Monster Miata! - The Downshift Episode 27
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- On this episode of The Downshift, we visit Monster Miata where Martin Wilson and his team are dropping Ford 5.0-liter V-8 engines into MX-5 convertibles to create wild performance monsters.
The Downshift appears every Tuesday on the new Motor Trend channel.
/ motortrend
Facebook - / motortrendmag & / automobilemag
Twitter - / motortrend & / automobilemag
Google+ - plus.google.co...
Website - www.motortrend.com & www.automobilem...
Subscribe now to make sure you're in on all the action!
www.youtube.com...
Facebook - / motortrendmag
Twitter - / motortrend
Google+ - plus.google.co...
Website - www.motortrend.com
you can hear & see the passion this guy has for what he does.. how refreshing! WELL done mate keep up the good work nothing BEATS cubic capacity! unless youre in England where fuel is $8 a gallon then the 1.6 sounds good
Actually these 5.0L get the same MPG as a 4cylinder when geared correctly
crusing 65mph @ 1,200rpm
SANIC yeah but when you step on it, i think the L/100km would sky rocket...trust me i've owned a maloo and i currently own an mx5, the maloo used more fuel in one hour than the mx5 does in a day when i got liberal with throttle,
+F1N9ERS More like £8 a gallon :(
This is the new age cobra, same exact concept.
Haha, I was thinking the same thing. The original cobra was a British car with Ford V8 so I have to agree this car is about as close as it gets. I wasn't fan of Miata when it was first released but after driving one around for a couple days it grew on me quick. I have to admit I'm a fan now haha
Cobras are straight line cars. Not what you just said.
xchillomenx I get that but they both follow the same concept of small 2 seater with a huge v8.
Ah gotcha. Then yes I agree.
xchillomenx the original cobra was purpose built for the track. Carroll Shelby won several races in Europe with that car. Straight line it's impressive as well :)
In Australia at "bullit" they install lexus 4.0lt v8, doesn't change the character of the car so much, low weight, quad cam so it revs and toyota tuff so you can rev it all day long.
yep I've seen them on the gold coast
OMG!
For years i've been telling people what a monster miata was, and nobody believed me. I never saw one so i kinda thought maybe its a myth?
abut, here it is!
YOU JUST MADE MY LIFE COMPLETE!
yeah i saw them back in the 90s $15000 give them your car and for 5 grand more saleen supercharged squatting on pumped guards suspension and 9inch
Fantastic little car with torque to spare, Shelby relives again, great combo. I love it.
Thanks. We loved talking to Martin too.
Who else thinks this looks like a mini viper?
The nb was designed by the same guy
@@johngorgis Really, i've always though they bared a resemblance, but i didn't know that.
Awe its a wittwe baby vipew
Yes!! I've always thought that
Is kinda is
The cobra reborn, only a v8 can do the job. Marilyn Monroe must be blonde.
She was a natural redhead. That explains a lot.
I'm pretty sure that the black one with the silver stripes used to belong to my uncle. He passed away seven or so years ago and I regret that I didn't find a way to buy the car from my Aunt. Either way, I am glad that the car is being enjoyed and if the current owner happens to read this please send me a message. I'd like to keep track of the car because of the sentimental value it holds.
Stephen Landon : Good news and bad. The bad news is that the car got run over by a freight train. However, the bright side is that the driver was unharmed,. Thank God.
building my Miata now martin is one cool dude talked to him multiple times with questions and he is so helpful
id daily it.
Same
+christian kelley how do u pass emissions tho? thats my question but no doubt id fucking drive that thing everywhere!!!!!!!!!!
+Alex Shafer just keep all the stock mustang emission things.
Or drive it less than 5K..well at least here your car is exempt if you drive it less than 5k miles a year..lol
+Luis X
You mean, "Drive it les than 5K _with the odometer hooked up_," right?
American V8s in lightweight, rear-wheel-drive imports is a match made in heaven. The GM LSx platform that they are developing for these cars really will be a monster. Those engines make some serious power.
this dude is a real car man
3:14 driver on the left is like holy shit!
Love seeing people with so much passion :)
I remember when I was a young man, seeing two monsters at our local Ford dealer in the 90's. I thought they were the baddest cars on the planet!! Glad to see he is still in business!
Full scale performance car for less than a mustang and way more fun. If tuned right can toast ferraris efficiently and garner more attention at car meets. Monster Miata is awesome.
I was torn. The hot rodder in me loves it. This is exactly what hot rodding is about; coming up with something wild and taking the car beyond what the factory had intended. Old school ingenuity. But at the same time, the driver in me was apprehensive. The Mx-5 was designed to be a pure driver car . Everything from the frame to the engine's power output was deliberate to deliver the best driver experience. It's hard to improve on perfection, but if he impressed Mazda , that's good enough for me.
