I left Vancouver early Thursday morning on the Amtrak train for Tacoma, Washington. It was a beautiful day and the ride up was peaceful and nice.

Once I arrived, my adventure to pick-up the new CorkSport CX5 really began. It all started by going the wrong direction for a couple of blocks and then stopping into a super cute flower shop to get pointed in the right direction by the sales girl. I then stopped by the Amtrak station just to make sure I was on the right track. The guy behind the counter had no clue where the port was (you can see the some of the port from the train station), I was not even sure he knew he was in Tacoma! Next asked a taxi driver outside of the train station. His answer was “over the hill and to your left”. So away I went. Who knew he had no clue either.

To get an idea of what I was up against, here is an arial view of the Port of Tacoma

Several people have asked me why I didn’t take the cab, but it was a gorgeous day and in the Northwest at this time of year, they are few and far between. Plus Google Maps, Sprint Navigation, and MapQuest all indicated that Marshall Ave was a short 2 mile walk. Who needs a taxi for two miles, right? FYI MapQuest walked me into a wall, Sprint Navigation went sideways (mid-walk update that never updated to my phone), and Google Maps couldn’t find where I was at with the GPS. By then I was running short on my cell phone battery.

I continued to walk a mile and saw a Tacoma City Cop. The cop said I just needed to “go to the light right in front of me, go right, road will curve to the left, follow, then go right on next road and you’re there”. The next right was easily a 2-3 mile trek, no sidewalks and lots of big trucks. At this point in my travels a couple strange men in an old pick-up passed me at least 4 times, I was starting to get concerned. Girl in a skirt in any port is not a good idea generally, unless she’s working (wink-wink). See Green River Killer to elaborate on my concern.

Once I got to the end where I was told to turn right, there was no Marshal Ave. I opted to stop at a security shed, with the most helpful person of the day (Thank you Bob!). He had a map and got me going in the right direction another 2-3 miles, plus I had to stop and wait for a train to pass, good thing I had water with me.

I finally found Marshal Ave. I’m saved!!!! Suddenly the Mazda’s appeared and hope returned. I walked up to the first guard shed and Homeland Security sent me to the other end of the parking lot (about a mile). Next guard shed, said wrong spot and go back…noooo! At least he called ahead and Tony came looking for me with a truck. The 1/4 mile ride to the gate was heaven! Mike (Mazda rep) met me at the gate, which I never would have found, and led me to the CX5.

Next challenge was to get gas. Fortunately a gas station was close along with the freeway exit to food and home.

The drive home was perfect in the new CX5 and the next day CorkSport had the new SkyActiv itnake prototype test fitted on the car making it well worth the adventure!

Kelly-

CorkSport is the proud new owner of Mazda’s newest addition to its line-up, the CX-5. Picked up straight from the port of Tacoma yesterday, the sporty new CX-5 will be helping CorkSport develop a new line of Mazda performance parts aimed at fulfilling the performance potential in the new SkyActiv engine technology line.

The CX-5 is available in three trims, Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. We opted for the base sport trim which is currently the only option available with a manual six speed transmission. The Sport comes standard with seventeen-inch alloys, push-button start, tilt/telescopic steering, and cruise control.

The design is based on the Minagi concept car, and is Mazda’s first production vehicle to utilize the Kodo design language. The new five-point grille gives a real feeling of width, as it cuts into the headlights before leading to the lower center portion of the front grille and the interior is modern and clean and the driver-centric cockpit features a small, sporty steering wheel.

The CX-5 has the new SkyActiv 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and includes a direct injection, variable valve and exhaust timing, a specially designed exhaust manifold and a high compression ratio of 13.0:1. The engine’s broad torque band, the new transmission, and the reduced weight work together to deliver good acceleration. The quick revving engine has an excellent mid-range punch and the engine delivers a smooth, bossy engine note.

The electric power assist steering system offers crisp, quick steering and highly precise control. The geometry of the suspension links and the bush characteristics are optimized to ensure light, linear steering response at mid-to-low speeds and excellent high-speed stability.

We have already began development of a new SkyActiv short ram intake which will be launching later this year along a with a number of other performance parts to support the new SkyActiv suspension and engine.

CorkSport is happy to add the CX-5 as our newest project car!

Gwynne-

CorkSport is happy to announce the release of the new Mazdapseed Protege Intercooler Hose Replacement kit!

Designed and tested for the side mount intercooler, the CorkSport intercooler hoses replace the stock rubber hose with strong, flexible, reinforced silicone that will allow for ideal flow in and out of the intercooler, provide improved throttle response, and smooth out boost pressure.

The silicone is custom formed for perfect fitment and has been designed as a direct bolt on replacement for the stock non-reinforced rubber hoses. Spurred by Mazdas recent discontinuation of the replacement cold pipe for the Mazdaspeed Protégé Intercooler, CorkSport has included both the cold pipe and hot pipe in the kit and is now the only silicone cold pipe replacement kit on the market.

“The OEM intercooler piping is prone to cracking over time which can cause hesitation and a loss of power”, said Rich Harris, President of CorkSport Mazda Performance, “Replacing the stock intercooler hoses with a better flowing kit will provide better flow capacity increasing reliability.”

