Video: Flyin’ Miata Drops An LS3 In The All-New 2016 Miata

Throughout its four generations of development, one of the constants of the Mazda Miata has been its lack of power. Its balance, nimbleness, and driving pleasure have been raved about for decades, but the 800-pound Gorilla in the room has always been the crickets you hear when the hammer drops. Such complaints are music to the ears of tuners and go-fast parts manufacturers who swoop in like superheroes with answers to the dream that run the gamut from mild to extreme.

The first-generation, or NA model designation of the roadster, was created to pay homage to the open air ambiance of European drop tops of the 1950s and ’60s with the precision and reliability of Japanese design.

In 1990, the Miata brought 116 horsepower to the table. In 1994, the initial 1.6-liter four was updated to a 1.8-liter mill rated at 128. In 1998, the second-gen NB hit the scene with 140 horsepower.

The NB series was produced until 2005, and during this time for the 2004 and 2005 model years, Mazda introduced the factory-turbocharged Mazdaspeed edition with 178 horsepower on tap.

The NC Miata had a long run, starting in mid 2005 an lasting until 2015. There were many facelifts and freshenings along the way and the roadster flexed a 2.0-liter four that produced 166 horsepower during this time period.

The current, freshly redesigned Miata, known as the ND, has wowed the motoring press as the Miata has done for decades, but just as assuredly there are still too few ponies in the corral. The ND employs Mazda’s SkyActive design/engineering philosophy to use efficiency and light weight to maximize performance. Power stands at 155 ponies, but in an era where the likes of the Honda S2000 and Subaru WRX make substantially more, the Miata isn’t standing very tall.

Luckily, since shortly after the first Miatas hit the road in 1990 the aftermarket has been addressing the issue with basic bolt-ons, forced induction, and the daring engine swap. The Miata chassis is one of the most popular landing spots for swap engines; Honda K-series four cylinders, Honda J-series V6s, Chevy EcoTecs, and many know of the popular Monster Miata Ford 5.0-liter Mustang swaps from the late ’90s.

Flyin’ Miata has been in the thick of of Miata performance since Day One, and its calling card has always been quality. A blow torch and a big hammer can get most any engine anywhere, but Flyin’ Miata makes the swap look factory and operate like factory. The company wasted no time embracing the all-new ND, taking its experience converting early generations of the Miata to V8 power and rolling it into its ND program.

Flyin’ Miata has dropped a Chevy LS3 small block under the Miata’s hood and it’s a win-win. The Palisade, Colorado company offers turn-key swapped cars and comprehensive swap conversion kits for the ND.

It includes driveline upgrades like a T56 six-speed manual transmission, an aftermarket 2015 Camaro rear differential, and a heavy duty driveshaft. The suspension has been reworked to deal with the weight differential between the LS3 and the Mazda SkyActive engine. Component systems such as engine cooling, fuel enrichment, the exhaust system have also been addressed with meaningful updates.

Many swaps sacrifice convenience items like air conditioning, power steering, and other useful features. The Flyin’ Miata package makes no sacrifices as it delivers air conditioning, the full functionality of the stock gauges, retention of the ABS braking system, and power steering.

The Flyin’ Miata swap comes in three flavors. The standard baseline swap is 430-horsepower 6.2-liter LS3 that’s found in recent late-model Camaros and Vettes, the popular E-Rod LS3 that has more emissions equipment, and the big dog LS376/525 with a hotter camshaft, more aggressive ECU tune and a healthy powerband with 525 horsepower and 489 pound-feet of torque on tap. That’s a 264 horsepower boost with the entry level LS3 and a whopping 359-horse jump, a total more than three times the car’s original output, with the big-dog swap.

Flyin’ Miata reports the Mazda gains only about 250 pounds with the LS and that the front/rear weight bias is 53:47 versus the stock 52:48 split, hence the win-win scenario continues. There is substantial engineering behind the swap with extensive mods made to the steering that converts it from electric to hydraulic and an extensive line-up of new/improved parts throughout the vehicle. Flyin’ Miata uses as many stock components as possible.

At $49,995, not including the price of the car, the Flyin’ Miata swap is an expensive date, but buyers do get supercar performance for their heady investment. See the swap component list below to get a better idea of the completeness of the Flyin’ Miata offering.

Flyin’ Miata LS Swap Components

• 430 hp 6.2L LS3 V8 engine w/ 2-year warranty – a 2015 Camaro SS engine
• 6-speed T56 Magnum transmission with a custom shift lever
• Flyin’ Miata-spec Moroso steel oil pan with baffling
• LS7 clutch and flywheel
• AAM differential from a 2015 Camaro
• Custom-built dual pass crossflow radiator
• Dual Spal fans on a custom shroud
• New aluminum driveshaft
• Heavy duty halfshafts
• Stainless steel headers and dual exhaust with a lifetime warranty
• Magnaflow high-flow dual catalytic converters
• Upgraded fuel system
• New GM-built engine wiring harness and engine management
• Flyin’ Miata custom engine dyno tune
• OE-style motor mounts for good NVH control
• Custom air intake system with hot air baffle
• Rear mount Odyssey battery with kill switch and engine bay jump start terminal
• Corvette C6 starter
• Fully functional stock gauges
• Flyin’ Miata sway bars front & rear with adjustable end links
• Flyin’ Miata FOX Racing suspension
• ABS
• Flyin’ Miata four wheel little big brake kit
• Air conditioning
• Hydraulic steering conversion
• Relocated washer bottle
• Custom stainless brackets required for a clean installation

Optional/Upgrade Items

• LS3 E-Rod engine
• LS376/525 engine (525 hp, 489 lb-ft)
• Carbon fiber driveshaft
• Aluminum oil pan
• 6-piston front, 4-piston rear brake upgrade
• Swain Tech White Lightning ceramic coating for the headers, cat pipes
• Hot Rod Therapy DBW cruise control
• Wheel and tire packages
• Hard Dog roll bar

About the author

Evan Griffey

Evan Griffey was the editor of Turbo & High-Tech Performance magazine from 1992 to 2005. The magazine, a founding father of the import scene, gave a struggling, disrespected automotive subculture a voice, credibility, and ultimately its rightful place as a mainstream industry complete with its own movie franchise. Evan has freelanced for the likes of Sport Compact Car, Super Street, Import Tuner, Modified, urbanracer.com, and MSN Autos and we look forward to keeping his keyboard at full boost here at REVVED.
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