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Mazda MX5 Miata Undergoes Conversion Using Subaru WRX Powertrain To Create An Off-Road Machine

We’re seeing a bit of a theme here at Grand Tour Nation – people love making some insane modifications to their cars. Yesterday we reported on AutotopiaLA and their Hellcat-powered Chevy C10 and today we are bringing you an off-road Mazda MX-5 Miata… yes that’s right you heard me, an off-road Mazda MX-5. We’ve actually only ever seen one of these in the wild before.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a go-to for car enthusiasts, providing an excellent drive, comfort, and of course, fun for a fraction of the price of some of its counterparts. You will see MX-5 owners worldwide taking their beloved car on long road trips, searching for those beautiful long twisting roads that you see on the likes of The Grand Tour.

You don’t, however, see very many owners turning it into an off-road beast of a machine, luckily for us, Gingium has come to the rescue. This insane and crazy project began back in September 2018 but unfortunately was put on the back burner due to Gingium having other projects to focus on. That all changed when a Subaru WRX entered the scene and the project was revived. Yes that’s right, this is not just a 4×4 Mazda MX5, it’s got Subaru blood too in the form of its renowned all-wheel-drive system.

The video below comes near the end of the project, the vehicle is mostly in pieces but most importantly the all-wheel-drive system and the Subaru-spec EJ four-pot are in place. The video takes us through the various stages of putting this beast back together including; primary component assembly (under-hood items and moving to the breaks), wheels, body panels and lights. Pretty extensive right? Yes, but there is so much more to be done. The interior is basically just metal and wires and we are yet to hear the engine running, but there is no denying how great this thing looks and will sound when it’s done.

It goes without saying that the effort required to convert a two-wheel drive car to an all-wheel drive car is monumental, not to mention installing a completely different car manufacture’s gear into it. We can’t wait to see this thing up and running and flying through the mud like there is no tomorrow.

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