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed Protégé Intercooler Hose Kit is available in three color options – red, blue and black – to customize the look of your engine bay to match your CorkSport Mazdaspeed Protege Power Series Cold Intake and can be purchased from CorkSport.com for just $199.00 making this an affordable and practical replacement for your vehicle.

For more information about this new product or to purchase today, please visit our product listing page at http://www.corksport.com/corksport-mazdaspeed-protege-intercooler-hose-kit.html

Today, we are going to party like it’s 1999. Why? Because race car.

We had high hopes for our Protege when we started this project. The plan was to build a sub 10s Mazda piston powered drag car.

This car started with around a 20s ¼ mile time. We didn’t expect too much from a 1.6L engine mated to an automatic transmission and we were not disappointed! Mazda didn’t have much going for power plants back then. The rotary engine was in its US hibernation and there was not a single turbo-charged Mazda engine from the factory available here.

We turned to the BP turbo engine. It never made its way stateside but the engines were readily available out of Japan. With the GT-R variation of that engine, 300 WHP was pretty easy to obtain and much more available with a proper build-up.

During our many trips down to the Woodburn dragstrip we battled broken pistons, clutches, axles, motor mounts, and transmissions.

What started as a 13s car after the motor swap evolved down to a quickest time of 11.6s before we ran out of time, money, and motivation for the project. It took a custom intake/exhaust manifold, Precision SC63 turbocharger, Microtech EFI, twin-plate clutch to get approx 500 hp.

Long story short, we have stripped out 1999 Protégé and removed the engine. Now it is just a shell with custom paint and roll cage sans powertrain. We are not sure what to do with it. It seems a waste to crush it.

Any ideas on what we should we do with this old racer?

-Rich

We have been selling our popular Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 Eyelids to our Gen2 customers for some time now and in June received a product idea from customer Nick Miller to develop eyelids for his 2008 Mazdaspeed 3. With his idea in hand and the huge sales success of the gen2 eyelids, it only made sense that we should find a good option for our Gen 1 customers as well.

We went to work on the design and development of eyelids for the Gen1 Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 customers and after several months of design and testing, we are happy to announce the release of our all new CorkSport 2004-2009 Mazda 3 and 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3 Hatchback Eyelids!

Made from ABS thermoplastic for increased strength and warp resistance, the CorkSport Gen 1 Hatchback Eyelids will give the Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 a more aggressive, sporty look. This simple to apply enhancement is sold as a pair with 3M backing tape for easy installation.

Our Gen 1 eyelids were specifically designed using a hatchback Mazdaspeed 3. During testing we found that will only work with the hatchback models due to the different headlights used on the sedan models.

As with most exterior styling products, we recommend test fitment prior to painting or finishing work and have found that some minor finishing work or trimming may be required to achieve the best results.

In addition to the installation instructions we include with purchase of this product, we have also included a “How-To” on painting your eyelids for the dedicated DIY’ers out there.

The CorkSport Gen 1 Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 Eyelids for Hatchback Models can be purchased today for just $39.00 at the following link, http://www.corksport.com/corksport-2007-2009-mazda-3-mazdaspeed-3-hatchback-eyelids.html.

Mazda has supported more road racers over the past decade than any other automaker and is now stepping up the support to include extended TV coverage on the new Velocity network.

Velocity is the cable network created by Discovery communications that provides high-octane programming for its viewers with programming geared toward events, with live auctions and world rally championships and real-life adrenaline-pumping shows.

The Mazda Motorsports Hour will be hosted by award-winning motorsports broadcaster, Rick Benjamin and will include 24 shows that be broadcast from April through November with content that will include feature races from the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship – two tiers of the Mazda Road to Indy Ladder – and SCCA Pro Racing’s Playboy MX-5 Cup. Joining Benjamin in the booth will be racers Randy Pobst for the MX 5 Cup, and James Hinchcliffe for Star Mazda and USF2000. Todd Lewis will be the pit reporter.

A competitive field of more than 30 cars are expected at each of this year’s 11 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup races. The spec series based on the popular auto platform has served as a launching pad for young drivers as well as a place where veteran racers can find intense competition at a good value.

Drivers who show promise and success on the track in any of these series throughout the season qualify for additional chances to learn additional skills at being a professional driver and earn “MAZDASPEED Motorsports Scholarships” that include off-track developmental competitions and feature the creation of business plans and sponsor development processes upon which the driver moves to the next step in their racing career.

“Hardcore fans know that some of the most intense action can be found in the Playboy MX-5 Cup, Star Mazda and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. But if you weren’t at the race, you are left to take our word for it. Now, thanks to a partnership with Velocity, and Carolinas Production Group, fans can enjoy the action on a regular basis from their living room,” noted Jim Jordan, Alternative Marketing Manager, Mazda North America. Retrieved from Mazda Media, http://www.mazdausamedia.com/content/mazda-teams-velocity-2012-us-tv-broadcasts.

To find Velocity on your local cable system, go to Velocity.com.

