One of the attributes of Mazda Miatas is that they’re not that fast. Stock, the base 1989-introduced 1.6-liter Miata had 115 horsepower, and with the optional 1.8-liter engine that came later, 131 horsepower. The second-gen car, also known as the NB, got around 150hp from its naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine, and it was also available for a couple of years as the turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata with 178hp. These aren’t huge numbers, but considering it’s a two-seater car that weighs around 1000 kg, it’s plenty fast for many. Since the Miata’s original engine was basically a Mazda 323 GTX engine without the turbo, it is a somewhat easy car to turbocharge using aftermarket parts, in a way that will also prove durable and reliable.
Then there’s the approach of yanking out the original engine and putting in something more powerful. It’s amusing to think how significantly more powerful engines aren’t necessarily that much heavier in a Miata: a GM LS1 is relatively compact and weighs around a hundred pounds more than a NB generation Miata’s engine, and it can be positioned far enough back to not disturb the 50/50 weight balance. If you go with the all-aluminum Jaguar AJ30 engine from an S-type, it’ll even be lighter than the Mazda engine. There are enough rotten Jaguars to provide perfectly fine engines for Mazdas, and since they are Duratec-based, it’s kinda-sorta even keeping with the whole Mazda-Ford cinematic universe.
And then there’s putting in a Ferrari V8 engine. Yeah, that can be done. It’s brilliant.
Dino Dalle Carbonare, long-time Speedhunters writer and photographer, has documented the Japanese tuning scene for years. He now runs his own YouTube channel, visiting different JDM speed shops and tuning garages, and a Ferrari V8-powered Mazda Miata has to be one of the more insane builds anyone has thought up in recent years.
Despite the pop-up headlight front, the Miata in the video isn’t even a NA generation car. It’s an NB, as you can tell from the rear end, but it wears an NA front with a NA gen bumper and headlights, and even the dashboard has been built out of an early one.
The center “tombstone” which used to house the vents, HVAC controls and stereo, has been deleted in favor of a large touchscreen, and the red cloth seats seem to be reupholstered NBFL items (NB-Facelift). The center console is a short item that ends right after the window switches, and the door cards are custom as well.
In his video, Dino explains that Daddy Motorworks, the builder of the V8 car, is all about engine swaps and mix-and-match builds to create unique cars. A good example is a Fairlady Z with a Toyota Century V12 engine, currently under construction. Another is a GR Yaris swapped AE86, next to a Suzuki Cappuccino that now has a four-cylinder Suzuki engine in place of the original three.
Then he gets to the frog-green Miata. A huge Subaru Impreza hood scoop has been blended into the original engine cover, and shiny metal trumpets are visible through the scoop’s hole.
The NA/NB swap is a customer build, created over four years using different custom solutions from different builders, put together at Daddy Motorworks. Originally the customer was thinking of a Mazda V6, then an NSX engine, and as the waiting list for the work progressed, the shop ended up sourcing him a Ferrari V8 instead via Yahoo Auctions, from a crashed car. Talk about mission creep.
Fitting a 3.6-liter, originally midship, 400-horsepower V8 in the front of a small roadster isn’t as easy as dropping in something else, and creating a customized Ferrari F430 exhaust with Ferrari silencers must have taken ages. It was 3d modelled by Scarbo Performance. Still, the engine bay didn’t need cutting, and a car as late as this was likely chosen over an NA for its stiffer chassis for engine swaps, as suggested in the Pistonheads Jaguar V6 engine article. The Toy Garage NA front end look may have already been in place before the engine swap. NA front fenders are shaped differently than NB ones, so custom ones have to be created to make the panel swap work.
Underneath, the chassis has a FlyinMiata butterfly brace to strengthen it, together with an extra subframe under the engine. The rear subframe has been strengthened as well, with a FlyinMiata brace as well. Brakes are Supermiata XIDA XL. The car weighs just 1150 kg, which is around 2,500 lbs. That’s a passenger’s worth of extra weight, not more, partially thanks to the Ferrari engine being just 44 pounds heavier than the original Miata engine.
The engine was paired to a six-speed Toyota GR86 gearbox and the rear end, which already had an OS Giken LSD, was fitted with upgraded driveshafts. Interestingly, the tires were chosen to be less grippy, to stress the drivetrain less.
Underhood fabrication is beautiful, with Ferrari 355 cam covers and throttle bodies and custom coolant tanks, and it’s lovely to see Ferrari cam covers under a Mazda Miata hood – even if they aren’t red, as on the 360. Instantly, I thought of the NA gen cars that have been built into 250 GTO replicas. Imagine this with a body kit like that. Round the back, the Ferrari dry sump system has been relocated into the trunk.
The test drive is worth watching. Incredibly, the engine is a great match for the car, with enough low-end torque to make it usable, yet after 3,000 rpm it really comes alive. I keep going back to the 12-minute mark and marveling at the sound. It’s an insane build, yet commendable how it’s all been made to work together.
The only gauge ahead of the driver is the Ferrari’s original rev gauge, in the middle of an aluminum adapter in an NA Miata gauge cluster. The rest is in the center screen, showing the driver which gear is currently selected, with a bunch of Ferrari switchgear underneath. As well as the YouTube feature, the “Ferramiata” has its own Instagram page, where the project has been detailed.
It’s impossible to even think of a price tag for such a unique build. I’m happier for having seen it and knowing it’s possible. One of my favorite car videos has always been a dyno run clip of a Ferrari 355: this will also go to my go-to playlist.
Top graphic images: Dino DC / YouTube; Ferrari
Absurd and I love it. The bodywork alone is so well done, at least in pictures and the video.
Man, the weird drivetrain swaps I would do if I had the money. One of my dream swaps is a GR Corolla drivetrain in a first gen xB. Kind of a baby version of Nissan putting the GT-R drivetrain in a Juke (which I also want).
“I want a small, Ferrari-powered roadster, what should I get?”
The Answer Strikes Again.