It isn’t every day that we post a car that looks anything like this or even tuned to be used in this way. But, we like to post what we think is cool, and Brian Ma‘s 2013 Mazda 3 from San Jose, California is no exception.
What is BMSPEC?: “BMSPEC is simply the idea that high performance and aesthetics do not have to suck for daily driving. You’ve put so much effort into your car, why not enjoy it every day?…”
“…Coming from a technology background, I believe that innovative design can get you “something for nothing”: more grip, more style, yet you could take it to work or across the country and not have to worry about a thing.“
How did you get started doing this stuff?: “To be honest, out of laziness! My friends and I used to drive hard on the canyons around LA, and eventually started transitioning to the racetrack…”
“…They picked up an FRS and a 350Z, and of course I couldn’t keep up, but I was too lazy to switch cars haha. Since there’s no real aftermarket for the Skyactiv Mazda3, I started DIYing my own stuff, and, well, here we are haha.”
How long have you had the Mazda3?: “It’s been over four years now, I bought the car brand new. Jan 2015 was when I first mocked up the rear wing, and since then it’s been through 2-3 revisions of just about everything except the fender flares.”
Was there a reason why you chose the Skyactiv model as opposed to the Mazdaspeed?: “Originally, I wasn’t planning to race haha. But, from the factory we’re talking about a 330-430lb weight advantage — as long as you have the right powerplant, it’s a no-brainer…”
“…The team and I are in the process of building a custom Skyactiv-2.5L engine for 300whp NA; Speed3’s can make more power, but you would have to find a lot more weight to cut out of the car for Time Attack purposes, and that trade off goes well in favor of the lighter Skyactiv.”
And after all this, you still plan to daily drive the car?: “Hell yeah, I have been! This has been my only car up till the engine build began. Even the new drive train is planned out to be friendly for daily use, so when I get the car back I intend to sell my temporary daily and go right back to driving the 3.”
It doesn’t scrape with the big front splitter?: “Occasionally. I was able to design it such that it bends up and not down, so it’s perfectly fine to scrape it yet it holds downforce just fine at the track…”
“…The splitter has also cut a log in half at highway speeds, so if you needed any more proof that the piece is durable, just zoom in on the right side of the splitter — that’s the only damage the top half of the log left.”
Future goals of BMSPEC?: “The end goal of this project, is to narrow the gap between enthusiasts and manufacturers. Our enthusiast community, frankly, has been left behind by the breakneck pace of technology development, resulting in a gap between what the OEMs and racing teams know, and what the average enthusiast has access to learn…”
“…With BMSPEC, I want to continually introduce new tech to the aftermarket, packaged in a way that enhances the driving experience, and explain everything that we do, such that we all learn about the new tech together. I want to help empower an enthusiast community where everyone feels like they can contribute — not just to the ideas and basic concepts, but also to the hardcore design, engineering, and technology development that powers the products they love.”
How did it all lead to BMSPEC and what we see today of the Mazda 3?: “I guess most of the friction began when I started developing aerodynamic parts for the 3. The community at the time could not fathom why a FWD car needed a rear wing, and only accepted it when I started posting track times faster than all the local Mazdaspeed3’s…”
“… Still, now it’s accepted that it works, but many do not understand why. So I figured, why not let people feel the difference for themselves? Based off my prototype aero kit (itself inspired by BTCC touring cars) I developed a couple front wing and splitter kits for sale, and soon enough my customers started vouching for me and helped outreach to the community as to “why” my products worked.”
“As things got more serious, the 3 became more and more of a demo car, so naturally it had to progress as well: a larger, more sculpted front splitter, fender vents, hood vents, side splitters, custom (in progress) rear diffuser, and custom (in progress) rear wing, all to shave pounds of drag and add pounds of downforce…”
“…Gradually, we are getting the 3 to comply to the Street FWD class of Global Time Attack next year. It’s the perfect outlet for it to prove our design philosophy: race, win, and drive to work the next day with the same car.“
For more things BMSPEC, visit: www.bmspec.net
https://www.instagram.com/bmspec/
Where can I get that wing from? I have a 2008 speed3 hatchback
Where can I buy this wings I have a 2012 Mazdaspeed3 hatchback I would like to know where I can buy this setup
Where can I find this wing mount?