Mazdaspeed 6/Mazda 6 Rear Adjustable Camber Arms

CorkSport is pleased to reintroduce the the 1st Gen Mazda 6 and Mazdaspeed 6 Adjustable Rear Camber Arms to complement the return of the CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6!

By replacing the stock camber arms with the CorkSport Adjustable Camber Arms, you can adjust your suspension to accommodate for lowering springs or coilovers and fine tune your Mazda 6 or Mazdaspeed 6 to the appropriate camber setting needed to balance uneven tire wear and improve cornering performance.

Mazda 6 and Mazdaspeed 6 Adjustable Rear Camber Arms

Our design offers +OEM to – 4.5 degrees of adjustability along with cross camber adjustment allowing drivers the ability to align their suspension to match their enthusiastic driving style on and off the track.

Unlike other adjustable camber arm options on the market, our unique design includes spherical bearings that replace the soft rubber bushings on the OEM camber arms, providing a true attachment to the suspension of the vehicle for improved handling and road feel.

Mazda 6 and Mazdaspeed 6 Adjustable Rear Camber Arms

The ease of adjustability on the vehicle and the unique nature of the spherical bearings will provide you with improved cornering control that can’t be matched by any other options on the market today.

The CorkSport Adjustable Rear Camber Arms are also available for all Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda 3 vehicles and back for Mazdaspeed 6 and 2004-2008 Mazda 6 vehicles. They come as a set for just $199.00.

Mazda 6 and Mazdaspeed 6 Adjustable Rear Camber Arms

The CorkSport Advantage:

  • Superior Design: Spherical bearings replace the soft rubber bushings used in OEM and other aftermarket camber arms. This will truly attach the camber arm to the suspension of the vehicle for more control and added road feel
  • Made from reinforced high strength extruded bent steel tubing: Stronger less brittle and more durable than aluminum
  • Fine Tuned Adjustability: +OEM to – 4.5 degrees of camber adjustment and cross camber adjustability for fine tuning of your suspension
  • Full Adjustment: Can be adjusted on-car with a wrench while still installed in the vehicle
  • Sold as a Set: We know you need two so we simplified the math for you by selling them as a set
Mazda 6 and Mazdaspeed 6 Adjustable Rear Camber Arms

For more information about the CorkSport Adjustable Rear Camber Arms, check the listing here!

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Mazdaspeed 6/Mazda 6 Front Adjustable Camber Arms

We are happy to announce the return of the CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and GEN1 Mazda 6 to complement the return of the CorkSport Adjustable Rear Camber Arms. Back and better than ever, the CS control arms provide improved handling and easier wheel fitment through front camber adjustability. An impressive 4.5 degree adjustment range ensures you are able to get the camber you want. Whether you are dialing in your handling for the track, correcting your added camber from lowering, or even just adding in more camber for that new wheel and tire setup, the CS adjustable control arms are a good fit for your build.

CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and Mazda 6

The focus of the CorkSport Adjustable Control Arms is an easy modification of the OEM camber setting. You only need to jack up your car to easily access the four bolts on top of the control arm. Once loosened you can adjust as needed before tightening everything back up and lowering your car, without even removing a wheel! It’s a great setup for correcting camber from pothole damage or lowering, optimizing your alignment for the track, or adding negative camber to get the stance you want to fit that new wide wheel setup.

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Modify your Camber setting without needing to remove your wheel!

At CorkSport lowering spring height (1.5” lower than OEM), our local race alignment shop measured an adjustment range of approximately +0.5° to -4.0°. During the measurements they even complimented how easy the CS arms are to adjust! If you’re lower than CS spring height, you are able to go even more negative due to the natural camber gain of the MS6 double wishbone front suspension. While if you are higher than CS springs, you won’t be able to go as negative.

CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and Mazda 6

Truly an easy bolt-in installation with no strange handling geometry changes

Because the CorkSport upper control arms replace the entire OEM upper control arms, we knew that fitment was vital to ensure correct handling characteristics, and an easy installation. These arms were designed directly from the OEM control arms so they are truly an easy bolt-in installation with no strange handling geometry changes. With the added camber adjustment, we also verified clearance throughout the suspension travel and at all camber settings to prevent any strange noises or damage to your vehicle.

CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and Mazda 6

Long lasting strength for your Mazdaspeed6

We have put the CS adjustable front camber arms through extensive real-world testing to ensure long lasting strength for your car. We have been testing an early production unit on a MS6 for around 6 months at the time of writing. This car has been used in everything from daily driving, to aggressive driving in the twisties, to even hauling heavy loads around. Throughout all of this, the car has been setup with -3° of camber with a 255/40-18 summer tire on a 9.5” wide wheel.  We have seen consistent performance out of the CS control arms with no issues whatsoever, so you can be sure they can take whatever you can throw at them!

CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and Mazda 6

Each set of CorkSport Adjustable Control Arms is made from A513 steel for long lasting strength and durability. The camber adjustment box on the arms are gusseted for added strength and rigidity. The arms are then finished off with a black powdercoated finish for long lasting corrosion protection and a great look. Each kit also comes with brand new ball joints, castle nuts, and cotter pins to keep everything operating correctly. Plus, we upgraded the rubber bushings where the arms mount to the chassis to spherical bearings. This change ensures good consistent handling feel and reduces slop that can result from old worn out rubber.

CorkSport Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and Mazda 6

That about sums up the CorkSport Adjustable Control Arms for Mazdaspeed 6 and GEN1 Mazda 6! Be sure to check out the product listing for more images, as well as our product video to see these arms in action. If you have any questions, shoot us an email or give us a call, we’re always happy to help!

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Speed 3 Auxiliary Fueling Tank

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

The time has come to reveal our Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank design!

Years ago there was an option to run Port Injection or Methanol Injection without the requirement of a smelly and messy tank in your cabin.  Sadly that option disappeared and left the community with a need for another purpose-built and designed option for high power Mazdaspeed 3s.

That’s right! There is soon to be another fender mounting fuel cell for the 2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and it’s packed with more capacity, durability, and functionality.  

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We approached this project with a clean slate and set a goal to maximize capacity, work with both GEN1 & GEN2 Mazdaspeed 3s, and provide the functionality needed for both methanol and E85 port injection auxiliary fueling.  

This was no easy task; we encountered many challenges that forced us to look to different methods and innovations to succeed.  However, through those challenges we developed a tank like no other available for the Mazdaspeed community.  

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

The greatest challenge we faced was the manufacturing method.  We originally approached the design with the intent to use cut, formed and welded sheet metal as the material, but this quickly proved to create many unwanted issues.  Cost, design flexibility, capacity, durability are just a few of the issue we faced with sheet metal.  With that we looked to other processes…what about a gas can?  Those are plastic and have very irregular shapes…

From there we identified that rotomolding was the ideal path to pursue.  It helped us maximize capacity, incorporate the features needed, reduced cost, and increased durability/reliability of the tank. 

Speaking of durability first…

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Yup…we parked a truck on the tank and it took it like a champ.  As you can see there is a small amount of deformation, but that’s it!  After that we wacked the tank with a 3 pound sledge hammer on the front face (much like if you hit an object on the road) and again it took it like a champ!

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Upon closer inspection we did not find any cracks forming due to the truck test or the impacts of the sledge hammer.  After letting the tank sit for a bit we found that the tank actually formed back to its original shape before the testing.  

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

So what makes the CorkSport Auxiliary Fuel Tank strong and durable?  Two things:

  1. The material used is Cross-Link HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) which is a very durable and resilient material by itself.  Add in the cross-link reinforcement in a 0.190” wall thickness and you now have a material that can handle a large amount of impact force and yielding (bending) without failing.  
  2. The manufacturing process is the other key aspect here.  Unlike welding, there are no seams or welded joints that can fail.  In the rotomolding process, the HDPE is poured into a mold that is heated to the plastic molten temperature.  This powder melts and creates one continuous structure with an average wall thickness of 0.190”.  Even the brass threaded inserts are embedded into the plastic with no seam or seal to leak.  
Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Speaking of those threaded inserts, those are really neat.   When the mold is assembled, there brass threaded inserts are fixture inside the mold in set locations.  These give us the flexibility to have integrated mounting points for the brackets that mount to the vehicle AND for both methanol pumps and the standard 044 style fuel pump bracket.  

Now let’s look at a cutaway of the Computer Aided Drafting Model of the tank so we can see a couple other key design features.  BTW these would not have been possible (or atleast not cost effective) with sheet metal. 

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Probably the most critical and useful features of the fuel cell is the integrated sump for the pump feed.  This is the little area under the blue line.  This “low” zone is called the sump and the point is to create a lower spot for the pump to be fed fuel.  This reduces the chance of fuel starvation during braking and cornering as well as allows you to get the full capacity of the tank to your pump. 

