow imbalance to 2% or less vs the OE imbalance of 21%.
This means your engine can run stronger, longer, and have a higher potential to make power.
But enough talk about numbers and flow, let’s SEE some numbers. The dyno graph below shows the difference before and after the CS IM on a Mazdaspeed3 with a CorkSport TD05H-18G turbo equipped. Not only was there an increase in power and torque across the entire RPM range, but the turbo also spooled around 100RPM faster than with the OE intake manifold.
But wait there’s more! Along with the overall design improvement over OE; there are additional design features that you need to know about.
Firstly, we increased the size of the throttle body opening. This allows the OE throttle body to work great but also allows for a larger throttle body to be installed without modification.
Next, there are added fueling ports for each runner. They are standard 1/8-27 NPT ports that can be used with methanol nozzles or other fueling options.
Finally, there is an extra 1/8-27 NPT port that can be used for boost controllers, gauges, or the like.
Now you may be thinking, But there aren’t any larger throttle bodies available. To that, we say, not just YET!
Along with the great features of this new Performance Intake Manifold, we are also providing nearly all of the hardware you need for installation; that is, the brass fittings that come pre-installed on the intake manifold and the additional hardware and hoses needed for auxiliary components.
Now we would like to circle back to where we started with this conversation:
We here at CorkSport pride ourselves on doing everything in our power to provide you, our customers, with the best possible products out there. We also are committed to being real with you guys as well, because we too are Mazda-lovers who get a thrill out of overcoming the toughest challenges that stand between us and the ultimate car experience.
The most challenging aspect of this project has been getting the manufacturing to an acceptable quality, and consistent among each intake manifold. We have tested the intake manifold on multiple cars in-house and with various beta testers, the results speak for themselves: this is an exceptional performance product that your Mazdaspeed will love to have.
Believe us when we say that this design is tough to manufacture, and that process results in no two parts being exactly the same visually; but it also means that each manifold has its own unique look and character, the same way our cars do.
We guarantee that the CorkSport Intake Manifold will give you the best performance out there, but if for whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the unique look of your IM, please contact us and we’ll be more than happy to take care of you like we always do. – We’ve got your back!
That being said, if you’re looking to take your Mazdaspeed to the next level in both speed and reliability, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is the best comprehensive solution on the market.
These babies are only available while supplies last, so don’t wait, they’ll be gone before you know it!
Track Tested CorkSport Approved 3rd Gen Mazda 3 Parts – Leading the Pack.
The last race weekend I had available before the runoffs turned out to be pretty interesting.
Locally there are very few T4 (touring 4) class cars so I often find myself running with other class cars and this weekend was no exception at Portland International Raceway. I showed up for qualifying on Friday morning with a new part to test and a suspension setup with something I had not tried.
I looked over the entry list the day before, and there read a list of cars you would expect to clobber a Mazda 3 on the track. 3 Porsche 911s, a pair of V8 mustangs, an STL Miata and more.
To make sure I had a clear track for qualifying, I hustled to the pre-grid to make sure I was the first car out. Straight out of the pits, I went flat out to get some distance on the Porsches to be able to push the car for the entire time I was out qualifying. As I watched the lap timer in the Mazda 3, my times kept dropping lap after lap. 6 laps in and I had already bested my fastest lap time at Portland by a second, so I called it quits and pulled in to the pits.
On the way out of the track I grabbed the time sheet to review and see where I placed. A quick review of the sheet showed I had qualified the Mazda 3 in second out of 10 cars and I was in front of 2 of the Porsches.
The start of the race didn’t go that great. Out of all the cars on the track I was in the bottom ½ for horsepower. But I was making up the speed in the corners.
One of the back cars jumped the start a bit and managed to take us 3 wide into a corner which is only good for 2. I was forced to give up some room to one of the Porsches to keep from having contact which put me back to 4th. Several laps into the race one of the Porsches who got ahead of me at the start spun off the track so I was able to move back up a spot while trying to chase down the leader who was running ~1 second a lap faster than I was. The 30 minute mark came pretty quick, and the race ended on a not-so-exciting note of me being in 3rd, and the leaders ~ ½ a lap ahead and all but a few of the rest of the field being lapped.
The big question you all want to ask is: “What were you testing for the 3rd Gen Mazda 3?”
First things first, the changes we made to the Mazda 3:
We made an adjustment with the CorkSport rear adjustable swaybar. Being able to make quick adjustments on the rear swaybar bar allows us to soften the suspension to match the alignment changes.
We had taken more rear camber out of the back of the car with the CorkSport adjustable camber arms, trying to decrease rear grip (yes you read that right). We have been having problems with front end push (understeer) so we worked on dialing rear grip out of the car. – We had the CorkSport front camber plates maxed out for camber to the class limits, but it wasn’t enough to offset the rear grip.
We originally were running our CorkSport Mazda 3 adjustable shocks on the track but we had to remove them as they are not legal for the Touring 4 class. The adjustable shocks make a world of a difference over what I have to use on the car and I wish we could’ve changed back. Being able to fine tune the Mazda 3 suspension is a great asset for any performance driver.
Now to the fun, what I got to test that was new:
The engineers here at CorkSport have been working on a revised Mazda 3 Rear engine mount for the 3/6/Cx5 over the past few months. The best way we have to extreme test parts is on the track.
Think of the race-testing this way: I am driving full throttle, banging gears, and when I am off the throttle means I am on the brakes, so there is no time for the mount to get any rest. There is the maximum amount of heat, load, and stress in a compressed time line, compared to street driven cars, so if failure is to occur it would be on the track.
At the end of the month, I will be doing a test on a final version of the rear engine mount at the SCCA Runoffs and competing to bring home a National Championship for CorkSport and Mazda.
You just can’t beat the fact that our CorkSport parts walk the talk when pushed to the extreme, which means they won’t let you down, no matter what you’re doing.
Charge for the WIN!
Derrick
Charging for the WIN! January 30th, 2019Derrick Ambrose
