As we eagerly await more news about the 2017 Mazdaspeed 3, it’s easy to become distracted by a wish list of features, making us forget about the Gen 1 and 2 marvels sitting in our garages.
We’ve hoped there would be a new Mazdaspeed 3 sooner than now, but the compensation of waiting is owning and driving Gen 2 (or Genjuan) Mazdaspeeds every day. Sure, we’re a little biased, but there’s a reason our lives are centered around Mazda performance enhancement. Maybe we’re just feeling nostalgic because it’s #ThrowbackThursday, but whatever the case, the Limited Slip Blog’s 2013 review of the last Mazdaspeed 3 reminds us: Even a few years old, these cars remain incredible.
We stumbled across this blog entry after finding that killer shot above, taken by cofounder Christopher Little. If it wasn’t clear from the entries that cover just about every car under the sun, it’s obvious just glancing at their photography that these guys have a passion for vehicles, something any self-respecting Mazdahead shares.
Chris had some issues with the interior—but noted the Gen 2 Mazdaspeed 3 had the best visibility of any hot hatch he’d driven. His description of the first time he actually drove the car probably sounds like what a lot of us experienced when we first got behind the wheel of a ‘speed. The word “intoxicating” stands out, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who understands Mazda power. The Mazdaspeed 3 makes it just about impossible to drive without experiencing some raw joy, which Chris did. We get it; that’s why we devote our lives to Mazda performance, to bring even more power out of these beauties.
The Mazdaspeed 3 has always been a stunning and, yeah, intoxicating ride. It’s been great for almost a decade, and with the new generation coming out soon, we don’t expect that legacy to change.
What sets the CorkSport FMIC piping apart from its predecessor and the competition? The secret is in the new piping design. Let’s start with the typical “pain points” associated with a FMIC kit. When going from the TMIC to the FMIC, you are adding a considerable amount of piping and volume between the turbo and the throttle body. Most people believe this causes “turbo lag” which is true, but not nearly to the extent that the internet wants you to believe.
There are two components to the charge air that are coming from the turbocharger: pressure and volume. There are also two components to the “turbo lag” everyone curses: pressure and throttle response. Pressure is easy to explain because it’s measurable, but volume and throttle response are a bit more difficult and very much related.
Imagine walking into your local convenience store to grab a big fountain drink and without thinking you grab the biggest straw you can find. You’re not going to use the coffee stir straws right? You would never be able to get enough soda to quench your thirst! Basically, your engine is dealing with the same issue until the pressure from the turbo makes its way through the FMIC piping. This is the importance of volume! So how does this relate to the CorkSport FMIC?
The Madaspeed FMIC piping takes volume to the next level for improved performance and drivability. Looking at Figure 2, you will notice that the last two 90-degree bends, just before the throttle body, are a bit larger in diameter than the rest of the piping. By increasing the diameter of the pipe directly in front of the throttle body, we create a large reservoir of cold air for the engine to suck in as soon as you roll into the throttle. Having this larger volume of air immediately available to the engine greatly improves drivability and throttle response because it fools the engine into thinking it has a larger intake plenum than it really does. The 3.00 inch section provides approximately 51 cubed inches of added volume over 2.50 inch piping, that’s an 18% increase.
Figure 2: CorkSport Cold Pipe with 3.00 Inch Section
On top of the added volume, the larger diameter piping improves the flow through the throttle body because the throttle body has a 2.75-inch inlet. You wouldn’t put a 2.5-inch turbo inlet pipe on a turbo that has a 3-inch inlet, would you? Nope, I didn’t think so. So why do that to your throttle body?
This can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 with the varying colors around and behind the throttle plate. The color graph shown with each image provides the air velocity for the different colors. In Figure 3, you can see there is more red and orange past the throttle plate when compared to Figure 2. The result of higher velocity flow is more turbulence which lowers efficiency through the throttle body.
Figure 3: Comparable CorkSport Cold Pipe with 2.50 Inch Section
So, if volume improves performance, then why isn’t the entire piping system 3 inches? At a certain point, more volume becomes a performance degrade. This falls back to the pressure and volume compromise. The more volume you have, the longer it takes to build pressure. Smaller diameter piping makes up the rest of the kit, so the turbo can pressurize the system quickly while the engine is using the extra volume sitting directly in front of the throttle body. By the time the extra volume is used up, the pressure has made it through the entire system. The combination of these two reduces turbo lag and improves throttle response. It’s safe to say that this is the best of both worlds.
