The Mazda Miata has always been a lightweight, nimble, and all-around fun car to drive, so what would be the ultimate modification for a Miata? A Chevy V8, that’s what!

We’ve seen quite a few LS swaps in Miatas, so it’s not that uncommon, but this V8 Miata built by Flyin’ Miata that you are watching on the track was built for a customer who will be campaigning the car in some endurance races – possibly Thunderhill in 2015! As you can see from the video, this car was meant to be on a track – yeah, it’s probably street-able, but the most fun with this vehicle will be had on the race course.

The engine is an LSX376 crate engine from Chevrolet Performance and is rated to make 525 horsepower at the crank, and the car puts down 432 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. The transmission is a T56 Magnum from Rockland Gears, the rear end is a Getrag unit out of a CTS-V, and the suspension is from AFCO and uses Eibach springs, while 15 x 10 wheels with 275 mm Hoosier slicks keep the car glued to the pavement.

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One part of the car that we found interesting in particular was the rear wing – it’s a Car of Tomorrow wing from when NASCAR was campaigning the COT from 2007-2012 in the Sprint Cup Series. The front of the car has a large splitter installed to keep the front tires planted, as well as a custom, quick-disconnect light bar fixture for when races lead into the night.

Overall, this car is awesome and we love watching it rip around a track – it makes us want to build one to play with on the weekends! And if you’re wondering about the chase car – it’s got a very similar setup to the Miata out front. They’re both awesome cars and we just want to see more footage. For the full build, check out their thread here.

Here’s a video of the car on the dyno before the slicks went on for track testing – enjoy!