In the small town of Palisade, Colorado, there is a shop going by the name of Flyin’ Miata. Keeping true to its name, the mad scientists in Palisade have swapped the SkyActiv-G 2.0 from an ND MX-5 with a honking great LS3 V8 from a fifth-gen Camaro SS.
If you ever see a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata with Colorado plates reading 840-ZDQ, you’d better not challenge it to a drag race or a cannonball run in the canyons. As per the peeps at Flyin’ Miata, the brutish MX-5 you’re about to hear in the following video was finished earlier this week.
“Well, look who's out of the garage. The 525 hp V8 powered ND is prowling the streets for the first time,” reads a post on the company’s Facebook page. Now let’s crunch some numbers. 525 horsepower, almost 2,600 pounds (1,179 kilograms) with a full tank of gas, 53:46 front-rear weight distribution, and a T56 Magnum tranny.
Indeed, boys and girls, this is the most badass fourth-generation MX-5 Miata the world has ever seen. Most of the extra weight comes courtesy of the engine and tranny. Here are the figures for the 2.0-liter mill and six-speed stick shift: 290 pounds (131 kg) and 95 pounds (43 kg). And here are the figures for the LS3 and T56: 485 pounds (220 kg) and 137 pounds (62 kg).
In addition to the new innards, the pictured car had his electric steering rack ripped out because the electric motor wouldn’t have let the LS3 V8 fit in the engine bay. Thus, Flyin’ Miata has mounted a hydraulic steering rack. With great power also comes great responsibility. For that reason, the original brakes are out and in their place come Wilwoods with 12.88-inch rotors.
Another challenge came in the form of the exhaust. “It took a bit of magic, but Kyle managed to fit a full 2.5" dual system with an X pipe underneath. The tips will exit at the center,” wrote Flyin’ Miata in the build log.
Last, but not least, the driveshaft is made from carbon fiber and the rear diff is much more serious than the one that comes as standard on the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND). These said, press play and witness the insanity.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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