News | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

February 22, 2011February 18, 2011

Smiling 3 Goes “Under the Knife” to Come Out Not Quite As Happy

Debuting at the Canadian International Auto Show this weekend, the 2012 Mazda 3 received numerous changes from its predecessor. The most visually obvious change is the new front bumper. Mazda went from full grin, to a more laid-back smirk along with changing up the fog light bezels to flow with the new grill. The change is not a drastic one, but may help convince on the fence buyers who were not in love with the happy face of the 2010-11 3’s. The rear end also received some slight lipo in the form of a slightly redesigned bumper and some new taillights. Mazda will also be offering new designs for the 16 and 17 inch rim options (One option shown below).

2012 Mazda 3

The 3 will also get a slight brow lift in the form of some redesigned headlights. The most obvious change being that they will no longer have the “arrow” on the inside of the projector housing.

The biggest change, in my opinion, is not something that can be easily seen from afar. The 2012 Mazda 3 will receive a heart transplant in the form of the all new Mazda engine with Skyactiv technology. The engine features a low-friction block with an ultra high compression ratio of 14.0/1. It can also recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine for decreased emissions. Future plans for this engine include idle-stop and regenerative braking, with the possibility of a hybrid in the works. Displacement, fuel efficiency, power and torque numbers have yet to be released.

As an engineer at CorkSport, I am excited to see the final production 2012 Mazda 3 in person and hopefully get some great new products released for it as well.

– Jake

February 10, 2011February 8, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: CorkSport Polyurethane Mud Flaps

CorkSport is proud to announce the release of our Polyurethane Mud Flaps. You have the choice of black with a laser etched logo on the rear flaps or red with silver vinyl CorkSport stickers. The mud flaps are made from 1/8” thick 80A durometer polyurethane for long lasting protection. The mud flaps will not only help keep your car clean, but also add style to your Mazda.

The mud flaps were CAD designed and die cut using the latest technologies. The mud flaps are designed to allow the customer to mount them at a height that matches your vehicles height and style preferences.

Features:
CorkSports Polyurethane Mud Flaps are die cut from 1/8” thick 80A durometer polyurethane for a perfect blend of stiffness and impact resistance. The mud flaps are strong enough to not fold back in the wind, but soft enough to handle high speed rock impacts as well as speed bump or curb abuse. CorkSport only uses high quality FDA approved food handling grade polyurethane sheets for their mud flaps. We even designed the mud flaps so that you can raise or lower them to match your vehicles height. The mud flaps come with all the installation hardware and only require a drill, 0.25” drill bit, and two 10mm end wrenches.

Testing:
The CorkSport Polyurethane Mud Flaps have gone through several design and material revisions to what we think is the best mud flap on the market for your Mazda. We have tested the mud flaps in snow, mud, gravel, and heavy pacific northwest rains. We have even tested them on different height vehicles so that you know they will work regardless of your current ride height.

Available Now:
As with all our CorkSport Brand Mazda Products, the Polyurethane Mud Flaps ship with all the hardware you need for installation. Full color step by step installation instructions and telephone technical support are also included with your purchase.

February 1, 2011January 28, 2011

Mazda Goes With the Batteries

There were some rumors and news flying around in March of last year that Mazda was in talks with Toyota to get their hands on the hybrid technology they had developed. The system people had mentioned was the Toyota Synergy Hybrid Tech and was to be combined with the Mazda Sky engines. The vehicles were slated to be available in 2013.

This week Mazda announced that they will be offering electric vehicles starting on 2012. The vehicle will be the Mazda 2/Demio and will be offered to fleet accounts, like government and larger corporations, instead of individuals.

Mazda makes no mention of the hybrid technology that they were working on getting from Toyota. This leads me to speculate that with the news of the all-electric car and the gasoline technology advances that Mazda has been working on we might not see a hybrid from Mazda. I personally don’t think it would be worth it for Mazda to continue pursuing 3 different paths for better fuel economy. Given the size of Mazda it doesn’t make much sense from a cost standpoint. The Sky drivetrains will make Mazda competitive with most of the hybrids on the market without having to run heavy batteries and hybrid drivetrain systems. The all-electric vehicles are going to be strictly fleet vehicles, which means there is no need for the infrastructure of charging stations.

Mazda did have one hybrid vehicle in the past, the Tribute, but it was based on the Ford Escape. With Ford only owning about 3% in Mazda these days, the technology sharing looks to have changed between the two companies to a minimal amount.

I do look forward to seeing what Mazda can innovate for the electric vehicle. Mazda has always been willing to go a different direction from other car manufacturers to solve problems. I think we will see an example of that in 2012, much like what we have seen with the Sky engine systems.

