If a Mazda Miata is the only vehicle around during a zombie apocalypse, you’ll want this Ford V8-powered version that has been designed to go off-road. Power comes from a replacement 302ci Ford V8 engine making 290 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed T5 manual transmission.
The Hurtan Grand Albaycin 30th Anniversary Edition actually started its life as a Mazda Miata MX-5 ND and is limited to 6-units worldwide. What sets it apart from the whimsical roadster are its wide fenders, vintage-style grille, and round LED headlights. It comes in three different colors: midnight blue, lead grey, and cherry red.
Photo credit: Dylan Krucke
At first glance, this may appear to be a Toyota Supra, but in reality, it’s just a cleverly modded Mazda RX-7 by auto enthusiast Dylan Krucke. It wouldn’t look out of place in the upcoming Fast & Furious movie, thanks to its authentic Supra headlights with a darkened rear section to match the taillights.
While not as elegant as the Mazda NM Concept, the Autozam AZ-1 Kei car is just as interesting. This particular vehicle is from 1992 and was imported to the US from Japan, finished in red over black paint as well as upholstery. Aside from the gullwing doors, it’s powered by a rear-mounted turbocharged 657cc DOHC engine making 63 hp and 63 lb-ft of torque, mated to a five speed manual transmission.
While not as crazy as this Nintendo Wii steering wheel in an MX-5, Gorgona Cars’ Mazda NM Concept was designed purely for the track. They took a first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata and then removed the windshield, covered the passenger side with a metal sheet, and sealed the bottom half of the doors.
Typically, auto enthusiasts prefer using Pontiac Fieros for their replica builds, but this one from Japan decided to transform a 1989 Mazda RX-7 into a strange Ferrari F40 knockoff. Power comes from a turbocharged 13B-T twin-rotor engine making 182 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, which enables it to hit 60 mph in 6.5-seconds. In other words, this knockoff won’t be fooling anyone on the road, even if they don’t know much about cars.
At first glance, this Mazda suitcase car from 1991 appears to be a normal Samsonite that you’d see at an airport or department store, but it’s actually powered by a 33.6cc, 1.7hp two-stroke engine. There’s also handlebars and 4″-6″ diameter tires sourced from a pocket bike wrapped around wheels that could be slotted to the outside of the case, while the front wheel pops through a removable hatch.
It’s not everyday that you come across a Nintendo Wii Wheel, much less one installed in a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Well, that’s exactly what Tyler Atkin decided to do…swap out his Mazda’s steering wheel for a video game controller. Aside from this mod, he has also replaced the gear shifter with the Wii nunchuck as well as swapping the floor mats for Wii Fit exercise mats.
It’s true, Mazda actually made a ‘suitcase car’ in 1991. This is essentially a fully-functional car built into a piece of luggage and designed specifically for the company’s ‘Fantasyard’ event, an inter-departmental contest to see which group of employees could come up with the most innovative and creative solution to producing a ‘moving machine’. During the early 1990s, Mazda had already successfully reinvented the roadster with the MX-5 Miata and won Le Mans with the rotary-powered 787B racer, so it was the perfect time to build a car into a suitcase. Read more for a video of it in-action, additional pictures and information.
Ken Block’s insane Hoonicorn is an all-wheel-drive drift machine powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 generating 1,400hp based on a 1965 Ford Mustang. The beast runs on methanol fuel, which helps the engine run quite a bit cooler than petrol. Rob Dahm’s four-rotor, all-wheel-drive Mazda RX-7 is definitely no slouch either. It has a tube frame chassis, a billet four-rotor engine generating 1,240hp, mated to a sequential transmission.