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LS Swap Mazda Miata Looks Like a Go-Kart, V8 Fully Exposed

Shoehorning a V8 into a Mazda Miata is nothing new. Nevertheless, the rendering sitting before us takes the game to a lever where raw power meets eye candy in memorable fashion.
LS Swap Mazda Miata rendering 1 photo
Photo: jota_automotive/instagram
The four-cylinder heart of the Mazda has left the structure, making room for an LS motor. The V8 basically penetrates the hood level (more on this in the link below).

Then there's the new frame built around the motor and the extra protection this supposedly delivers makes one think of a drift car.

Of course, that central-mounted air filter is something that makes the Mazda Miata easily noticeable.

And we might just get to see this build in the metal - with only two weeks separating us from this year's edition of the SEMA show, you never know when one of these renders turns into an actual project (here's an example for you, one that involves the Polestar 1).

Now, in case you're thinking about how the "square chassis" of the MX-5 (you know, short wheelbase and generous track width) is anything but ideal for a drift car, you are right to conside this. However, with the right amount of skill and madness, one can overcome the limitations of the said ratio, which involve the car wishing to get back in a straight line rather than help the driver maintain a state of sliding.

And a brilliant example of this comes from Mad Mike Whiddett, with the Kiwi pro drifter being famous for his Miata drift car, with its fake beadlock wheels that have trolled the community in spectacular fashion.

PS: Here's why you might be experiencing deja vu: we've talked about this... virtual build in the past. However, the visual take we have here is new, with this fully exposing the engine compartment. Then again, this area of the car was never 100 percent covered to start with...

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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