There are many turbo options available for the Mazdaspeed 3 / 6 to achieve any range of power goals. Maybe the seals on your stock turbo have blown and you just want a replacement. Perhaps you’re looking for just a little more power. Or maybe, you’re planning to add fueling and shoot for big boy power. Regardless of your power goals, learn about the best turbo options available on the market for your desired power range.
Best Turbos For Reaching 400 WHP
Maybe you’re not ready to go big power just yet. The best turbo for you is just to replace your blown stock turbo, and/or get just a little more power. Luckily, there are quite a few options available for the Mazdaspeed platform that you can drop in without having to replace your stock manifold or downpipe.
- Chris Ward rebuild: I have seen many people giving praise to Chris Ward and his rebuild k04 turbos. This will be the cheapest option of all you’re looking for is to replace a failed stock turbo.
- BNR Supercars: Brian at BNR turbo makes several turbos for the mazdaspeed platform. BNR turbos are named S1 – S6, S1 being a k04 replacement, and the S6 being a large frame 600+hp turbo. The most popular turbo option for stock fueling is the S3. This is the turbo I have on my car and I’ve been very pleased. See the differences of each version on the BNR website.
- Corksport: Corksport currently offers 3 turbos for Mazdaspeed 3 / 6. The smallest of the three is CST4, and can supply enough air for up to ~400whp. You can buy one at Corksport.com.
- Garrett: Garret turbos are usually a bit more expensive than the other options listed above. They are also the only turbos in this list that have ball bearings instead of journal bearings. The most common Garrett turbo for a stock block Mazdaspeed is the GT28 series (GT2871 or GTX2867). You can purchase a Garrett turbo which fits the Mazdaspeed at edgeautosport.com
Best Turbos For Reaching 400 – 550 WHP
As this power level, you will require additional fueling. For the Mazdaspeed platform, there are currently only two solutions for extra fueling. 1) Methanol injection or 2) Port injection. I’m not diving into this topic here, but note that without one of these options, you cannot get more than ~370 WHP, therefore none of the turbos listed below will gain you any more power. Also, you will want to upgrade the rods and pistons. While there are a few exceptions running more than 400 horsepower on the stock motor (for now), generally around 400 WTQ is where we see stock rods letting go. Here are the best turbos for 400 WHP – 550 WHP.
- BNR Supercars: The BNR S4 and S5 are very popular options, as they will mate up to your stock exhaust manifold and downpipe. Both options have journal bearings.
- Corksport: The CST5 is perfect for this power range. It has been praised to spool quick and numerous happy customers of the CST5 laying down over 500 WHP. Also, these turbos will mate to the stock exhaust manifold and downpipe. Like the BNR turbos, the CST5 also has journal bearings.
- Precision: Although the most expensive, Precision has made a name for itself as one of the most well respected brands for turbos. They flow really well, and don’t require coolant. The 5858 is a popular turbo for making 500+WHP, and you can buy a kit with everything you need from edgeautosport.com.
- Pulsar: I’m throwing this option here as an honorable mention. There’s not many people in the Mazdaspeed platform using this turbo (YET). Although many question the reliability of any eBay turbo, this is a dual ball bearing turbo that can make some great power on a budget. You will have to replace your exhaust manifold to mate up with the T4 exhaust housing.
Best Turbos for Reaching 550+WHP
Lets be honest – if you’re reading this article and have plans for more than 550 WHP, hopefully you’ve already done your research and you already know which turbo options you can run. This section is basically food for thought for those of us dreaming for this kind of power one day.
- Corksport: Corksport’s newest and largest turbo is the CST6. Barrett at Corksport has made 650WHP to the wheels on this turbo. Chris Singer has made 700WHP. This thing can hang with the big boys.
- Precision: This is the hands down, the absolute go-to for big power for the mazdaspeed platform. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The formula has been proven to work, so many speed owners tend to follow suite. A rough guess is 80%+ of Mazdaspeeds that make more than 600WHP are running a Precision turbo. The most popular Precision turbos used on our platform are the 5858, 6062, 6266 and 6466.
- Borg Warner: Admittingly, I’m not as familiar with the options from Borg Warner. These turbos tend to be the most expensive on the market. As I mentioned above, this is food for thought so you know its an option, but I don’t see many people who have chosen this option. Edge Autosport sells full Borg Warner turbo kits specifically for Mazdaspeeds.
Last Thoughts
While researching which turbo you want to upgrade to, it is critical to keep two things in mind.
- Bigger isn’t always better! If you have a stock motor, stock fueling, and no plans to change either one, choosing a turbo capable of 600hp is NOT going to make your car faster. In fact, your car will be slower as a bigger turbo is less responsive. It needs more air to spool, meaning you will have more turbo lag.
- Plan Ahead! Know what your goals are for the car. If you currently have a stock motor and stock fueling, but you are planning a high horsepower build, either wait or get the right sized turbo to achieve your final goal. This keeps you from buying a turbo twice, re-tuning twice, etc.
Not sure what other upgrades you need before buying a new turbo? Check out my article on the first five power mods for the mazdaspeed3!
