A large part of what makes a Miata so special is Mazda’s dogged resistance to overkill. Decades later, today’s ND is still a small, athletic sports car with a modest four-cylinder mill. But it’s hard not to imagine what the MX-5 would be like with serious power. Well, we need not imagine any longer, as a company named Rocketeer from England has found a way to squeeze a 3.0-liter V6 into the engine bay of the tiny Miata NA, and the performance boost is also being applied to other generations of the sports car. But the modifications go far beyond that, and the result is a Miata turned up to eleven.
Related: The Mazda Miata Is America's Most Fun Car—And Its Least Driven
Meet The MX-5 ‘Keiryo’
Rocketeer
Rocketeer’s vision for Project Keiryo is to keep the analog feel of the stock MX-5, but with a massive dose of power. Whereas the standard car makes just 181 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-pot, this one will produce 370 hp from a modified version of Jaguar’s 3.0-liter ‘AJ30’ V6. A wet weight of just 1,874 pounds (a base Miata ND weighs 2,366 lbs in stock form) will give Keiryo a power-to-weight ratio that’s comparable to a Lamborghini Huracan V10, Ferrari F40, or McLaren 620R.
It’s not clear how Rocketeer got the weight down so low, but it’s an impressive feat for a car that’s already known as a lightweight in standard form. We’re guessing luxuries like air conditioning have been tossed. Rocketeer states that a bespoke, hand-crafted restomod can take as long as a year, depending on customer requirements.
According to Top Gear, the first of 10 Keiryo Miatas is being built now, with deliveries expected to begin early in 2026. Although the price is unknown, Rocketeer says on its site that full MX-5 restorations start from £75,000 (just shy of $100,000). The company also does turnkey sports cars, and these start from £19,995 (about $26,600).
Related: Want to Buy an NA Miata? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Rocketeer’s Extensive Miata Experience
Rocketeer has been building V6-powered MX-5s for years now. Back in 2020, an NB Miata with a Jaguar V6 went up for sale. This swap was also handled by Rocketeer, but unlike the upcoming Keiryo, that V6 produced just 220 hp. That’s still significantly more than a stock NB Miata, though. This model retained the standard five-speed manual, and Rocketeer’s kit made replacing the four-pot with the V6 surprisingly straightforward.
As for the stock Miata’s future, one wonders what’s coming next. The current ND has been in production for over a decade now, which is a long time in the motoring world. It’s possible that a successor will receive hybridization, but Mazda must be careful not to inflate the car’s weight. Switching to a hybrid would also likely see the end of the manual Miata, which would be a travesty in the eyes of Mazda fans. Fortunately, in an interview with Road & Track earlier this year, Mazda's CTO suggested the next MX-5 will stick with a manual and a naturally-aspirated engine.
We’ll have to wait to see what’s next for the tiny roadster, but in the meantime, Rocketeer’s Miata V6 looks like a ton of fun for those with the wherewithal to acquire one.
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