What do you guys think?

– Derrick

January 24, 2011February 11, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: CorkSport Rear Chassis Brace Set 2004 – 2011 MazdaSpeed3 & Mazda 3

CorkSport’s Rear Chassis Brace Set for the 2004-2011 MazdaSpeed 3 & Mazda 3 is a direct direct bolt-on one inch diameter four bar kit that stiffens up the rear-end of your vehicle’s chassis. The bar set requires you to trim a small amount of carpet out of your cargo area and utilizes stock mounting locations.

The four bar kit installs in about an hour and a half and includes all the necessary hardware to complete the installation. It fits with all existing (three bar set available if you already have our Quick-Release Rear Chassis Brace) and future CorkSport brand parts and offers a design that will set your 3 apart from the crowd.

Features:
The CorkSport Rear Chassis Brace Set utilizes powdercoated 0.25” steel brackets that mount to factory locations on the side of your cargo area and are completely hidden behind the trunk carpet except for the bar mounting holes. The bottom mounts are small and stay close to the corner of your hatch to minimize taking up precious cargo space. The bars feature a black anodized aluminum design with our CorkSport Logo etched into the bars (the two shorter bars do not have the logo). The top bar is attached to the brackets by aircraft grade quick-release pins that allow the bar to be removed quickly and effortlessly in an event that you need to fold down your rear seats and haul a large object in your 3. The end links are threaded for full stiffness adjustablility. Turn the bar one way to stiffen the rear end, turn the bar the other way to lessen the stiffness.

Testing:
The CorkSport Rear Chassis Brace Set has been tested on our own vehicles to ensure fit, form and function. The bar set increases stiffness in the rear end by tying load points together. This results in reduced chassis flex that is a common issue with the hatch-back’s open cargo area design. We have tested the design and with the bars installed, you can expect to see a 12% decrease in rear end deflection.

Available Now:
As with all our CorkSport Brand Mazda Products, the Rear Chassis Brace Set ships with all the hardware you need for installation. Full color step by step installation instructions and telephone technical support are also included with your purchase.

January 18, 2011October 24, 2023

Dealership Friends of CorkSport

Back in June Chris wrote a blog post about how we have been actively looking for dealerships who are “Mod Friendly”. We are happy to announce that our list of dealers who carry our products and are more accepting of performance products on your Mazda is growing! We have 6 Mazda dealerships in various parts of the US who have access to all of the CorkSport brand product line. Here they are in no particular order:

Continental Mazda
Located in Anchorage, AK

Continental Mazda in Anchorage AK. Continental Mazda is the best source of Mazda parts for the enthusiasts in the Anchorage area. AJ in parts is the go to guy for our CorkSport brand products.

Roger Beasley Mazda
Located in Austin, TX

Beasley Mazda keeps an active calendar of local events for Mazda enthusiast on their dealer webpage. There are enough things there to keep most people busy all month long. If you need to contact them you can email Danny in parts or stop by their location and talk to Adam at the parts counter.

The Autobarn Mazda of Countryside
Located in Countryside, IL

Autobarn Mazda has been racing and modifying Mazdas for quite some time. The more recent events Autobarn has been involved with are MX-5 Playboy Cup series and the One Lap of America. The One Lap event was done in a Mazdaspeed 5 which was built by Autobarn. Contact either Dan or Julio in the parts department.

Ralph Thayer Mazda
Located in Livonia, MI

Thayer Mazda has been supporting local rally cross events and now has moved up to supporting the Sno-Attack event at the Snodrift rally in Atlanta, MI the weekend of Jan 28-29th (the Sno-Attack event is on the 29th). I will be at the Sno-Attack event so if you are in Atlanta, Michigan stop by the Thayer Mazda tent and say hello! Talk with Kyle in parts for your CorkSport parts needs.

Continental Mazda
Located in Naperville, IL

Continental Mazda has been offering CorkSport products for the last 9 months. They are active in support of motorsports including spec Miata racing. They approached us about offering our products to their customers. Ed in parts is the best person to contact to get our products there.

Hayes Mazda
Located in Kalamazoo, MI

Hayes Mazda is active in the local Mazda scene in Kalamazoo and supports other automotive events. Last year Hayes Mazda supported the Kalamazoo Miata Club 2010 Sports Car Show Extravaganza at the US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI. Shoot Bob an email if you are near Kalamazoo to get our parts.

If you have any dealerships in mind that you think will be good candidates for CorkSport brand parts feel free to email me with the name and I will be in contact with them.

– Derrick