While some vehicles get notoriety for rarity, the Mazda Miata is recognized for its reputation as an economical springboard into the performance sector. Larry Chen, automotive photographer and Hoonigan extraordinaire, takes a look at an LS3 swapped Miata in the most recent installment of Hoonigan AutoFocus.

Based mostly out of Grand Junction, Colorado, the tuners at Flyin’ Miata took it on them selves to swap in the LS motor. For the uninitiated, the firm produces performance components for just about any generation of Mazda Miata you could visualize.

While the purpose of the project was to squeeze a six.two-liter LS3 V8 under the hood, Keith Tanner of Flyin’ Miata required the swap to look as factory as possible. Immediately after popping the hood, it’s obvious that a great deal of work went into having the motor to in shape Keith mentions that they invested time participating in all-around with the motor placement to get everything inch-excellent – the motor suits so tightly that the sound insulation pad in the hood had to be taken out to add clearance. 

As you’d expect, the factory Miata transmission wouldn’t be equipped to cope with the LS3’s grunt, so Flyin’ Miata swapped in a T56. Along with staying a terrific match for the motor, this variant spots the shifter in the inventory place. Points are comparatively very similar at the other close of the drivetrain, employing the rear components from either a Pontiac G8 or Chevrolet Camaro.

Trying to keep the sleeper aesthetic alive, Keith opted for an lively exhaust, which offers the petite Mazda the assertive sound you’d expect from an LS motor. Adjustable through the factory windshield wiper stalk, motorists can change the motor take note on the fly, all the way from hardly there to straight-piped race auto.

While points had been sluggish to originally get rolling, Flyin’ Miata now sells a complete conversion kit for anyone else who needs to sign up for the V8 ND Miata club. Pricing is nevertheless unknown but if it puts these types of a smile on Larry Chen’s encounter, it’s sure to be really worth every single penny.