“They should’ve put a V8 in it!” If you spend enough time online, you’ll come across that comment in regards to certain cars. Take the Plymouth Prowler or the second-generation Ford F-150 Raptor as examples of this kind of thinking. The Mazda MX-5 Miata has never been offered by the factory with anything other than a four-cylinder engine, making it the perfect target for the lamentations of power-hungry enthusiasts. Well, the people behind our Pick of the Day, an LS7-powered 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata track car posted on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Wisconsin, did put a V8 in it – and a big one, too.
For the 2006 model year, Mazda released an all-new, third generation of the MX-5 Miata. The “NC,” as it’s otherwise known, was a front-mid-engine car based on a new platform covered with new exterior styling. Weight went down and rigidity increased. Mazda paired the new 170-horsepower, 140-lb-ft 2.0-liter I4 with a standard five-speed manual gearbox, an available six-speed stick, or an all-new six-speed automatic (which shaved output slightly to 166 horsepower). Trim levels included the base Club Spec, MX-5, Touring, Sport, and flagship Grand Touring.
Despite its modest power, the Miata is a perennial favorite for people who like to go to the track. But whoever got their wrenches on this one, which is reportedly based on an MX-5 Cup car campaigned by Playboy Enterprises Inc., decided that more is more. He or she yanked out the original engine and replaced it with a new LS7 7.0-liter V8 crate engine running a dry-sump oiling system. In the C6 Corvette Z06, the LS7 pumped out 505 horsepower; here, it produces 520 – at the wheels.
Of course, everything around that had to be beefed up, so the builder(s) installed a Tranzilla six-speed manual from Rockland Standard Gear Inc., custom axles, and the rear differential from a fifth-generation Camaro. A V8 Roadsters tubular suspension with Ohlins adjustable coilovers and a set of big Wilwood brakes keep this race car on the track. Whoever modified this car also made sure to fit it with a vented hood, a dramatic red and silver color scheme, a black hardtop, and Konig wheels.
The cockpit was completely overhauled as well. Instead of carpeting, it now has exposed Thermo-Tec heat and sound insulation. When the detachable Sparco steering wheel is in place, it sits in front of an AiM dash logger. The driver and a lucky passenger (who doesn’t get motion sickness) are held in place during high-G turns by a pair of black racing buckets and surrounded by a roll cage.
If you want to see how wild a V8-powered Miata can be at your local track (and find out who you can beat with one), add this this LS7-powered 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata to your paddock. All you need to do to qualify for the race is pay the asking price of $79,900.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com