A question that I see asked daily in the mazdaspeed facebook groups is “I just bought a mazdaspeed, what power mods should I do?” Therefore, here is a list of the top first five power mods you should upgrade for your mazdaspeed3 or mazdaspeed6. I’ve included everything you need to know to get started, explaining what parts and why, where to buy, install tutorials, and requirements for each modification.
1. High Pressure Fuel Pump Internals
- Requirements: none
- Cost: $350
- Buy: Amazon
- Install: mazdaspeeds.org
- Difficulty(1-5): 3
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times – “Do I need hpfp to do {fill in blank here}?” and 95% percent of the time, the answer is YES. Though this is over-simplified, more horsepower = more air + more fuel. The stock hpfp internals are hardly reliable for a completely stock mazdaspeed3/6. Once you start adding parts to move more air into and out of the engine (intake, exhaust/downpipe, upgraded intercooler, etc.). You must be able to provide more fuel. This is the only fuel system upgrade required to reach ~370WHP.
There are two main options available on the market: Autotech or Corksport fuel pump internals (you have to disassemble the pump to install) or a complete fuel pump assembly with upgraded internals from CP-E. Buying the fuel pump internals will run you $350 new (you can follow the install instructions above), or CP-E pump assembly for ~$700.
2. Cobb Accessport V3
- Requirements: none
- Cost: $650
- Buy: edge autosport
- Install: youtube
- Difficulty (1-5): 1
Something crucial to understand early on is that most power-adding modifications will require an update to the tune. I say most because there are a few things you can install that may help small mounts over stock, but I don’t recommend them. Most all people end up upgrading anyways, spending their money twice.
Pro Tip: You may be tempted to save a buck and buy an older version of the AP (V2) found on the secondary market. These are slower, are missing many features of the v3, and will soon be unsupported. Spend the money on the V3 – you will thank me later.
3. 3.5" Full Intake
- Requirements: none
- Cost: $300
- Buy: Edge Autosport
- Install: Corksport
- Difficulty (1-5): 2
You’ve bought hpfp internals, ordered a v3 AP, and now you’re ready to MAKE SOME POWER! An upgraded intake is one of the easiest and best bang-for-your-buck mods you can do for your mazdaspeed. The stock intake is made of two parts – the turbo inlet pipe and the short ram intake. You want to replace both of these parts with a 3″ or 3.5″ full intake. Yes, you can buy an aftermarket turbo inlet pipe and get a little more airflow. Yes you can buy just a stock-sized short ram intake, and get a little more airflow. But don’t – there is much more power to be had with a bigger intake. Most people end up buying a 3.5″ intake later. Also, You can also grow into your 3.5″ intake, as it will support enough airflow well beyond what the stock motor is capable of supporting.
4. Long Downpipe
- Requirements: none
- Cost: $300-$600
- Buy: edge autosport
- Install: youtube
- Difficulty (1-5) :5
The mazdaspeed exhaust is made up of three sections: The downpipe (connects to the turbo), the short/test pipe, and the cat-back exhaust. The stock cat back exhaust actually flows really well for the stock turbo, but both the stock downpipe and short pipe contain catalytic converters, and restrict exhaust flow. a Downpipe is also an incredible bang-for-your-buck upgrade, but know that this install can be a huge pain in the ass. You will want at least one other person to help you with installation. Here’s your options for replacing the downpipe:
- Short Downpipe – This replaces the main downpipe, but doesn’t replace the “test” pipe. There is no reason to buy one of these – just buy a long downpipe.
- “test” pipe – This will replace the short pipe with the converter between the downpipe and cat back exhaust. No tune is needed for this, and its an easy install, but you don’t gain much. Buy a long downpipe.
- Long Downpipe – These come either with a catalytic converter (cat) or cat-less. If your area requires emissions testing, get a catted downpipe. If no testing in required, you don’t mind a little more noise, and want to save some cash, get a cat-less downpipe.
5. Pro Tune
- Requirements: AP, hpfp internals
- Cost: $250-$350
- Buy: (see below)
I put this last because you will want to plan and buy all your modifications before purchasing a tune. You don’t need any mods (other than an AP and hpfp internals) to see a big increase in reliability, power, and drivability from a custom tune. Your tuner will need to know details about your car and which modifications you have before starting a tune. they will recommend before you start tuning, to have fresh spark plugs, oil change, a healthy motor (do a compression test) to ensure your car is healthy and ready. Here are the big name Tuners for the speed platform that I recommend:
- FreekTune: Justin has been tuning on this platform for a long time. He also happens to currently have the fastest and quickest mazdaspeed in the world. He knows his stuff. Check him out at freektune.com.
- Purple Drank: Will also has been tuning for a long time, and has tuned many of the fastest speeds in the world. He is also very active in Facebook groups and forums, open to answer questions, and also has free videos covering deep details of the platform. You can find him at pd-tuning.com.
- Dizzy Tuning: Many people on the platform have had good things to say about Jason over at Dizzy tuning. Get in touch at dizzytuning.com.
Next Power Mods
There are many other performance modifications for the platform. Keep in mind what your goals are, and the limits of the stock fueling system. With the 5 modifications listed above, you should be able to achieve ~330 WHP depending on the fuel available to you in your area. The stock injectors can only support ~370 WHP. To achieve more than 370 WHP, you will need additional fueling (methanol injection, port injection), and the stock rods are known for letting go around ~400 WTQ. I say this because no matter how many more extra parts you throw at your car, without additional fueling and building a motor, don’t expect much more power.
- Intercooler (Top Mount or Front Mount): It is common to replace the stock intercooler, which has proven to be a bottleneck in airflow, and easily heat soaks. Many people argue an aftermarket top mount intercooler is the way to go for a stock turbo or smaller aftermarket turbo, whereas a front mount will be more beneficial for bigger turbo applications.
- Cat Back Exhaust: This won’t add much power with the stock turbo. Some people like to upgrade this anyways because they want the car to be louder and/or have a different sound. With aftermarket turbos, you start to see more power gain from an aftermarket 3″ or 3.5″ exhaust.
- Non-Power Mods! Just as important as power, many non-power modifications will enhance the drivability and enjoyment of your car. For more details, please check out my top five non-power mods for mazdaspeeds.
Ask For Help!
Are you a little uneasy taking your car apart for the first time? Forget where that hose is supposed to go? Don’t be afraid to ask for help from the Mazdaspeed Community. There are many people in the community (commonly referred to as NATOR) that have been in your shoes, with experience installing parts on a speed and are willing to help. Reach out in Facebook groups and get meet others in your area with the same passion. Its a great way to learn more about the platform, and meet new people. Just make sure you to be thankful for their help, and remember to pay it forward and give back to help those in the future who are new to the platform and seek the same help.
Conclusion
There are several other great articles that cover the same topic. My suggestion is to read, read, and then read some more. Plan what your goals are, know the limitations of the stock fueling and stock motor, and buy parts once. Unless you have deep pockets, try not to get too distracted with every aftermarket part that could gain a little power, as its easy to get lost in all the aftermarket options. Edge Autosport has a great article discussing a general modification guide. Another good read from the peeps at CorkSport have a post on how to make 400hp.
