The MazdaSpeed 3 has been a staple in the tuner community for many years. The MazdaSpeed 3 is a very good car, however it is very picky when it comes to tuning. If it is not done properly, the results can be very negative. In this article, we provide suggestions based on over 10 years of experience within the automotive performance industry about how to properly set up and tune your MazdaSpeed 3. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your personal MazdaSpeed 3 project (or any other car for that matter) please don’t hesitate to contact us for free advice and support on what is best for you. Our shop phone number is: 561-395-5700. we are open Mondays-Fridays 10:00am – 6:00pm, and Saturdays 11:00am – 4:00pm.
- MazdaSpeed 3 Strengths
- 2.3L direct-injected high-torque engine
- Turbo Charged
- Provides great potential for increased power
- Great handling potential
- Large established community
- Lots of information and past data available
- Lots of ECU maps available
- MazdaSpeed 3 Weaknesses
- Weak factory turbo charger
- Turbo-swap upgrades available if power over 300-350whp is desired
- Weak connecting rods
- Upgrades available if power over 300-350whp is desired.
Listed below is our suggested upgrade path for the MazdaSpeed 3 for the various levels of power that you would like to achieve.
When adding upgrade parts to the MazdaSpeed 3, it is especially important to pick the right brands, particularly when replacing the intake and downpipe. The ECU on the MazdaSpeed 3 is very sensitive, and if the part is not properly designed, it will throw off the calibration. After over 10 years of experience tuning the MazdaSpeed 3, Velocity Factor has seen the best and worst performance parts. The ones the do and don’t work. The ones that do and don’t make power. Continue reading for our suggestions and advice.
- Stage 1: ≈20-30whp
- MazdaSpeed 3 Intake and ECU Flash
- The first step in upgrading your MazdaSpeed 3 should be the intak
e and an ECU flash. For your intake, Velocity Factor recommends the Cobb MazdaSpeed 3 Intake because of its safety, reliability, high quality. The Cobb intake for the MazdaSpeed 3 incorporates an air straightening grid, which helps maintain the proper airflow into your engine and reduces turbulence. Fitting the Cobb i
ntake onto your MazdaSpeed 3 will make the engine sound louder and more aggressive and will actually give a power increase that you will be able to feel. By adding a Blitz Stainless Steel Filter onto your Cobb Intake will improve airflow even more and will give you a maintenance free setup. For your convenience, Velocity Factor offers this combination in the form of an all-inclusive kit as part of our line of VFR Performance Products.
Click on pictures for larger image. - To fully maximize the potential of your Cobb intake, as well as any future mods, we also recommend investing in the Cobb AccessPort for your MazdaSpeed 3. The Cobb Accessport is currently the b
est, simplest, and most comprehensive solution for MazdaSpeed 3 ECU tuning. When you purchase the Cobb AccessPort, Cobb provides the maps for Stage 1 and stage 2 free of charge. In addition, there are many user-made maps available within the Cobb AccessPort community for the majority of the bolt-on mods available. Because the Cobb AccessPort is the industry standard for tuning the MazdaSpeed 3, if you ever get to a point in your build that the available maps are not suitable for you specific application, any reputable tuner will be able to provide a custom tune that is perfect for your specific setup. As an experienced Cobb authorized dealer, Velocity Factor is well qualified to create custom tunes. If you are interested in a custom tune for your specific car, please give us a call and we would be happy to help you with your project. In addition to providing tuning functionality, the Cobb AccessPort has many more features. For example, it can measure 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, estimate horsepower and torque, display current and averaged fuel economy, provide drag race simulation with reaction time and “time slip” data, adjustable on-screen Shift Light functionality, and more. If you get only one performance product for your MazdaSpeed 3, the Cobb AccessPort should be it. - Inlet Hose and Cat Back Exhaust
- The next recommended step in adding power to a MazdaSpeed 3 would be a high performance cat-back exhaust and turbo inlet hose. For your MazdaSpeed 3, we recommend the Cobb MS3 Turbo Inlet Hose.
