Tag: R&D

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“By the People, For the People”

It’s not just an excerpt from the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln, but also how we try to produce new products. Let’s face it, if a part is not something that you want, you don’t buy it. So what is the easiest way to produce parts that customers want? Have the customer tell you.

CorkSport has always tried to make sure the customer is our number one priority. We don’t just say that, but we try to show it in how we run the business as well as in our products. We have recently released two products that were part of our customer collaboration efforts. The first of which is our license plate relocation bracket for the 2010 MazdaSpeed 3. We collected ideas from customers, made prototypes, received feedback, revised the part, and repeated the process until we reached a product that was built by CorkSport, but designed and made possible by you the customer.

The next product that we have just released within the past month is eyelids for the 2010 Mazda 3 / MazdaSpeed 3. A customer (Derrick Williams) designed and made a prototype of the eyelids. He then contacted us to see if we wanted to partner with him to get these produced for sale as a CorkSport product, but not to lose sight of who originally designed and made these. After some slight tweaks and a few sample parts later, we released the part for sale. The design and idea was such a success that we immediately sold out of the first batch.

Due to the eyelids being so popular, we came back to you the customer to see if there was anything we could do to improve the product. Several people said that they would like to see the part made in carbon fiber as well. The picture below shows the first prototype set made from carbon fiber and clear coated.

These are just a few examples of how we never forget who makes us who we are: the customer. If you have any ideas for new products, or ways to enhance existing parts, feel free to contact us.

– Jake

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The Elusive MazdaSpeed 3 Cold Air Box Has Arrived!

People have been hitting us up via every contact point possible: phone calls, emailing, Facebook posting, Forum chatting, and contacting us via our webpage to find out when the CorkSport Cold Air Box for the 2010 MazdaSpeed 3 Short Ram Intake will be available. I am proud to say that it is finally here.

Way back all the way to the beginning of February, we had a blog post outlining the details of the depth we go into when designing a Cold Air Box. After finalizing the design and getting a production part installed in our project car, I went out and did some extensive testing. Using a laptop, data-logging software, and lots of thermocouples, I was able to log temperature changes over time.

The delta temperature in the graph below is the temperature difference inside the CAB (right at the filter) versus the temperature directly outside the box (inside the engine bay). The red line shows the difference over time using the box right off the shelf. The blue line shows the CAB with fully taped and insulated connections (the SRI to CAB mating area) attempting to reduce heat soak even further. The green line shows the difference over time with the CAB fully insulated and a direct pipe running from the fog light opening to the CAB (simulating a CAI).

Each reading was taking in the same atmospheric temperature (+/- 2 degrees) driving the same route at the same time each day. The route consisted of highway driving (both at highway speeds, and stop and go traffic) as well as city driving.

As you can see from the graph, all 3 designs yielded roughly the same result of about a 35-40 degree decrease in intake temperature once the vehicle has reached operating temperature.

As a conclusion to this experiment, I can confidently say that our CAB for the 2010 MazdaSpeed 3 paired with our SRI can bring your intake temperatures down to the same temperature as you would see with a cold air intake, without the drop in pressure or any worry about driving in the rain.

As always, if you have any questions about the product, or if you want to know more about how the data was obtained or evaluated, shoot me an email.

– Jake

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CorkSport’s 2010 MS3 Gets Chill

Our 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 project car is always a work in progress. It rarely gets put all the way back together, and when it finally does, another project gets set to take it apart again. This time, it was to get some cooler air flowing to the lungs of the MS3.

We recently installed our prototype front mount intercooler kit on our 2010 Mazdaspeed 3. After dealing with a new bumper, hood scoop, and other changes from the 1st gen MS3 to the current body style, we finally have a working kit. As it is currently installed, this is a bolt-on kit with no drilling or cutting required. The factory undertray and bumper also mount back on with room to spare.

We are currently in the testing phase and hope to have a final design set soon. If you have any input on what you would like to see (ie, silicone colors, piping powdercoat colors, etc) send me an email.

