SRI | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

July 12, 2023October 26, 2023

5 Reasons You Need The Cold Air Box Intake System for the 2019+ Mazda 3 Non-Turbo

The CorkSport Cold Air Box for the 2019+ Mazda 3 has finally arrived! Long awaited since the introduction of the CorkSport Short Ram Intake for the non-Turbo Mazda 3, CX30 and CX50; the Cold Air Box is ready to team up with your SRI and give you the increased performance from cooler ambient air that you’ve been looking for.

Installed for the Best Cold Air Intake Box

Designed For Performance

Designed specifically for the non-turbo models in conjunction with the CorkSport Short Ram Intake; this creates a complete performance cold air intake system that bolts in with ease.

To maximize potential airflow AND keep the hot engine bay air away from the intake we incorporated the OEM intake snorkel and opened the airbox end to take in cooler ambient air from the fender area.

Mazda 3 2019 and newer cold air intake box

Here you can see the open end of the CorkSport Airbox providing full airflow to the filter from the fender area and the opening on the front of the airbox for the snorkel to interface. The result is maximum airflow and minimal hot air from the engine and radiator.

Tested & Approved

To validate this design we did on car testing in real-world situations. Below you will see a graph showing air intake temperature of the CorkSport SRI only vs the CorkSport SRI + Cold Air Box. Both tests use the same car and begin testing with an up-to-temp car in approximately 80 degF sunny weather.

Cold Air Intake Data for the Mazda CS Air Box

The testing starts with a 5 minute idle period to simulate sitting in traffic or staging line at a drag race. This is the “heat soaking” that is so commonly mentioned in social media channels. After that, the car is moderately accelerated to 50mph which pushes fresh ambient air into the intake snorkel and fender area. You can see that in both stationary and moving testing, the cold air box keeps intake air temperatures cooler by approximately 10 degF.

CorkSport Installed on CX30 Cold Air Box

Efficient & Responsive

Is a cold air box necessary for your Mazda already equipped with the CorkSport Short Ram Intake? No, but the cold air box WILL help your engine breathe easier, run more efficiently and feel more powerful and responsive in all driving situations. It will help make your Mazda even more fun to drive, which is why we all do this!

Built CS Strong

Now let’s talk about the construction of the CorkSport Airbox. CAD designed and manufactured via a rotor molding process allows us to create very unique shapes that can fit in the engine bay. The material is XDPE plastic that is very durable and resilient to engine bay temperatures and chemicals. In fact, it’s the same material we use for our Mazdaspeed Fender Fuel Cell and the 4^th GEN Mazda 3 Turbo Inlet Pipe. The translucent cover is a grey/brown tinted acrylic material that is durable and looks fantastic in the engine bay.

With the removable cover, servicing is super quick and easy, so you don’t have to remove the entire airbox just to clean your air filter.

CorkSport Care & Support

Lastly, like all CorkSport performance parts, you receive color step-by-step instructions, all the needed installation hardware, and support from our knowledgeable team at CS HQ. Thanks for checking out the latest and greatest from CorkSport!

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June 11, 2020November 15, 2022

Skyactiv 2.5T Intake Heat Shield

OEM Look and solid performance power gains for the Mazda 6 Turbo

We’re back with another product for SkyActiv 2.5T owners that a lot of you have requested after getting your CorkSport SRI. Introducing the CorkSport Heat Shield for 2018+ Mazda 6 Turbo, 2019+ Mazda CX-5 Turbo, and 2016+ Mazda CX-9! Cool down your intake air temps in two ways: by blocking heat from the engine bay and by using the OEM ducting to draw in fresh air. This allows your turbo system to breathe just a bit easier, especially during hot days or if you’re stuck sitting in traffic. Plus, it makes the CS SRI look like a factory option performance part!

Read on for full details and be sure to give us a call if you have any questions!

Isolates heat from the Mazda 6 turbo SRI

Stay Up-to-date with CorkSport

We really focused on keeping cool air around the filter with the CorkSport SkyActiv 2.5T heat shield. The shield was carefully designed to seal the intake off from as much engine bay heat as possible. This meant a complicated 2 piece design that is riveted together. We also designed the shield to work with the OEM air ducting. This directs cool outside air to the filter, further reducing intake air temps. The shield is also left open to the area in front of the tire, underneath the headlight. We found that this area gets some fresh air during driving as well, further keeping air temps down.

Cx9 Turbo cold air intake heat shield — CorkSport Heatshield

Now what benefits does cooler air offer? The basic generalization is that since cooler air is denser than warmer air, your engine can ingest more air per cycle, and make more power. When a car is turbocharged though, this gets a little more complicated as you have a turbo that compresses and heats up your intake air and then an intercooler that cools down the boosted air before even getting to the engine. What that means is that the “colder air will make more power” generalization may not hold true, especially with how advanced modern turbocharged vehicles have become. What colder intake air does offer you is a less stress on your turbo system. Colder air means your turbo does not have to work as hard to flow the same amount of air at the same boost pressure. In addition, colder intake air can translate to slightly cooler air exiting your turbo and heading to your intercooler, taking some stress off the intercooler as well.