The Japanese engineers were happy with the result!
The first one of these I saw in person was probably in the late 90's.. I was blown away!
They should race this against an LS swap Miata, would be dope.
I like how you guys went over pricing in the last part of the episode. That was good.
The ls3 is the way to go. One of my buddies has one and it's wicked.
Are LS engines better than 302s?
Lots of aftermarket stuff on both platforms. But if you want lots of bottom end get a L's motor or stroke a 302 to 347. its all what you want really I would go L's just because its all aluminum. so you save weight plus you get more torque. Or you can do a 13b rotary swap with twin turbos. The sky is the limit but if you want massive gain. Get a Chevy L's it will last a long time and lots of upgrades you can turbo as well or supercharge.
+Peder Hansen not the same money though. Ford is a lot higher.
+Shane Lefever I keep hearing that GM is crap a lot. Are LS series engines that bad?
+Josh Carpenter Not in the slightest LS is easily one of there best engine series they have right now, simple but effective they can last a long time and can make a boatload of power. GM the company though ehh......
I feel that some people might be missing the point of these miatas. There's plenty of LS swap Miatas, but this guy puts together a whole package, not just the engine. It's all professionally done and balanced to maintain drivability of the car.
Wow 3:09 the GT pass!!!!
its around 2000 pounds and has around 300 hp!
but also notice he brakes because he sees an oncoming car at 3:13 or so
If the GT didn't hit the brakes @ 3:13 , the Miata would've become a grille ornament for that oncoming pickup.
I have seen one of these Monster Miata up close and these guys did a fantastic job fitting
a Ford V8 under the hood. The car looked like it came from the factory with a V8 installed.
I was wondering why mazda didnt put the rotary in the miata
The idea was to build something in a lower class than the rx-7. They wanted a cheap sports car, the first concepts were pretty much better looking mustang convertibles, single cam 4 cylinder and a solid rear axle. Then they though "hey we have a lot of money left from this build; let's put a dual cam in it and four wheel independent suspension."
cool
Because rotary engines are shit.
For what they are rotaries are great. They are cool aswell. Not as cool as a v8.
Mazda put a rotary in only one miata for giggles. It was hydrogen powered. Search it ! i wish i could see it for real
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback!
Man tose things must be epic to boot around in, true little roadsters. Ford needs to take a leaf and build a little V8 sports car, Mustangs are too big.
So true, but theres a reason I stopped being a Ford enthusiast and started following Mazda, Ford isn't gonna do it. Mazda has been for over 25 years.
DoomsdayMelody91
Yesh but they lack power, big style.
*****
Style depends on your opinion, power is worthless unless you also consider weight. Ford's midsize sedan weighs close to 2 tons. Sure Mazda may not have a turbo charged 4 in the 6, but they build a better car in general (compare any Mazda to any Ford) from the 2 to the Miata, Ford doesn't build a better car
DoomsdayMelody91
Style was used as a figure of speech rather than an actual point. I do like the MX5 styling myself, especially the soft top variety.
They do lack power. No question or debate. The Miata is a slow, underpowered car considering this is 2014. With the advent of modern turbocharging(for example) you can make cheap, reliable and lightweight power. There is no reason why the Miata should continue to suffer with such an anemic powertrain. Even a slightly larger, more modern say 2.4 would go a long way to solve the power issues.
*****
unless you consider the heritage of the miata. Yes, compared to other cars it is underpowered. I understand a turbo 4 wouldn't upset the balance noticabley, but it was never made to be a drag racer. It was meant as an entry level sports car, something you can learn how to drive quickly in.
I like the passion when this guy is telling :)
holy shit
awesome! its like a modern ac cobra. i love how it overtakes the gt40
LS1 any day
Flyin' Miata can currently stuff a LS376/525hp V8 in.
ravepuppie
Sounds good to me. I had an '05 FM MSM "Big Enchilada" a while back. Fun, but that wimpy IHI turbo 1.8 just couldn't do it like their LS cars did:)
SomeYoungGuy Johnson why? you can get enough power from a 302W based engine, up to 700 NA if you want
meifert2 because LS fanboys are too dumb to work with ford engines.
SomeYoungGuy Johnson LSgarbage
My dad got me a second hand NC Miata...I WAS BLOWN OUT OF MY MIND.
Ls3
+merica on wheels then it'll break down
+Josh Davis That's totally why the LS swap is the most popular one done lol.
SuzuRyderHD no its popular cause its cheap
the 5.0 swap is WAY cheaper im not sure why you think an ls swap is cheap... ls motors are like 1k+ for an ls1 with trans. you could always cheap out and go with an iron block that his super heavy from the trucks which is just a terrible choice in a miata
you can buy a 5.3L ls1 for around $200. what do you mean its not cheap?