Next you can see a “chamber” on the left side.  This actually sits under the frame rail a bit which allowed us to increase the capacity to ~2.6 gallons but it also serves another purpose.  If you are running a port injection auxiliary fuel kit then you most likely have a fuel return from the regulator; this is where that return line connects.   The low ceiling in this chamber helps reduce aeration of the fuel due to the return line flow.  This green line also sits just below the low level sensor so you’ll know when you are getting close to this threshold.  

Mazdaspeed 3 Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Alright let’s wrap this up.  Designed specifically for the 2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3, you can utilize the tank for methanol or ethanol fuels and you can switch from either or if you change your setup.  Durable and chemical resistant material used can take beating and once installed the tank and black filler cap basically disappears from view.  

We are stoked to bring a new and innovative option to the Mazdapseed Community very soon.  

  • Barett @ CorkSport

P.S. – that stainless bracket in the last image is my splitter mounting system for my 2009 Mazdaspeed 3.  Check out @halfmilespeed3 for more details!

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Mazdaspeed-3 4 Inch Complete Intake System

If you’re looking for big power (500+whp) potential for your Mazdaspeed 3 and don’t want to be held back by your intake system then look no further!

Benefits of a huge intake with the easy fitment of a smaller intake

Introducing the CorkSport 4” Intake system for ’07-’13 MS3 (Gen1 and Gen2). Featuring mandrel bent piping, a billet MAF housing, and a large aFe dry flow filter; you can get the benefits of a huge 4” intake with the easy fitment of a smaller intake. We went back to the drawing board for this intake to optimize both fitment and performance. Read on for details!

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 4 inch Intake System

We truly started from scratch to ensure the best fitment for this intake. The main change is the way the silicone couplers attach to the turbo inlet pipe. To get the pipe as close to the engine as possible for easy fitment, we use a custom-designed coupler off the compressor of the turbo. The 4” intake pipe fits straight into this, making install just that little bit easier. The biggest change though came at the MAF housing connection.

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Takes up less room than some 3.5″ intakes

Instead of using a silicone coupler between the turbo inlet pipe and the MAF housing, the billet MAF housing is TIG welded directly onto the turbo intake pipe. This further helps fitment and helped us maximize filter size (more on that later). What this means is that you end up with a four-inch intake that takes up less room than some 3.5” intakes on the market while retaining the OEM mounting points and OEM BPV, PCV, and boost vent ports. It even fits with our 51R battery box!

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 51r Battery Box

The benefit of a 4” intake system is in the flow capacity. Moving up in intake size, even from a 3.5” to 4” offers an increase in maximum flow capacity. A bigger intake equals the potential for a larger volume of air ingested by the engine, which equals bigger power potential. You also increase the maximum airflow that can be read by the MAF sensor before it peaks, but you must get a tune to scale the MAF sensor.

So what does this mean for power gains?

Typically, a lower horsepower car will not see a power bump but, big power MS3’s can see an increase in power, just by reducing the airflow restriction before the turbo. While you may not quite be at a 3.5” intake’s limit at 600WHP, moving to a 4” intake will increase the efficiency of your build and reduce the strain on your turbo, with a chance at some extra ponies along the way!

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
CorkSport

Increasing piping diameter only does so much if you have a highly restrictive filter. We focused heavily on fitting the biggest filter we could to minimize restrictions coming from the filter. We chose aFe’s Pro Dry S material for great filtration and flow, without having to worry about an oiled filter dirtying the MAF sensor. Check out the image below comparing the new 4” intake filter to the filter used on our 3.5” intakes. The new filter’s media is larger than the entire old filter!

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
CorkSport

While the new CorkSport 4” Intake may be a bit different from our normal intakes, we kept the same billet MAF housing design. A billet machined MAF housing ensures accurate and consistent diameter around the MAF sensor itself vs just using a pipe or plastic MAF housing while also letting us have a TRUE 4-inch inner diameter. This ensures that once calibrated, your MAF sensor will read stable and accurately. To be extra sure MAF readings are great, we pre-install air straighteners to ensure your MAF is getting clean and straight air.

Daily drive your Speed with this 4-inch intake system

With the consistent CNC machine inner diameter at a true 4 inches and the integrated air straighteners, you can daily drive your Speed with this 4-inch intake system and have MAF sensor range over 900whp.

