The thought of a Miata taking on a Ferrari in a drag race is laughable, if only a V8-powered Mazda Miata can be called laughable. This type of conversion is quite popular nowadays, with the availability of the Chevy LS1 V8 motor and with knowledge on this particular swap circulating freely on the Internet.
While it’s natural to think that swapping an LS1 engine will make for a nose-heavy car, it’s been found that the original cast-iron Mazda engine is actually a bit heavier, and using the all-aluminum V8 LS1 still gives a 50/50 weight distribution, which plays a significant part in why the Miata handles so well.
At the rear wheels, a stock Chevy LS1 will give around 330 rear-wheel horsepower. The Miata only weighs 2,100 pounds or 940 kilos, so with an LS1, the power to weight ratio will come out to 356 bhp per ton. This is comparable to the power-to-weight ratios for a Corvette Z06 and a Ferrari F430. Performance calculations predict a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds with a quarter-mile time of under 12 seconds. Swaps like these follow the classic formula of a big engine in a small car, and the combination of a modern chassis and engine gives a high performance package for relatively little money.
According to an LS1 Miata owner, “I built this car to drive on big tracks like Sebring, Road Atlanta, Homestead etc. and I smoke Turbo Porsche's, Ferraris, and Vette's at every event. That’s why I chose this chassis, it handles better than most cars out there, and now it has the power to match.”
LS1 Miata vs. Ferrari F430
Source info can be found here and here.
This type of conversion is quite popular nowadays, with the availability of the Chevy LS1 V8 motor and with knowledge on this particular swap ... ls1engine.blogspot.com
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