Hullo Everybody!
I'm approaching 1000 miles on my 08 Mazdaspeed 3 and i've been thinking about mods before i bought it, so i thought i'd bounce some ideas off ya'll before i start pumping money into it....
Here goes...

First off, i hate the idea of the ecu torque limiters in 1st and 2nd gear. I'm thinking filling my wheel wells with 20X8s about 245 thick and mapping around those pesky things. Think i'll still spin in place?

Then i'm all about upgrading the stock turbo. Wanna go up to about 22lbs, so i'm considering a 30% bigger intercooler and venting the hell out of my hood. Anybody know if i'll need a bigger fuel pump too? New spark plugs are on my list and i'm thinking short ram or plain old bottom feeding CAI, not sure yet. What am i forgetting?

Is there much else I can do to my headers or exhaust? I've heard the stock speed stuff is actually pretty competitive against anything aftermarket.

Just a few ideas i've been throwing around in my head lately. ANY creative criticism would be much appreciated!
Thanks, Ya'll.

 

To quote Nancy Reagan, "Just say no to dubs."

Check protegegarage for engine upgrades.

 

I agree... No 20's on a sport compact. Plus they are heavy. Get a good set of 18's and drop it a little. RX-8 rims look sweet on a 3 BTW

 

Stick with the 18s, huh? I was thinking bigger wheels but real thin walled tires to get max traction...

 

From a general performance standpoint, you would be better off with lightweight 18s and some good summer tires. I think some guys are running as wide as 235 if the offset's right.

 

we need to meet up next time you're in the B'ham area. I can steer you in the right direction. I've got a little experience with these engines.

 

That would be awesome, and very much appreciated!
I haven't been back in almost a year, but i should be taking some leave over xmas... If they'll let me!

 

You might step back and consider what you want to do with the car. Pick up chicks, go for cosmetics; drag strip, go for power.

On the other hand, B'Ham has a very nice Road course there -- Barber Motorsports Park -- you'll need suspension upgrades instead, as MS3 has plenty of power and torque compared with other fast cars.

We have VIR here, where i ran my MS3 back in September. On a roll from 40 to at least 120, an E46 M3 has nothing on it in a roughly straight line, but the MS3 floats too much on stick springs and shocks, so we get left behind in the turns.

 

I am right behind you with about 600 miles on my '08 MS3. Like you, I am considering what is out there for mods.

From what I have gathered, you might want to consider a Front Mount Intercooler if you are going big on the boost. More surface area, more capacity and cooler temps. Also, it has been recommended to me that if you increase to over 16-18psi, you will most likely need a larger fuel pump and higher flow injectors.

I have considered replacing the intake with a CAI or Ram Air, but I wonder if the intake will actually make any difference because the turbo is creating all of the dense, compressed air. Because of that I have looked at the exhaust side of stuff to start with. I am looking at the TurboXS downpipe and racepipe to straighten out the exhaust restriction, or at least it sounds promising.

Happy shopping!