– Jake

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The Mazda 2 Arrives!

Its Here!

On Wednesday around noon I picked up my liquid silver Mazda 2 at the port in Tacoma, Washington. 10 miles is what the Mazda 2 had on it from the trip out of the factory, on to a ship, off the same ship, and around a really big parking lot. After an inspection of the 2 and peeling off a bunch of white protective stickers I was on my way to the gas station. Mazda doesn’t put much fuel in the cars at the factory.

The first things that jumped out at me: I love the clutch and the shifter. The clutch engagement is precise and you know when it is engaging. The shifter really reminds me of a Miata. It is precise in motion and the feedback from gear engagement is very clear.

After filling up with fuel I headed to I-5 and spent the next two hours driving south to CorkSport. With the light curb weight of the Mazda 2 the 100hp engine makes getting on the freeway was really effortless. I shifted at 4000 rpm going through the gears to get to 5th gear @ 60 MPH. The 1.5 liter engine has some pretty decent torque making freeway driving a breeze. I did not have to downshift at any point on the 136 mile drive back.

The Mazda 2 is really quiet in the cab on the freeway. Road noise is minimal and I have a feeling that most of the noise was from the tires. We will test out the noise down the road later when we upgrade the Mazda 2 with different wheels and tires.

The Mazda 2 really feels like a small Mazda 3. All of the interior, switch gear, gauges, everything feels really solid. The radio sounds good and is easy to use. The preset buttons are a little weird being on the right side of the face but it is easy enough to work around once your presets are in.

My verdict on the Mazda 2 is that this car is well worth the wait. When I arrived at CorkSport after the two hour drive I had a big smile on my face. This is a great car which has tons of potential.

Check out the Mazda 2 Project on our CorkSport webpage for updates on the car. We already have started development on parts and we will be updating the progress of the Mazda 2 as often as we can.

– Derrick

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Is My Intake Legal?

I recently received an email from a customer who asked me “I have heard the intake you sell is illegal, is this true?” That is a valid question to ask of any part manufacturer who offers aftermarket performance products.

On a federal level the EPA regulates the auto manufacturers which sell new vehicles in the United States. The EPA doesn’t look at which intake you have installed into your vehicle and thus there really isn’t any guideline to look at or follow.

On a local level, states, counties, or cities can regulate automobiles their own way, and their rules can vary. At a state level it can really vary. In the state of Washington our vehicle inspections for emissions consist of plugging in the vehicle for 1996-newer models to see if there are any check engine light present or pending. If the cars ECU gives a green light to no problems and the system readiness check has been passed you are given a pass. With our intakes being engineered and tested to meet the requirements of the factory ECU they will pass a plug in emissions test.

Some states do a visual check of emissions components and a tailpipe check in addition to checking the factory ECU to see if the computer has any check engine codes. With visual inspections it really comes down to the rules set by your state. Some states are fine with bolt on modifications like intakes and cat back exhausts. Some are not which means you need to check with your local emissions testing facility.

The tailpipe test consists of an exhaust gas analyzer checking the exhaust output of your vehicle and making sure the hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides are within EPA specifications. There is a small range of particles which are allowed. If the numbers are higher that what is allowed you will not pass the test. Intakes can also affect the tailpipe emissions if they are engineered improperly, and can cause the engine to run outside is original parameters. CorkSport intakes, because of all the testing we have put into them should cause no problems with the tailpipe test.

Now for the tough guys: California. California has its own emissions guidelines which is called CARB or California Air Resources Board. CARB has guidelines which are very strict for any modifications which can affect engine performance. To be a legal product for California the part must have an executive order number. Currently CorkSport intakes do not have an EO number. We are working on CARB certification for our intakes, so don’t worry California customers, we’re thinking of you!

If you have any questions about whether or not your intake is legal check with your local state emissions station to see what they have to say.

– Derrick