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 4 inch Intake System

Each CorkSport 4” Intake System is made from mandrel bent 4” 6061 aluminum tubing for smooth airflow directly into your turbo. The billet aluminum MAF housing is TIG welded into position, as are all ports and brackets to ensure long-lasting strength. Each intake is finished off in a wrinkle black powder coat for a clean look that will match just about any engine bay. We also include your choice of 4-ply reinforced silicone coupler for the turbo inlet. We have 4”, 3”, and OEM diameter silicones so you can be sure your turbo with work great with the CS 4” intake. To finish it off, we include stainless steel T-bolt clamps for the connections, to prevent any vacuum leaks.

Mazdaspeed3 4" Intake System
2007-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 4 inch Intake System

The CorkSport 4 Inch Intake System is a complete package that can help you make big power on your Speed 3. Increase flow capacity and filter size to help that turbo breathe better so you can make more power for longer. Check out the product listing for more images and don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions! Zoom-Zoom!

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Recipe to Make a 500 HP Mazdaspeed 3

400 Whp not enough for you and your Mazdaspeed3? 

Searching for more power for your speeds MZR engine? 

Are you building your DISI motor, and trying to figure out your next setup? Say no more… 

This next Mazdaspeed-focused blog is going to focus on making some big power numbers, and what it takes to get there. Now is the time to go beyond the scope of the 400-wheel horsepower to look at what it takes for 500 horsepower at the wheels. 

In our 400 WHP blog, this is not an all-inclusive guide and the only way to achieve these power levels… However, it’s something that’s been tried and tested for years and proven to be a reliable method of making the power you’re after. We are aiming to educate you in the best way to make the most out of your MZR engine.

Let’s get started 

With the MZR engine being out for over 10 years, it’s had a lot of time under the knife. We know how the engine responds to different airflow mods, tuning characteristics, fuel, etc.

We also know that 400 Whp is about the limit of the stock bottom end on the Mazdaspeed 3. If you have a Mazdaspeed 6, then you can assume it’d be a bit less given you have AWD and need to account for further drivetrain loss.

It is beyond this point that the motor is in danger and could potentially let go. Keep in mind that at 400 Whp you are nearly doubling OEM power output, and that’s a lot of strain on those pistons and rods that were never designed to endure that power long term.  If you are wanting to go beyond 400 Whp then you should know that you are also looking at the price tag of a Built motor.

What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed
CorkSport

Now, if you are relatively new to this, and aren’t very familiar with the basic building blocks of the platform such as the Cobb Accessport, and Upgraded Fuel Pump Internals, then I invite you to read our 400 Whp Blog to build a good foundation. Do you feel you have a good understanding of what it takes to get to 400 Whp? Then you are ready to read on!

When you’re at a point in your build that you are seeking 500 Whp then it’s safe to say that you probably have gotten the more tedious stuff out of the way… You probably have about every bolt-on modification, and you understand what it’s like to work with a professional tuner.

That being said, let’s do a bit of a recap on the 400 Whp mods, so you have a good idea of where we need to go from here.

These are all the recommended/required mods to increase engine airflow and efficiency to make 400 WHP.

Basic Bolt Ons: (Less Expensive / easily removable parts )
Fuel Pump Internals
3.5” Intake (Requires ECU relocation or battery box)
Upgraded EBCS
Upgraded Map Sensor
Upgraded Downpipe
Upgraded Intercooler
Upgraded Catback Exhaust
Oil Catch Can

Advanced Bolt Ons: ( More expensive / more difficult to remove )
Upgraded Turbocharger
Upgraded Intake Manifold (Optional but Recommended)
Upgraded Exhaust Manifold (Optional but Recommended)

Fuel:

Stock Fueling on Pump Gas usually nets around 330-350 Whp depending on octane and gas quality.

Stock Fueling on E85 blend fuel usually nets around 370-390 Whp depending on Tune aggression and also Quality of the gas and E85.

With Aux fueling such as port fuel, or methanol you can easily bump up over the 400 Whp mark and beyond. (I’ll get into the differences more in a bit)

Putting down 500 Whp pretty much requires many of the same mods that 400 Whp does, BUT the primary game changers are the Advanced Bolt On’s and Fuel.

(If you’d like to refresh your memory on the basic bolt-ons and how they affect your Mazda please refer to the 400 Whp blog.)

I’m ready for more POWAHH

In the grand scheme of things, making the 400whp is relatively easy and affordable considering it can be done on the stock block. With bolt on parts, fuel, and a tune you can easily hit that number. But as soon as you want to make more, you’re looking at a built engine, as previously mentioned, And that’s a whole new can of worms.