Gwynne-

Many of you already have our top selling CorkSport Power Series Short Ram Intake with Turbo Inlet Pipe (that will now be known as the CorkSport Stage Two Power Series Short Ram Intake) in which case you have already made a wise investment, but for those of you that have been saving up for the CorkSport intake, we have just made your lives a little easier!

Today, we are releasing our all new CorkSport Stage One Power Series Short Ram Intake! Developed as an introductory package, the stage one intake replaces the factory airbox with an open intake system while maintaining the use of the factory turbo inlet pipe.

Unlike our classic CorkSport Power Series Short Ram Intake, this kit does not include an upgraded turbo inlet pipe allowing us to provide this introductory package for just $179.00. This affordable option for upgrading the Mazdaspeed 3 intake system includes our precision machined MAF housing made from billet aluminum with included air straightener, durable dry flow air filter and custom reinforced silicone connector.

This easy to install short ram intake forces volumes of air to your engine through the dry flow air filter and MAF housing and down the silicone connector providing a noticeable improvement in power along with improved fuel economy. In initial testing the CorkSport Stage One Mazdaspeed 3 Short Ram Intake netted peak gains of +12 HP and + 17 lb torque.

Choose from a red, blue or black air filter and MAF housing to customize the look of your engine bay and select between polished or stealth black T-bolt clamps to further tailor the look of your intake system.

This was developed as an affordable alternative to CorkSport’s number one selling Mazdaspeed 3 Power Series Intake System with included turbo inlet pipe. By adding the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Turbo Inlet Pipe, customers can expect to see an additional 14% improvement in airflow over the stock pipe and significantly decreased airflow turbulence by removing the restrictive nature of the stock pipe with the sweeping curves associated with the mandrel bent aluminum 60mm piping used in the CorkSport pipe.

As a kit the intake and turbo inlet pipe can be purchased for $249 or purchase the intake separately for $179 and add the turbo inlet pipe later for an additional $109.00.

Ok Mazda, we as enthusiasts, need to be brutally honest and let you know that you may have missed a key detail when you edited your latest commercial. Take a look and pay careful attention to the “Mazda” rally car shown in the 21st second of the video.

Mazda hasn’t offered a high-flying rally car since the 1994 Familia (323) GTR, like the one pictured below in competition.

Sure there are people running cars in the 2wd classes, like the protégé that Eric Burmeister recently brought out of retirement, and several 2wd Mazda 3′s and Mazdaspeed 3′s, but nothing like the mystery machine shown in the commercial.

Someone from the 323GTX yahoo group took the frame out of the video with the car in question.

Turns out that the car in question was a WRX and not a Mazda at all!

In Mazdas defense, they switched marketing companies a few years ago and it was probably an advertising executive that wasn’t familiar with Mazdas history that made the decision to use the video. And to be fair, it was only a one second clip, but that ad would have been much better with a 323 GTR instead of a clip of a WRX.

There are some great clips that could have been sourced from mazda Japan of the 323 GTR flying through the air from the WRC competition days instead of the substitute chosen by the advertising company with the front end taped up.

Derrick-

We knew that those of you with a gen 1 Mazda 3 or Mazdaspeed 3 were feeling a little left out earlier this week when we released our new LED Bumper Light Kit for our gen 2 customers. We wanted to release something new for you too, so today we are releasing our all new 2004-2009 Mazda 3 and 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3 Exhaust Hangers!

Like our popular 2010-2012 Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 exhaust hangers, the CorkSport gen one exhaust hangers replace the stock rubber exhaust hangers with long lasting, high quality urethane and will limit the excessive movement of your performance exhaust and keep you system tightly in place.

The CorkSport polyurethane exhaust hangers are molded to an exact fit and can be used with the CorkSport exhaust system, the stock system, and most aftermarket exhaust systems that use a stock exhaust hanger diameter.

The new kit comes with four hangers for a secure, precise fit and like all of our products includes full color installation instructions and our knowledgeable telephone installation support.

The kit can be purchased today for $36.00 from CorkSport.com

In honor of Valentines day, CorkSport wanted to release something red and shiney for you to give to your true love, your Mazda!

Now available, CorkSport Mazda 3 and Mazdaspeed 3 LED bumper light Kit! These premium quality light assemblies include 16 LED lights in each lens and are built for durability and reliability. Precision manufactured to match the OEM factory specifications, the CorkSport LED Rear Bumper Lights are easy to install and offer a perfect fit for your Mazda 3 or Mazdaspeed 3.

“We developed the LED Bumper lights in response to a product request submitted by customer Andrew Parmenter and are pleased with the result of the development process and Andrews feedback and suggestions.” said Rich Harris, President of CorkSport,“It’s amazing how something as small as switching out the LED reflectors can have such an impact on the look of your Mazdaspeed 3”.

We will be offering the kit for 2010-2012 Mazdaspeed 3 and 2010-2012 Mazda 3 models for $69.00 in your choice of red or smoked lenses. The kit comes with color installation instructions and all of the needed hardware to install the part including the wiring connectors needed to wire the kit into your turn signals to connect the lights as a blinker.

For more information, check out our product listing at http://www.corksport.com/corksport-led-rear-bumper-lights.html