Extreme Mazda MX-5 racer on sale for $37.5k

Tuned Mazda MX-5 Miata are by no means rare, but the example seen here has to be one of the wildest in existence.

Dubbed the Odd Rod, it’s a brainchild of Tommy Reichelderfer. Working with a first-generation roadster, he redesigned its body from scratch, stripped the interior to bare metal and put a Ford V8 into the engine bay.

The naturally aspirated mill sends over 450 PS (444 hp / 331 kW) to the wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Perhaps more impressively, the whole car tips the scales at 970 kilos (2,140 lbs) – that’s a better power-to-weight ratio than the Bugatti Veyron.

Reichelderfer also installed other track-friendly mods, like six-piston Wilwood brake calipers at the front end and four-piston ones at the back, as well as BC coilovers. All in all, he reckons he had poured over $100,000 into the project, but the result in being sold for just $37,500 right now.

This Miata was featured in Top Gear a few years ago – check out the video for a closer look at the build.