I bought myself a 95 miata this past February. I love it so much
ugh putting an american engine into a japanese car. it's so stupid, totally ruins it...
so what if they put a toyota or lexus v8 in it?
it would be a step up since it's a japanese engine into a japanese car, but i still would probably not like it. there's really no need for putting such a high power engine into such a small, lightweight car.
but going back to my original point, some things should remain separate. japanese engine = japanese car, american = american, and so on. would i ever put a nissan GTR engine into something like a mustang? no, because that would not make sense. it would tarnish the original mustang's "spirit".
if i get a japanese car i want everything on it to be japanese made. i don't want some driveable frankenstein car with a japanese exterior, american engine, and a german gearbox. it's all about purity.
:) :) :) :) :)
drunkbygreentea Dude, get a bit less rage and think before you post. What other reactions would you expect by posting what you did on a video like this? Its like walking into the middle of a game hunt with 'Save the animals!' signs... no-one is going to give you a positive response.
***** LOL. ok loser...
That made me smile for so many reasons! Nothing like a happy car guy building cars that make people happy!
Love how it's able to hang with a GT in the twisties
Great story,a lil overdue. Saw one two years ago while I was working by the NEW YORK AUTO SHOW. Stopped me in my tracks as it drove by. I even.followed.it to the next street light. Lol
This got me VERY motivated about fixing up my 1990!!!!!!!!!!
This is a pretty cool story, the guy seems like he knows his stuff and the little mx5 just sounds so mean hehe.
They really nailed it with that car. The damn near the performance of an exotic but you can still drive it to the grocery store with the A/C on.
I really liked this episode. What a well spoken man, and I love his passion for it. Good job Motortrend.
I've always wanted to do a LS1 in a Miata/MK5 and do a simple turbo charger and other small stuff, but it looks as if the 5.0 is good enough! Awesome stuff here. Would like to have one.
The first part touched me cuz that's what I wanna do when I grow up!!!! It's a lot of fun!!!!
I used to think miata's were a joke!... .... I have a new respect for them now! Nice work!
This is the stuff that makes life worth living! Drive on.
I have one of the exact cars he's built. Several years later. 100% worth it
One of the biggest Miata guru's (of course I cant remember his name) is 6'4 and he's owned/sold hundreds of Miatas. You might have to work with the seating brackets to get you seated low enough but you will be able to fit in one.
This is what we need more of in the automotive world, something that is simple and fun. While I respect using the Ford 5.0L V8, I am a big fan of using a LS motor, or if they were more available the 3.8 Genesis motor. But either way this is one of the dream cars I want to own, no need to announce I what I drive, just drive what you love.
That Miata cruise looked so fun
Fantastic! I just bought a beautiful miata 2000 just because I liked it and it's feel and mileage. But this Monster Miata is a step beyond. I've always owned sports cars and have had an 85 MR2 for years. I thought the Miata would not handle as well, but let me tell you, it's even better. It has more power, is easier to drive, etc.
I wonder what they charge for the LS conversion, since Flyin Miata charges around $50k to fully convert any Miata to an LS engine system.
Now that is the core spirit of car building in America! Great episode!
Don’t forget about toms turbo garage who swapped a ls3 with a t56 magnum in a miata! Really cool build that was done right
Thats awesome! Finished building my v8 NB Miata on my channel too, What a perfect combo!
This guys is truly living the American dream.
They drove from LA to Vegas with 65 miles range to spare by starting at the very edge of LA county, by driving the minimum legal speed limit, and by making part of the trip without AC. They shortened the actual LA to Vegas drive by 60-some miles, the normal speed of traffic is in excess of 80mph, and the temperature easily exceeds 100 degrees.
I make the trip a few times a year just because I can. Then there's LA to San Francisco, Mammoth Lakes, or Lake Tahoe, which are even longer trips.
You need an after market block to go that high. Most people agree that 393 to 408 is as big as you want to go before you start messing up rod angles and drastically decrease engine life even though you can take a stock block to 427. And windsors are only about an inch taller and a little wider.
I brought up the 13b to compare to the LS1 because you seem to think that just because it's big in litres, means it's heavy.
LS1 - 5.7L
13B - 1.3L
And no, it's not just the turbo and all of its cooling components. The engine alone only loses maybe 50-60lbs without all the turbo and its cooling components.
It's so awesome to love to go into work everyday because YOU DON'T need the money. Making people happy is one of life's greatest pleasures. Working because you have to put food on the table and keep the lights on in this economy forces you to age really fast. I'm glad some people get to live the dream
My brother in law is always talking about his monster miata, I just wish he would bring it over once and a while.
Nice work, I have a 2016 and look forward to seeing how these conversions will work with it. Thanks for posting the clip on your company.
This man, you cannot take away from him that he's worked his entire on what he loves. How many can say that?
These cars sound fun to drive which is their purpose. Well done.
