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Inside Mazda

The Cars of Flyin’ Miata

Taking The MX-5 Beyond The Next Level

Miata motifcation kits
Video ThumbnailWhat happens when you take all of the great things about the MX-5 Miata and amplify them? For over 25 years, MX-5 enthusiasts have been exploring the outer edge of the MX-5’s performance envelope with outstanding results. One company working diligently to conjure all of the performance potential of

What happens when you take all of the great things about the MX-5 Miata and amplify them? For over 25 years, MX-5 enthusiasts have been exploring the outer edge of the MX-5’s performance envelope with outstanding results.

MX-5 Flyin Miata Launch

A 430-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 from the 2015 Camaro Super Sport into the Miata’s engine bay.

One company working diligently to conjure all of the performance potential of the beloved MX-5 is Flyin’ Miata of Palisade, Colorado. Offering a broad range of products from bolt-on go faster parts to complete turnkey cars, just as the company’s name implies, Flyin’ Miata exists solely to make the Mazda roadster fly.

For those who need a little more power out of a MX-5, Flyin’ Miata sunk a 430-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 from the 2015 Camaro Super Sport right under the hood.

Dubbed Habu, the V8 conversion package is offered for any 1990 to 2015 MX-5. Flyin’ Miata addresses every aspect of the car, from the fuel system to the brakes to the chassis and the suspension system. The end result is as thrilling as it is well-rounded, tractable and readily capable of serving as a daily driver.

Catfish launch

The “Catfish” MX-5 weighs nearly 600 pounds lighter than the standard MX-5 because of its fiberglass body.

Looking for something with an edgier feel?

How about stripping all of the running gear out of a 1990-2005 Miata, bolting it into a ultra-stiff spaceframe and dressing it in a super sleek fiberglass body—one shaped specifically to generate aerodynamic downforce at speed? The folks at Flyin’ Miata call it the Catfish.

Offered as either a kit or a turnkey automobile, Catfish weighs nearly 600 pounds less than a stock MX-5 (approximately 1,700 pounds with the standard drivetrain). Plus, all sorts of high performance extras are offered to improve engine output, handling, and braking.

Completely street legal, The Flyin’ Miata Catfish may well be the most dynamic Miata-based custom ever offered.

Exocet Flyin Miata Launch

The 430-horsepower V MX-5 was reduced to its most minimal form. The “Exocet” is some 800 pounds less than the stock roadster.

If that doesn’t impress you, there’s always the Exocet. If you’re familiar with the Ariel Atom, you have a good idea of the concept behind the Exocet. Reducing the MX-5 to its most minimal form, the Exocet is basically a tubular space frame designed to accept the running gear of the Miata.

Weighing about 800 pounds less than the stock roadster (approximately 1,500 pounds), the performance gains are tremendous. And, if you’re absolutely determined to go as fast as humanly possible; yes, the 430-horsepower V8 will fit. Flyin’ Miata offers Exocet as a kit or a turnkey automobile. Huge grins and an accelerated respiration rate come standard.