But wait there’s more! Along with new piping, we are offering a large core kit with a crash bar. The crash bar retains all the necessary OEM hookup points for the radiator core support and the OEM tow point.
Figure 4: Assembled Large Core FMIC Kit with Crash Bar
Figure 4: Assembled Large Core FMIC Kit with Crash Bar: Under the Hood
The large core measures in at 23.25 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 3 inches thick with 10mm runners for high thermal efficiency and a low-pressure drop through the core. Below, Figures 5 and 6 show the temperature and pressure drop of the small core tested with a K04 turbocharger at 15psi target.
Figure 5: Multiple runs testing the small core temperature drop with the K04 turbocharger targeting 15psi.
Figure 6: Single run testing the small core pressure drop with the K04 turbocharger targeting 15psi.
The hot side boost air temperatures can reach upward of 250 degrees Fahrenheit, but the intercooler stays at a cool 110 degrees or less. You can see the average cold side temperature is steadily increasing, but this is typical of any intercooler run after run. Combine that with an average maximum pressure drop of 0.6psi, and you have a very efficient intercooler.
It’s no secret at CorkSport we love our cars, and we love working with customers who feel the same way about theirs. That shared enthusiasm is a huge part of CorkSport; it’s something we look for whenever we bring on a new team member. The love of Mazdas was immediately evident when we first met Luke McCarvel, and we’re thrilled to announce he’s the latest member of CorkSport!
Since you may talk with or meet him in the coming months, we asked him to go ahead and write a little introduction—and show off his Mazdaspeed 3, pictured here, with his message below.
Hi, CorkSport community! My name is Luke McCarvel and I’m the newest member of the CorkSport team! I’ve been a part of the speed community for a little over two years now and I couldn’t be any happier with the opportunity I’ve had to meet great people and have lots of fun.
A little bit about my car: It’s a 2009 true red Mazdaspeed 3 with full bolt-ons. All of the work I’ve done myself, and it has been quite satisfying. I’m a track rat and any chance I get to push the platform further is a chance I’m willing to take.
I am very excited to be a part of this team and look forward to the new journey I am starting with some awesome people and awesome customers. I can’t wait to see what the future holds and how I can help people achieve their goals with their cars!!
Cheers.
Meet Luke McCarvel, the Newest Member of Our CorkSport Team! November 4th, 2015CorkSport
After countless hours designing, testing, and adjusting, we released our drop-in turbo for the Mazdaspeed, and we’re very proud of it—and thrilled about the responses we’ve already received from our beta testers. (See the first reviews on the listing.)
Obviously, with a product this big, we wanted to inform our CorkSport customers as much as possible about the advantages of our turbo vs. the OEM and competitors, and how much power buyers could expect to gain.
Barett wrote a huge white paper on the turbocharger, detailing all of this. From the benefit of a drop-in (no new coolant lines, oil lines, or a intake system are required to install and operate it) to the details of a turbocharger’s anatomy, you can read all about what makes our turbo stand apart.
Our goal was to create a performance-driven turbocharger that wouldn’t break your bank or require a mechanical engineering degree to install. We’re happy to say we succeeded, but see for yourself.
We’ve seen rumors about the next Mazdaspeed float around for the past two years on a consistent basis. The only thing more consistently seen is the question of when it will arrive.
This year?
Next year?
Next decade?
Recent reports have stated that the 2015 Frankfurt Auto show (which takes place in September) is going to have the concept of the all-new Mazdaspeed 3.
If so, this could be our first glimpse at the next generation of our favorite turbo Mazda! I wouldn’t hold your breath for too much info, though. Whether a new MS3 will debut or not, this will probably just be a concept car for eye candy. I would expect details on the car to be at least another year out.
In the meantime, we still believe the rumors that the next generation Mazdaspeed 3 should be soon. Stats like 300hp, AWD, hatchback, and a price tag of about $30,000-$35,000 get thrown around a lot. Mazda will probably use the 2.5L SkyActiv engine, which could be fantastic since that would mean placing a turbo on a current 2.5L SkyActiv would not only be possible, but hopefully relatively simple.
Let’s all hope for the best, and maybe we will see a concept and more info in September!
Stay Tuned!
-Spencer
*Prices reflect the current pricing at the time of the blog writing
Could We Have a NEW Mazdaspeed This Year? December 17th, 2018CorkSport