So, what’s all involved in a built motor? That’s a bit of an open-ended question as there are so many variables to take into consideration. However, “built” engines usually contain forged pistons and rods with upgraded bearings to handle more abuse. From there, the complexity increases as you get into port work, cams, etc. I will touch on that a bit more later. 

Fortunately for you, most engine builders have their entry level engine ready to handle 500 wheel horsepower and it’s a pretty basic build that features stronger internals. But, the tedious stuff like port work is usually reserved for the higher tier engines that are usually built for more power.

I won’t get into the engine building side of things, as that could turn into a whole other tangent. But you can assume that a built motor may cost you anywhere from 5k and up dependent on the level of motor you go with. From there we can start piecing together our 500 Whp build.

What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed
CorkSport

Let’s Talk TURBO’S (Crowd Cheers) 

The turbo is the heart and soul of the Zoom-Zoom, so it seems like a suitable place to start.

What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed with the CSt5 Mazdaspeed Turbo
CST5 Turbo Upgrade – 2006-2013 DISI MZR

As we know, the CST4 is happy up to around 400+ Whp. Which is why it was the recommended turbo in the 400whp blog. But now we are ready to take a step up to the CST5 Turbo for the Mazdaspeed which is happy up to… You guessed it! 500+ WHP. With the ability to hit 20 PSI by 3500-3600 RPM and Carry out 30 PSI it really packs a punch for its size. You may be needing to upgrade your intake to pair to the T5, I’d recommend our Power Series 3.5” Intake I mentioned earlier. It will come with the 4” coupler required to mate up to the turbo.

The turbo is available with an internal gate, or an External Gate so you can choose what works best for you. Both options can hit the same power numbers.

Upgrade Your Turbo with the CST4

Let’s Talk Fuel

What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed
HPFP System

“What options do I have for bigger injectors?”

At CorkSport I get this question rather often. Unfortunately, I must tell them “There aren’t any”

Without going too off topic here I will explain why.

Our cars feature a Direct Injection fuel system or DI… And by today’s standards, it’s a bit primitive. The MZR DISI was one of the first pioneers of modern DI, which is probably why the OEM high-pressure fuel pump can’t even sustain the full potential of the factory injectors. Don’t worry, the CorkSport Fuel Pump internals fixes that problem.

Port Injection is simple and easy to maintain. It works by spraying low pressure fuel into the intake runner where it atomizes in the air stream before entering the combustion chamber.  For car guys, it’s fantastic and easy to swap out injectors when you are ready for more fuel.

Direct Injection takes a whole new approach. Instead of the fuel going in through the intake manifold, it goes DIRECTLY into the combustion chamber.

In order to overcome the force of compression, the fuel must be highly pressurized in order to atomize correctly. It also must deliver more volume in a shorter amount of time. This is why your Mazdaspeed has a high-pressure fuel pump. 

This causes a whole lot of complications for injector developers because things like fuel pressure also become a huge variable when attempting to create a larger Direct Injector. The bigger the hole on the injector, the more fuel pressure is required to create adequate atomization. Combining that with the rarity, and size of the Mazdaspeed platform, it’s just not worth it for any manufacturer to develop one.

So, what’s the solution to getting more fuel? Well… As previously mentioned, you pretty much have 2 choices Port Injection or Methanol. Since both of these are considered Auxiliary fueling, they are controlled by separate controllers, unless you want to ball out and get a Motec ECU that can control the OEM engine systems, as well as your port fuel.

Choosing which system, you want to go with solely depends on your power goals, and how much money you have to spend. Those 2 factors are pretty much the only question you need to ask yourself.

What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed
Leo dropping that cash on a port Injection fuel system

Methanol – Cheap and simple 

Port Injection – Expensive and Reliable 

You must remember that the OEM fuel system, even with E85 in your tank is only good up to around 370-390 WHP. So, everything beyond that is supported by your AUX fueling. If your extra fuel system stops spraying for any reason, that could lead to catastrophic damage depending on how much you’re relying on it. When you’re just trying to nudge over the 400 whp mark on a CST4 or CST5 then Methanol is usually fine in my opinion. But beyond that, I’d be concerned with the reliability aspect.

When you have a properly set up port fuel kit (Manifold with fuel rail required) it behaves almost as if there is no AUX fueling system. This is especially the case when you have it all integrated into your factory gas tank and don’t need to fill up a separate cell. A quality Port Fuel Kit is pretty full-proof.

