MX-5 Miata

Make
Mazda
Segment
Compact

We like to think of the humble Mazda Miata as an entry-point into the world of enthusiast cars. These little machines exemplify the "less is more" school of thought and is one of the most real driving experiences you'll ever get to enjoy without the worry of breaking any speed limits. Yes, we have seen versions of the MX-5 that are a bit quicker than usual, but we've never seen one that can pop wheelies. But this video of a 9-second Mazda Miata is on an entirely new level of madness.

The Miata you see before you has gone down the V8 swap route which is a tried and tested way of making a Mazda Miata extremely fast. But owner Tony Thomson didn't go with an LS, and instead went for a Ford setup. The car was built in 2008 and features a big-block Ford motor of undisclosed capacity (there's a Boss 302 sticker on the front fender), as well as a nine-inch rear end and a set of fat slick rear tires. The owner states that it has run a best time of 9.71 seconds at 145 mph. What makes that time even more impressive is that it still runs a manual transmission.

In the video we can see the little terror race a Ford Mustang. The Miata grips from the word go and does a slight wheelie. Smashing it into second gear makes the car jump for traction, but after that, it's smooth sailing. The car crosses the line with a time of ten seconds on the dot. The Miata keeps winning races and eventually ends up in the finals against a Mustang Cobra Jet. The Miata crosses the line in first place with a time of only 9.875 seconds. Hot damn!