VIDEO: THE FLYIN' MIATA MX-5 IS 518BHP OF ROADSTER LUNACY

Tuning company Flyin' Miata has completed its first V8-swapped ND Mazda MX-5, and if you have the cash, you can get yours converted too

The Colorado tuning firm has a great track record of shoehorning V8 engines into MX-5s, and has been busy filling the engine bay of the latest version of Mazda’s roadster with a socking great LS3 V8.

Naturally, dropping a 6.2-litre V8 under the hood does have an effect on weight, but the overall weight gain is actually reasonable at around 120kg. So it’s still light, and with 518bhp, it should be outrageously fast.

Thanks to Flyin’ Miata’s fastidious efforts, weight distribution hasn’t taken too much of a knock either: it’s now 53:47 as opposed to 52:48. “This will be a fully integrated car and not just a big engine rammed into a little car,” the company states, adding: “It’s a completely re-engineered automobile.”

Part of the “re-engineering” process - thankfully - includes handling mods. There’s new suspension, a big brake kit, and even a new hydraulic power steering system to replace the standard car’s electric setup.

The car you see here is a prototype, but the full kit is available to order now. It’s not cheap: for the 424bhp version you’re looking at $49,995, not including the base car. Further upgrades are available - if you want a 524bhp version like the prototype for instance, it’s an extra $1780, while even larger brakes will be a further $725.