2004 Mazda Miata Mx-5 Creampuff Low Miles Garage Kept on 2040-cars

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Flyin' Miata is building a V8-powered MX-5 ND

It's cold in many parts of the country, but this V8-swapped 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata that Flyin' Miata is developing has us dreaming about throwing on a parka and taking a very brisk drive. This beast is the product of the talented folks at Flyin' Miata, but we can't get too excited just yet. According to the company's brief Facebook post, this is just a dummy V8, placed under the Miata's hood to confirm fit. Judging by the photo, the engine fits like a glove. "There's still a long way to go before this is a real thing," Flyin' Miata writes, but the company admits everything looks "very promising" so far. The post doesn't mention any details about the estimated specs, but Autoblog reached out to Flyin' Miata for more information about this intriguing build. Keith Tanner, one of the mad scientists who shoehorns V8s into Miatas at the Colorado outfit, told us that Flyin' Miata is looking at both the LS3, which will provide between 430 and 525 hp, and the LT1 which is 460 hp out of the box. A supercharged LT4 is also being considered, but as Tanner put it, "that might be a little nuts" in a car as light as the ND. In any of these engine configurations, Tanner estimates the V8-swapped ND should comfortably be a sub-4 second to 60 mph car. The transmission will be a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual. The suspension, brakes, fuel system, cooling system, and the chassis itself will all be beefed up to handle the power, as per normal FM practice. The one question mark is the rear end, as the ND's existing one simply won't be up to the task of putting that much horsepower to the ground. The 2016 Miata was one of the best cars we drove in 2015, but Flyin' Miata knows how to turn a standard MX-5 into an absolute hotrod with the company's LS3 V8 conversions for earlier models. Imagining the more modern chassis from the latest generation with a massive dollop of more power is an exciting thought. We can't wait to see how this project turns out. Related Video:

Mazda refurbishing this NFL running back's 22-year-old daily driver

I don't actually care for the Washington Redskins (which is a good thing, considering the start to their season this year), but I love their running back, Alfred Morris. Why? Well, to start with, Morris helped deliver a dominating 10-3 season for my fantasy football team last year after a flash of prescience saw me pick him up off the waiver wire in Week 1 (hit me up on Twitter if you need fantasy sports insight, guys, I'm sort of like the Ruxin of Autoblog).
Morris is also pretty endearing because of his loyalty to his car, Bentley. Hold up - that's not to say the running back has splashed out on a Continental GT or a Flying Spur. No, Morris gave his much-loved 1991 Mazda 626 the tongue-in-cheek name "Bentley" while he was still a student at Florida Atlantic. One 1,613-rushing-yard rookie season and a $2.2-million contract later, and Morris is still using his Mazda as his daily driver. It might be easy to assume that the young player is simply being really prudent with all of his newfound wealth, but the guy really just has a thing for his five-speed-manual 626.
And Mazda, of course, loves the story of Morris' affection. In an effort to keep his 626 running strong and looking good, the company's Washington D.C.-area dealers have agreed to refurbish Bentley back to its original showroom freshness. Rather than spoil the classic (?) lines of the 626, the Mazda folks are essentially restoring the car for Morris. The cracked dash will be swapped out for a factory replacement, the engine and transmission given a thorough going-over and the whole vehicle generally made as fresh as Will Smith circa 1991. Bentley is expected to be completed and rolling through the capitol city by October 15, and in the meantime, Morris has been driving around in a new 2014 Mazda6 loaner car.

2020 Mazda3 hatchback starts at $24,620, a $100 increase

Car and Driver got the scoop on some 2020 Mazda3 pricing, and anyone waiting for the new model year had better bring more money. The Mazda3 sedan goes up by $500 to $21,500. After the $920 destination charge, that's a total of $22,420. On the sedan, however, the extra dosh pays for extra equipment. Every sedan trim gets Mazda's i-Activsense driver assistance tech, meaning adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The i-Activsense suite had been an option the sedan's entry-level trims. The Mazda3 sedan in Select guise, one step above the entry-level model, increases $100 to $23,620. Starting price for the front-wheel drive 2020-model-year hatchback comes in at $24,620 after destination. C/D says that's a $1,020 bump, but we believe that figure is an error. Based on the fact that Mazda's U.S. pricing rounds off to the nearest hundred and destination is $920, it seems more likely the $24,620 price includes destination. In that case, the 2020 Mazda3 hatch only goes up by $100. The five-door models don't get any more equipment, but Mazda say's there's a new finish for the wheels on the top-tier Premium trim. All other trims hold steady. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a square 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque remains the sole engine option, a six-speed automatic is the standard transmission on all trims, the hatchback in Premium form offering a six-speed manual option. Buyers of the entry-level sedan are stuck with front-wheel drive, while every other trim offers all-wheel drive for $1,400. The sedans should hit dealerships this month, and the hatchbacks will roll in come September.