Mazda5 mods? (for SWMBO)

Wife is growing a little discontent with our '10 Mazda5 (automatic). She loves the functionality, but she's missing the power and general "badassery" of the Mustang Cobra that was traded in for it. I was curious what you guys had for recommendations for modifications that might give her a little more oomph in the throttle.

We've both said on numerous occasions that if Mazda were to release a Mazdaspeed5 we'd upgrade immediately.

To complicate matters, this is a California car and needs to stay CA legal. Also, she's perfectly content with the suspension and does not want the car lowered at all.

Off the top of my head, about the only things I can think of are a K&N panel filter and to get a custom exhaust made (though I'm clueless what muffler would sound decent behind the 2.3L MZR). Between those two, I'd expect maybe 10hp if I was lucky. Any other thoughts on things that can be done other than trading it in on something else?

Gut the interior?

shotgun?

Dont bother. It would be just a waste of money for no power. Suspension would make a more dramatic bang for the buck.

Yeah, lightening mods come to mind. I know she's content with the handling, but that whole...slow car fast thing..... throw some light wheels and rubber at it?

Sell Mazda5 auto, buy Mazda5 manual.

supercharger or trubo kit? I bet kits intended for the mazda3 would work.

bgkast wrote: supercharger or trubo kit? I bet kits intended for the mazda3 would work.

Since he said "California legal", that takes that out of the possibilities. Unless someone came up with a turbo kit that's CARB approved?

steronz wrote: Sell Mazda5 auto, buy Mazda5 manual.

Were it my car, that would be the answer. She wants an auto.

Open element/cone filter and the muffler off of a 'speed3. Probably won't go any faster (might even go slower!) but it will sound and therefore feel a bit faster. My early Miatas with the rusted muffler internals and cone filters were slower then my later 1.8s, but they sounded great and were therefore much more fun to drive.

swap over the drivetrain from a 'Speed3

edit - won't work with the auto trans :(

guess you'll have to sell it and get something else. i don't think exhaust or intake really does anything on that car.

Hotter cam? Don't know how that's going to go for you if they do tailpipe emissions in your area, of course...

There is a bolt on turbo kit that is pretty well oem from the top; one guy who has one said he passed the sniffer.

Course it's 4800 for the kit iirc.

You can increase the base timing by moving the crank position sensor and that'll gain a little hp depending on the fuel available in your area. The mod is well described on YouTube "Mazda3 timing mod" or something similar.

Other than that I'd throw a MS3 or other aftermarket sway bar on the back. I replaced the rear trailing arm bushings with Energy Suspension parts to eliminate some of the toe changes with loading and it seems to have worked well. I haven't noticed a big change in handling with this mod though.

Forced induction is the way to get real hp and they dyno around 230-240hp at the wheels with the Tri Point turbo kit. There are some small mods to make it work for the Mazda5 but nothing impossible. If we end up keeping ours I may do this and remove it every two years to pass the visual on smog.

If you're dead set against FI then stick with the timing mod, maybe install a used MS3 exhaust, and focus on handling. I'm pretty sure the airbox is big enough to support more up than the 2.3 can put out.

Last I heard diesels were exempt from Cali emissions but that was several years ago.

Pick up one of the Mazda 6 GX Diesel race motors!!

Or just wait for the first production diesels to end up in the junkyards and get the engine out.