The Miata has always been ridiculed for its low power output and small engines. So imagine our surprise when seeing a classic MX-5 that's popping wheelies all day and winning hard at the drag strip.
The MX-5 is like a modern-day equivalent of the VW Beetle, as many people find it easy to work on, a great project car. However, while Bugs usually got Porsche or Subaru swaps, this one opted for American muscle.
According to this clip from 1320video, the owner of the Miata is a gentleman by the name of Tony Thompson. He likes sending this strange dragster down the strip and says it will dip into the 9s on a good day. Also, the swapped Miata is street-legal, so there's no need for a trailer.
We're not given technical details here, but the Boss 302 badges tell us a Ford small-block resides under the hood. However, you can't just call it a 5-liter because it's got a stroker kit and some Cleveland heads under there.
We don't know what kind of power this thing is making, but it would have been enough to destroy the old rear suspension, which is why the Miata now sports a 9-inch Ford rear end, ladder bars, and QA1 shocks. Also, the massive 28×10.5 slicks tell you it means business, as it looks anything but stock.
Since Tony completed the Ford-powered Miata in 2008, it's been all around the country. According to the owners, the best-ever pass was a 9.71s at 145 mph (233 kph).
The video below shows the Miata participating in the Street Car Takeover Indy event, where it decimated the competition in the stick shift class, including an older SN95 Mustang Cobra Jet. Anybody can just buy a Lamborghini and keep the wheel straight, but it takes skill keeping a bucking Miata pony car under control like that.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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