For more than 30 years the MX-5 has ticked several boxes for petrolheads on a budget. It’s affordable, lightweight and fun to drive, but not exactly fast. Until now.
YouTuber EVOVIISWE pushed his ND-generation MX-5 RF – Mazda’s coupé-styled, retractable hardtop model – to 187.6mph (302 km/h) on a stretch of unrestricted German autobahn by swapping the standard 181bhp four-pot for a 514bhp LS7 V8.
The build has taken over a year to complete and the high-speed run wasn’t without issues. During his first attempt there was a loud bang at around 178mph when the windscreen trim broke off, although fortunately the retractable roof stayed in place.
On a second attempt the MX-5 motored beyond the 300km/h mark with the speed measured on a motorsports-spec Racelogic VBox. EVOIISWE reckons this makes it the fastest road-legal MX-5 in the world. Do you know of one faster?
Some like the pure simplicity of the minimalist MX-5, but it’s the car’s amazing mod-ability that appeals to many more. Whether you fancy a monoposto or a tribute to a 1950s Alfa Romeo there’s an MX-5-based solution out there, and now there’s an autobahn-stormer as well.
The roadster is due for a refresh, along with some mild electrification, in the next few years. Let’s hope the car’s next form doesn’t prove an obstacle to the diverse world of MX-5 tuning in the future.
Read more
Kei Cars are Japan’s SUVs – Autozam AZ-1, Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino
40 years ago my dad bought a Mazda RX-7 and now we’ve all been reunited
Freeze Frame: MX-5 kicks off the roadster craze in Chicago
