LS3-Swapped Mazda Miata Is Faster than Fast!
Stuffing a 480 hp LS in a tiny Miata undoubtedly makes it fast in a straight line. But how about on the track?
The very mantra of hot rodding, if there was such a thing, is to make everything as light and as powerful as possible. It’s a simple recipe, really, one that many enthusiasts follow religiously. Mostly because it almost always results in, at best, a scary fast ride. Or, at worst, something that’s just downright scary. Thankfully, judging by this track review by Speed Academy, this LS3-swapped Mazda Miata appears to be more of the former than the latter.
Mostly because the builder wasn’t about to just throw 480 hp of GM muscle into the tiny Miata chassis and call it a day. It also rolls on massive 245-series rubber that’s so wide it requires fender flares to cover the protrusions. Goodies like AST coilovers, beefy StopTech brakes, and other various parts help keep it planted on the road where it belongs. This is a daunting task given what powers this Miata, which is an LS3 with a hotter cam and 480 ponies at the crank (413 at the wheels).
Which is more than enough to motivate the car’s 2,500 or so pounds. At least in a straight line. “My God, the acceleration,” our host notes right off the bat. “Man this thing accelerates like a rocket ship.” But the real question is, how will it handle the corners? Can it post a proper lap time without careening off into the grassy knoll of shame?
Well, kind of. “I’m just balancing it with the throttle because it’s so torquey,” our host notes after sliding around a few corners. “You have to be very gentle with the throttle applications, because it’ll want to spin on you otherwise.”
Even though he admittedly doesn’t even come close to scratching the surface of this car’s performance, it still turns in some impressive lap times. Thus, this Miata may not be so scary after all. Well, so long as you respect it!
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