The Cobb MS3 Turbo Inlet Hose is made from high-quality steel reinforced high temp silicone. It is thick enough and stiff enough to resist collapse under high vacuum, while still being flexible enough to compensate for engine vibration. The Cobb MS3 Turbo Inlet Hose increases performance by insulating the incoming air from engine bay heat, as well as providing a true taper from the intake to the turbo inlet. This taper eliminates any sudden steps that the stock inlet pipe has, thus increasing power and responsiveness. The stock inlet pipe is made out of plastic, and is significantly more restrictive. It has a pancaked profile, and is made from thin plastic, which allows significantly more heat to seep into the incoming air. The Cobb MS3 Turbo Inlet Hose is available in blue and black to match your engine bay color scheme. In our shop, we have seen as much as a 9hp increase with this mod. - After increasing airflow on the intake side, it is also important to match that by reducing restriction on the exhaust side. For the MazdaSpeed 3, we recommend the Greddy Ti-C Cat-Back Exhaust.
The Greddy Ti-C Cat-Back Exhaust is designed to reduce backpressure and increase exhaust flow for greater peak power and a broader torque band. This is achieved by using a specifically designed muffler and properly sized piping. The exhaust is comprised of a Titanium heat-treated tip, polished stainless steel muffler, and unpolished stainless steel piping. It improves high and mid-range performance while still allowing for suitable sound levels when used with the included tuned Tri-mounted Silencer. - Oil Catch Can, Spark Plugs, Boost Gauge
- The next steps are aimed at improving engine safety and reliability. This is especially important when increasing power and performance. The three main components for this are upgraded spark plugs, oil catch can, and boost gauge. The MazdaSpeed 3 is particularly susceptible to developing positive pressure in the crank case, which has a detrimental effect on power production. This pressure is relieved through a one-way valve into the intake manifold. However, this introduces oil and combustion gasses into the intake. This leads to introduction of oil into the combustion process, decreased engine efficiency, increased
likelihood of detonation, and eventual damage to the engine. The solution to this problem in the MazdaSpeed 3 is an oil catch can. The oil catch can is installed between the crank case and the intake manifold. When the vented air passes through the oil catch can, the contaminates drop off into the can, and the air that passes on into the intake manifold is significantly cleaner. Velocity factor has put together a VFR MazdaSpeed 3 Oval Oil Catch Tank kit, which features a Greddy polished aluminum oil catch can. - The stock spark plugs that come with the MazdaSpeed 3
are optimized for lower price, as opposed to maximum performance. As a result, there is a higher chance of detonation and engine power is negatively affected. To solve this, Velocity Factor recommends NGK Iridium IX Spark Plugs for the MazdaSpeed 3. When installing these Iridium IX spark plugs, we recommend they be gapped to 0.030”. - When modifying your MazdaSpeed 3 and increasing power, it is very important to monitor the state of your engine to make sure it is operating safely.
This is accomplished by installing gauges which tell you critical engine parameters while it is operating. The first gauge that should be installed is the boost gauge. This gauge shows how much boost the turbo is producing at any given time. For the MazdaSpeed 3, Velocity Factor recommends the Defi Red Racer Boost Gauge. This gauge is a high precision digital boost gauge with a red LED face that matches the factory instrument cluster for a clean and professional look. The gauge can be mounted using 
the VFR Defi Red Racer Boost Gauge kit. Alternatively, if you are planning on a higher level build with multiple gauges, we recommend the CPE MazdaSpeed 3 Gauge Pod. It is made from high quality plastic, holds 3 gauges at the optimum angle, and matches the OEM dash texture exactly for a factory quality install and appearance. - Lower Motor Mounts
- Now that the engine is producing more power and torque, it is important to support it within the chassis. To do this, upgraded engine mounts are needed. The purpose of these engine mounts is to minimize how much the engine twists while producing power. In addition, since the MazdaSpeed 3 is a front wheel drive car, these engine mounts will reduce torque steer when accelerating. For the MazdaSpeed 3, velocity Factor recommends the CPE Billit Aluminum Engine Mounts. These high-quality mounts are made from a single piece of 6061 billet
aluminum, with an EPDM bushing. This particular mount comes with the option of two different stiffness settings for the bushing. It is available in 60A and 75A durometer options. 60A is ideal for those who have a high-performance car that is mostly driven on the street. 75A provides for a stiffer mount, with a slight compromise in ride comfort. It is better for those cars that are primarily driven hard on the track.
This guide has shown you our reccomended Stage 1 upgrade procedure for the MazdaSpeed 3. To learn more, be sure to read our MazdaSpeed 3 Stage 2 Upgrade Guide.