The Answer Is Always MX-5 With A 500 Horsepower V8

"DailyTurismo" (thedailyturismo)
04/21/2014 at 16:32 • Filed to: Daily Turismo

The Mazda MX-5 Miata was launched in 1989 just as the classic two seat European roadster market was imploding. Sales of the MGB, Triumph TR-whatever, Fiat Spider and Alfa Romeo Spider were either on their way down the drain or just heaping portion of Indian food away from splashdown.

At the time it may have looked foolish from the outside to release a car into a market that was drying up, but the folks at Mazda knew they had the recipe right. The only complaint you could level at the little apex carver was that it was light on power, but if we know anything , it is that GM's LS series engines can fit anywhere. Find this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! currently bidding for $17,300 reserve-not-met on ebay in Syosset, NY with 3 days to go and an insane $45k bin.

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The 3rd generation Mazda MX-5 (NC) was released in 2006 model year with a new multi-link rear suspension in the back (if you get the chance you really should take a look at the length of the rear upper/lower control arms on an NC MX-5, they extend all the way to the differential like a Formula car). The 2.0 liter MZR engine was new to the MX-5 chassis but of course it wasn't enough for a previous owner of this one...

Under the hood is 6.2 liter LS3 crate motor from the GM parts catalog that would have been rated at 430 horsepower and 430 ft-lbs of torque, but various parts (including an LS7 cam, fancy pistons, etc) have been added so power should be closer to the magical 500 horsepower range.

See another way to burn up all the rubber on the planet? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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DISCUSSION (11)

daender > DailyTurismo
04/21/2014 at 16:41

Like I said in that R&T Jalop cross-post article, for the price of a 75k$ MSRP Z/28 (which is BS because you know dealerships are going to charge 90k$ for a hot commodity), you can build one epic Miata like this for a lot less and still have money for a truck, trailer, tires, gas, track days, and a beater F-body. NP if it goes for under 20k$.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > DailyTurismo
04/21/2014 at 16:59

I think the MX-5 succeeded so well because the market it was entered into was not drying up, but completely devoid of competitors. By 1989 it was pretty much just the Alfa Spider left, and I'm not sure you could buy one in the States at all.

That and it was bloody good. That helps :)

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
04/21/2014 at 17:10

I believe you could get a Spider here through the early-mid 90s, but the MX-5 was really rendering it redundant by most period reports.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
04/21/2014 at 17:23

I see. I suppose not having mechanicals dating back to the mid-60s would do that :)

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
04/21/2014 at 17:26

I really dig the look of the Series 4 cars; is that wrong?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
04/21/2014 at 17:35

They're not my favourite Spider, but the look does just sort of work. I suppose that's a testament to how good the design always was.

Personally, I want an S3 with monstrous flared wheelarches and either a 3.0l Busso or a turbocharged 2.0l Twincam. I'd call it Shelob :)

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
04/21/2014 at 17:49

I can't argue with any of that!

PardonMyFlemish16 > DailyTurismo
04/21/2014 at 18:16

How much rear tire would this thing need to contain that power... 285s? 305s?

RotaryLover > DailyTurismo
04/22/2014 at 09:16

...........why the hell did I buy mine dammit????

mierdv > DailyTurismo
04/27/2014 at 10:34

Who can take an engine, sprinkle it with fuel

Give it lots of horsepower and make it fit too

The LS-man, the LS-man can.

Robert. > DailyTurismo
04/27/2014 at 16:17

There are probably HUNDREDS of LS swapped Miatas, and even a few 5.0 swapped Miatas. This... honestly comes as no surprise to me.