How many of us can say they do what they luv with such passion congrats my man!
this car has Merc engine, tuned by AMG. (more then 100hp/ltr)
Pagani Huayra Engine: 5980 cc (364.9 ci) 48 valve V12 Twin Turbo Petrol engine.
Pagani Huayra Transmission: 7 speed/ Auto gearbox with the power being delivered through it's RWD system.
Power and Torque Specifications.
Pagani Huayra Power: The Huayra's 5980 cc (364.9 ci) engine reaches its peak power of 700 bhp (521 kW) @ 6300 rpm.
Pagani Huayra Torque: The Pagani Huayra produces torque measuring 740 lb-ft (949.0 Nm) @ 2500 rpm.
when u do something u love u will never work a day in your life this guy is proof
Love his passion. I wish more people lived their passion the same way.
i just bought a 94 miata... i hope one day to do this to her. that would be a dream come true!
Great, great great! No matter what the branch, people like these really make a difference in the end... He reminds me of Pagani Automobili - only in the U.S. - great job!
Recently, I got to purchase a Corvette Z06 with nearly all the packages the ZR1 has... WOW! Nicest, fastest car I've had a privilege to own. BTW, I had a modded MkII Miata when I got the Vette. Guy I brokered it for is a Miata specialist but was tired of Miatas that cost $40k+ to outfit for racing in SCCA. But this Vette had all the work done at the factory! Just $35k to buy plus $10k in racing gear and he was gtg!.
And this is definitely an EPIC tool. I admit that Miatas are very expensive to upgrade, compared to say, a Z06 for respective performance gains, but that's OK! You can build a MM for less and Miatas handle freaking GREAT already, right guys?
This guys shop is by my aunt and these things are bad ass!! Wicked fast
Boy that looks fun. 48/52 weight distribution excellent.
The new all aluminum 300hp V6 that he's CLEARLY talking about at 3:50 is a 3.7L from the current Mustang.
this is the 2nd time I've seen this and I still LUST 4 this... 5 words... IM-AG-IN-A-TION
Us old school guys were doing Chev V8s in Vegas & Vw Bugs, Ford 460s in Faimonts, 302s in Pintos, only thing new is a different car
this might be sacrilegious to most but i think the new muscle cars are these little cars like the miata with v8's in them.
with people more focused on gas and economy alot of people are shifting to hotrodding these things just like they did in the 50's-70's with american cars.
and i agree, these little miata's with monster engines are magical
the mid 90's was when i 1st heard about a 5.0L in a miata. i wanna say it was in low rider magazine, but it was so long ago i dont know for sure.
Great video, you can tell this guy really loves cars and puts his heart in his business, I`d love to own one of those.
While I wholeheartedly agree with your point (I've always relished at the fact of sticking a F20C or 13B in a Miata), but I think it's also pretty cool from time to time to see a big fat American hunk of lead in a Miata as well. I think there is something unique about taking advantage of the Miata's lightweight chassis and making a sleeper dragster out of it (most of the V8 swapped Roadsters I have seen are pretty low key).
Basically what Shelby did to the AC Ace only without winning any races (yet). Superb. :-)
powerful v8 + small nimble miata = absolute fun
It's like an inexpensive replacement for a Sunbeam Tiger or a 50's T-Bird.
It doesn't have to be a supercar - it's just made to be fun.
I lol'd.
Lightweight 4 cylinder cars being swapped with bigger engines are becoming real popular nowadays.
Continuing the Shelby Magic for the modern day!---LOVE IT!!
Mazda had intended to fit a v6 in the Miata initially, that is why the car had so much engine room and torsional strength and was able to fit a v8.
epic tool is still epic tool. He might learn one day.. or.. he might not. Be proud we've ascended to levels of car life he'll never reach lol
That's not what we were talking about, but yes I know. Mustangs were OHV from 1964 all the way til '95.
This has to be one of the best sleepers.
It sounds just wonderful. And you really can see the lineage back to Shelby in it. If I had a miata and 17 grand to spare I would so do this to it.
If I had his job, I'd be excited to go to work everyday too; great episode, thanks for sharing.
I confirm sir, when you are passionate about something you learn and you seek better ways to do things.
I've seen this done with GM's LS series of engines from the Corvette. I would think the lighter small blocks would work even better and keep the handling more balanced.
Great post, love this guy. What a kick ass car. Mazda should have a HI PO model with this formula.
Not a huge fan of huge engines in the miata, but the LS1 is actually a lightweight choice
Miata Hot Rod! I like it. I have a 2006 MX-5 with auto gear box.. I know, I'd originally bought it for my niece to drive to college. But she ended up never drive it. Now, I has been in my garage for 9years. I wondered if you can turn this 2006 to a monster Miata. Still want to have the auto gear box on a bigger motor.
Lets just say that this car is beautiful on the road!