The Mazda MX-5 Miata is an incredible car. It’s an absolute blast to drive, relatively affordable, reliable, fuel-efficient and just darn cute. It’s never going to be the quickest car on the road, but you don’t buy it to go fast. Unless you’re looking for V8-swapped Miatas, that is. Drop an LS in, and suddenly, you’ve got a completely different car. You might die, but oh, what a way to go. So we were a little surprised when Cars & Bids listed the first V8-swapped Miata that we don’t desperately want to drive.
Of course, everyone’s taste is different, so if you’re into it, bid away. Clearly, several people are into this thing since at least one person went to the trouble of building the thing, and it’s already been bid up to $5,000, so multiple other people are interested, too. It’s just very much not for us. Let the Miata just be a Miata!
If you do happen to be interested in this Miata hot rod thing, though, we can’t imagine you’ll ever feel short on power. The seller says the LS2 was taken from a Trailblazer SS and makes about 450 horsepower. Combined with the Miata’s already light weight, you’ll probably be quicker than pretty much any car on the road. And, of course, it still has a six-speed manual transmission, so you’ll get to row your own gears, too, although the stock transmission has been swapped for a T56. Considering how much more power this thing makes over a stock Miata, that was probably the right call.
Just be extra careful if you do happen to win the auction, though, among the many modifications, the seller says they got rid of the anti-lock braking system. So you can go very, very fast with ease, but you’re on your own if you lock the wheels up trying to slow down.
At the time of writing, there are still five days left on the auction, so it’ll be interesting to see how this auction goes. How much demand can there really be for a 1930s Ford hot rod-inspired Miata? Well, there’s already been more than we would have expected, so maybe we’re wrong, and this car will end up proving to be super desirable. It does have a 450-hp V8, after all.
