New 2013 3 Skyactiv Owner w/Autocross ?'s

[JC79G35]

Hello everyone!

I am a proud new owner of a 2013 Mazda3 Skyactiv. I traded my '04 G35 last month as I needed something a bit more practical, better on gas, but still fun to drive. So, the 3 was a no-brainer.

I am also doing some research on entering my 3 in autocross this summer. Was hoping to get some feedback from non-MS3 owners who autocross their 3's.

I will say so far, the car feels pretty solid. I understand I will need to upgrade my brakes (pads, ss lines, DOT4). What about suspension? Probably sways/strut bar, but still doing some more research.

I appreciate any input and look forward to the wealth of information on this form.

 

[fam]

Ive raced non speed3s (and speed3's) in autocross (and a mazda2).

Im not sure how the skyactiv will autox as im not sure how the torque curve is changed vs normal 2.5...my guess is a skyactiv probably has super hard tires for mpg purposes.

Plenty of guys locally absolutely own top 10 pax (out of 130) in H stock (HS) in 3's...they have Koni Yellows and hoosiers (with drop in K&N filter and then cat back exhaust, you can add a rear bar but you want the front to flex a bit for more grip)...you can also run in the RT class of HS (street tire....RS3's are probably the way to go but star specs are your other choice)

If you want to run in STF it actually has a better pax than HS but then you cant run R compound tires. If that's where you want to be you'd need coilovers, negative camber in the front, rs3s or dunlop star specs, cat back, and a CAI and a rear bar to stiffen up the back for rotational purposes.

I used to autox an automatic 08 touring hatch, went to a new 2011 mazda2, traded that in for a 2010 2.5 6 speed hatch (GT with every option) but I havent raced the new 3 yet.

 

[DKaz]

Congrats and enjoy your new ride!

You could put in Mazdaspeed 3 brakes for your fronts, or even Mazda 5 brakes. The general consensus I've heard was that strut bars do nothing for the 3, but getting stiffer front and rear sway bars will do wonders. Don't forget springs and shocks. And definitely better tires. I slid on an offramp once, the stock chassis is obviously way more capable than the stock tires.

 

[JC79G35]

Thanks for the advice so far, good stuff...

I was curious on the sway bar as Corksport only offers a rear (although Racing Beat has one for the front). Was wondering why they did not offer one. If I decide to just do a rear, I guess a front strut brace would be completely pointless from what I read.

In terms of brakes, never thought of going with MS3 brakes, but that makes sense they would fit on the Skyactiv. Although, I'll just keep it with the stock rotors with the upgraded pads/lines/fluid. Also, I want to still use my 16's for the winter (those probably won't clear the MS3 calipers I imagine).

Which brings me to the tires... glad DKaz brought that up as was just reading something that tires make the difference. I have a thought of trying to find used 350Z 18" wheels (5 spoke from the '06+) and add some decent rubber (any suggestions? nothing too crazy, just decent grip - well, better than the stock). Although I would not be opposed to Speed3 wheels if I can find a decent set.

I'm still doing some homework on coilovers, but I'm leaning more towards shocks/springs. Koni yellows seem to get some good reviews, but what about springs? I had Tein S-Techs on my G and before that I had Tein Basic coilovers. Honestly, the S-Techs still worked quite well. Just curious on what's the preferred in the Mazda world.

 

[speed3 britz]

I have a thought of trying to find used 350Z 18" wheels (5 spoke from the '06+) and add some decent rubber (any suggestions? nothing too crazy, just decent grip - well, better than the stock). Although I would not be opposed to Speed3 wheels if I can find a decent set.

I'm still doing some homework on coilovers, but I'm leaning more towards shocks/springs. Koni yellows seem to get some good reviews, but what about springs? I had Tein S-Techs on my G and before that I had Tein Basic coilovers. Honestly, the S-Techs still worked quite well. Just curious on what's the preferred in the Mazda world.

Depending on which wheels you plan on running, The 350z wheels may not be exactly the best choice if youre choosing to autocross. I have a set that ill be running on my 07 in the spring, but thats just for DD and cruising around. They have a pretty low offset which require fender rolling and such, specially if you plan on lowering as you stated above, not to mention they can be heavy as well! You better option may be a set of mazdaspeed wheels or a decent aftermarket set if they are for autocross purposes. With a higher offset (in the +40's range) you will have better fitment and room for a wider tire meaning larger contact patch with the asphalt and more grip!! Note in mind that is just my suggestion/opinion and think you might be happier with that choice. I personally would have different wheels or run my stock mazdaspeed 18's if my concern was for track purposes. A good set of light 17x8 or 18x8's in the +45 to + 50mm range would with a 235/40 width tire would be a good setup.

 

[DKaz]

You can use 16" wheels with MS3 brakes. I believe MS3 and Mazda5 brakes are the same, at least on the front.

If you want to maintain fuel efficiency and straight line acceleration while improving handling, you should go Enkei RPF1s.

 

[fam]

before you get ahead of yourself you need to figure out what class you want to run and then mod accordingly. You could do one small mod that could throw you in with a pack of big dogs if youre not careful. HS and STF are your two entry choices.

 

[JC79G35]

^Thanks, good point. I'll have to do some research on that front.

As far as the 350Z wheels, I was curious on the fitment. I was trying to hit up my old contacts when I owned a G to see if I can try them out. I saw the 350Z wheels on a '08 Speed3 and it looked pretty nice, but I'm not sure how the offsets would be on the newer 3's.

 

[speed3 britz]

You can use 16" wheels with MS3 brakes. I believe MS3 and Mazda5 brakes are the same, at least on the front.

If you want to maintain fuel efficiency and straight line acceleration while improving handling, you should go Enkei RPF1s.

^ +1

 

[JC79G35]

I did some more homeword last night...

I found a Miata club in my neck of the woods that hosts auto-x events. Their classes are a bit more relaxed then say SCCA. I plan on trying one of those events in the spring.

I thanks everyone for their advice!

 

[GoBackToSleep]

At the very least, you should absolutely replace those God-awful Bridgestone Turanza tires as soon as possible. I don't even autocross and I can't wait to ditch these things. Sure, I've had two years behind the wheel of a Mazdaspeed 3 before this car (and four years behind the wheel of a 2006 Mazda 6i Sport 5MT) but it's so obvious when the chassis is far more capable than the tires allow. Since day one, these things have been nothing put noisy, grip-lacking, hockey-puck-hard, and uninspiring.

I've owned my '12 3 Skyactiv hatch 6MT since May and it now has over 14K miles. Those tires, although they are absolutely terrible when new, only get a lot worse over time. A low tread-wear rating doesn't help either. I haven't had any tire rotations done (I don't care about these tires anyway) and the front tires appear to already be over halfway worn out.

 

[JC79G35]

Damn! Thanks for the heads up.

Looks like I will be able to secure a cheap set of 350Z wheels for show/everyday (any recommendations for all season tires? Been awhile since I picked up a set) and on the stock 16's put some high performance summer tire for auto x only.

 

[Intel]

Doesn't matter driver is slow (wiggle)

 

[fadynaime]

Hi this is my second post here. I've been reading and gathering info after my first test drive of a mazda 3

Is this a manual or automatic. I just drove my first mazda3 automatic both in regular automatic mode and manual shifting. coming from a VW GTI didn't feel much power. but I would like to hear more from you guys since you take ur cars out for some fun autocross. is it just a matter of getting used to that manual shifting in the automatic car, is there a big different between this and an actual manual mazda3, the only reason I'm not considering a manual is because of the driving in traffic to work.