Cx5 Skyactiv 2.5T Performance airbox — See the video

Enough theory, let’s talk results! In both daily driving testing and in torture testing on the dyno, we found decreased intake air temps with the CorkSport Heat Shield installed. When cruising or when it’s cold outside, we were actually surprised at the low intake temps of the CS SRI alone—there’s actually a surprising amount of fresh air that gets into the engine bay. Where the heat shield really comes into its own is when sitting stationary or driving on a very hot day. That’s when we saw our biggest improvements in intake air temp.

While we did not see any notable changes to horsepower, our torture testing on the dyno really shows what a worst case scenario would look like for intake temps. Check out the graph below that compares the CS SRI alone vs. the CS SRI and heat shield combo. This is a little exaggerated due to decreased airflow on the dyno but is similar to what your engine could see when sitting in traffic on a hot day, then accelerating back up to speed.

Performance Skyactiv 2.5T air temp data — CorkSport

The CorkSport Heat Shield is made from laser cut and precision formed carbon steel. We chose carbon steel for great strength and lower heat transfer than aluminum. For corrosion resistance, the heat shield is finished off with wrinkle black powdercoating. This coating also gives the heatshield a great look that helps it blend in with the rest of the engine bay and make the intake system look like a factory performance part! The two sections of the shield are attached together using stainless steel rivets for a great look and long lasting strength. Lastly we include rubber edge seal to keep as much heat out as possible, and to prevent any vibration or unwanted noise.

Mazda Cx5 Turbo Short Ram Intake OEM Look — CS Heatshield

If you’re looking for the next mod your Sky 2.5T or have been holding off on the CS SRI until there was some heat protection, check out the new CorkSport Heat Shield. We are even offering a package deal! If you purchase the heatshield and SRI together you will save $20.

For early adopters of the CS SRI, we have not forgotten about you! We are also offering the same $20 discount on the heatshield for a short time. When placing your order, enter coupon code heatshield20, and in the customer notes, enter your original SRI order number. BAM – $20 Savings!

Finally, we’ve got some new silicone colors coming for the CS SRI! They aren’t quite here yet but if you’re looking to add a splash of color in your engine bay, wait just a bit longer! That’s all for now, be sure to check out the product listing for more images of the heat shield and give us a call if you have questions!

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October 21, 2016September 22, 2020

My CorkSport Mods: Yolanda’s Mazda 3

My Mazda journey began back in April 2013 when I found my beloved “Halo” on Kajiji, a local classifieds site. I’m her second owner. My goal was to find a car that was fun to drive, and after driving my girlfriend’s Mazda 3, I fell in love.

Continue reading “My CorkSport Mods: Yolanda’s Mazda 3”

January 3, 2014October 16, 2017

The Best Power Mod For A Mazda

In the ongoing quest to make your Mazda more powerful, and fun to drive, we have developed many great aftermarket options.

The stock airbox and air intake on most Mazdas were designed for economy instead of power. The problem with using the stock filter and airbox is that it functions similar to breathing through a rag. The rag does a great job of keeping contaminants and dirt out, but it also requires extra effort to pull air in.

When you upgrade the intake to a CorkSport Short Ram Intake you remove the air stifling setup and finally breath freely. Suddenly, your car goes from an underpowered, oxygen lacking zombie, to the free breathing, throaty roar of increased horsepower and freedom.

Take a look at a section from our book “The Ultimate Mazda Performance Guide” about how a Short Ram intake system should be your first modification for power.

If you are looking to start the year off right, and are ready to upgrade your intake system we can answer any questions on which option is best for your ride.

Want to start 2014 off with some extra power? How about just letting your Mazda breathe easy? Thankfully you can do both with one simple modification, the Short Ram Intake.

www.corksport.com

November 12, 2013March 10, 2020

Fight Power Loss From Your Hot Engine Bay

Step up your game and your power with the New CorkSport Power Series Cold Air Intake for the 2010-2013 Mazda 3.

A Cold Air Intake is one of the easiest ways to gain consistent power in your Mazda. With the CorkSport Power Series Cold Air Intake for your 2010-2013 Mazda 3 you will pull cold air directly into your engine which equals more power at your wheels. In testing the CorkSport Power Series Cold Air Intake proved to give peak gains of almost +6hp and +6lb/ft of torque.

Not only does the Cold Air Intake increase power, but it will improve efficiency and consistency by giving your engine colder air which is better for combustion. The CorkSport Power Series Cold Air Intake provides the benefit of pulling the denser, colder air from outside the engine compartment.

We designed the Cold Air Intake for both the 2.0L Non SkyActiv models, along with the 2.5L Non SkyActiv model. With more power and efficiency across the board we decided to let everyone in on the performance gains.

Made of a polished, mandrel bent aluminum pipe, with durable multi-layer, reinforced silicone couplers and our one piece precision machined and anodized aluminum MAF housing, the CorkSport Mazda 3 Power series Cold Air Intake will be durable and look great. We also include a Dry Flow Air Filter that is easy to clean and never needs replacing.

2.5L Mazda 3: https://www.corksport.com/corksport-power-series-2010-2013-mazda-3-cold-air-intake-2.5.html

2.0L Non SkyActiv here: https://www.corksport.com/corksport-2010-2013-mazda-3-cold-air-intake-2.0.html