You’ll have to make the decision that’s best for you, but I’d recommend a port fuel kit to support 500 Whp, vs a heavy spraying methanol kit.

Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold with CorkSport fuel rail
CorkSport Manifold With Fuel Rail For Port Injection

Let’s Talk Manifolds 

Manifolds are responsible for transferring all the air in and out of the motor from their respective cylinder. This job is an important one as it needs to distribute the gases as evenly as possible. The more even the flow, the better the performance!

On the Mazdaspeed Platform, the OEM intake manifold is known to be the bigger restriction over its exhaust counterpart. With very unequal flow distribution across the 4 runners, it has been proven not only to restrict power but also cause premature wear and tear on cylinder #3; here’s why.

This is caused by “over-feeding” air to #3 in comparison to the other cylinders. Over time this #3 is actively running leaner than its counterparts which is why it’s been deemed the most common cylinder to blow if an engine does give way.

CorkSport Intake Manifold for Mazdaspeed shown to provide example of even Flow
CorkSport Intake Manifold shown to provide example of even Flow

It is because of this, that I always recommend a CorkSport intake manifold for even stock power levels. It may not be required to make 500 Whp, since you can essentially just turn up the boost to counteract the restriction. But in the name of reliability and efficiency, you should always try to help your engine breathe with the most minimal effort while also helping it maintain its health. 

Mazdaspeed engine making 500 WHP
CS manifolds, FMIC, and 3.5” intake in picture

The OEM Exhaust manifold may not be as bad as the intake manifold, but it’s still not ideal, especially at this power level. A performance exhaust manifold needs to be designed with exhaust scavenging in mind. 

Exhaust scavenging is a very cool effect. The exhaust gases leaving the combustion chamber travel out the individual runners and enter the collector. It’s at this point that it creates a vacuum-like effect on the runners, assisting the exhaust gases to escape from the other cylinders. This constant scavenging helps improve exhaust flow dramatically, especially when you start making power over 400 Whp.

You can learn more about exhaust Scavenging in our Blog that dives deep into it and shows examples comparing our Exhaust Manifold to OEM!

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What it takes to Make 500 Whp In Your Mazdaspeed
CS Exhaust Manifold vs The OEM Manifold

When you replace both the Intake and Exhaust Manifolds with a performance unit you are drastically helping your motor improve its efficiency, which can mean 3 things.

1. Make the same power on less boost.
2. Make more power on the same boost.
3. Make Way more power on way more boost. 

When you have to push your car less to make the power you want, reliability improves, and it also needs more room on the table for when you want to make even more power later on.  That leads us to our next topic, Efficiency Mods.

The Cherry On Top 

With a built motor, full bolt-ons, fuel, and a big enough turbo you can easily hit 500 whp.

However, efficiency mods such as Camshafts or Throttle Body will help you make more power easier, or really push the limits of your turbo by improving its ability to perform.

Our CS Camshafts are ideal when you start getting into this power range. It helps with everything from turbo spool, midrange power, and top end. Even on K04 powered speed 3’s / 6’s our cams netted around 20 Whp. You can imagine the kind of exponential improvements it can make as you move up in power.

Camshafts for Mazaspeed
Mazdaspeed Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor

That being said, if you’re already having a motor built, or you happen to be going inside your motor, its not a bad idea at all to toss these cams in. They will only help you, and if anything, help your car to not need to work so hard when you’re pushing its limits.

Performance throttle body for Mazdaspeed
Performance Throttle Body for 2006-2013 DISI MZR Mazdaspeed

To top that off something like our CorkSport Throttle Body has been proven to make more horsepower and flow 33% more CFM than the OEM unit. Up until recently, no other throttle body has been a viable option due to drivability issues. But CS now offers a drop in plug and play unit that doesn’t come with the problems and utilizes OEM ECU logic to function. Modifications like the throttle body are the awesome little bonuses you can do to help the car hit that 500 Whp mark even easier.

Let’s Recap

So, to cover everything that we’ve learned:
This is what we recommend to achieve 500 WHP

1. Built Motor with upgraded Cam Shafts
2. Auxiliary Fueling
3. Full Bolt-Ons, CS Throttle Body recommended.
4. CST5 Turbocharger
5. Manifolds

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and now have a better understanding of the details that go into making 500 whp. Next, we will be reviewing the in’s and out’s of 600 whp!

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