{"id":2148920,"date":"2026-09-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2148920"},"modified":"2026-09-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T21:00:00","slug":"rocketeers-new-nc-is-a-v6-engined-mk3-mazda-mx-5-thatll-cost-you-30k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2148920","title":{"rendered":"Rocketeer\u2019s new \u2018NC\u2019 is a V6-engined Mk3 Mazda MX-5 that\u2019ll cost you \u00a330k"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The recipe\u2019s a simple but effective one: take one small car, bolt in a massive engine, strap in, hold on tight. This is the Rocketeer N\/C: a Mk3 Mazda MX-5<\/a> with a Ford V6 stuffed in its nose.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll know this recipe from Rocketeer\u2019s NA (Mk1 MX-5) and NB (Mk2) cars of course, so it\u2019s only fair the Mk3 version of the world\u2019s best-selling roadster had its time in the sun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Or, more accurately, its time in the gym. The Ford V6 \u2013 the post-2003 \u2018AJ30\u2019 3.0-litre that saw service in the Mondeo, Jaguar S-Type, X-Type and even the XF and was originally a design bought from Porsche \u2013 produces a meaty 300bhp and 265lb ft. At least for now, Rocketeer calling this its \u2018standard\u2019 spec.<\/p>\n

That engine gets a carbon fibre intake (rorty), a new exhaust (sporty), a new throttle body, clutch and flywheel (can\u2019t think of another rhyme, sorry), while that Cosworth cylinder head has been tweaked so it doesn\u2019t get headbutted by the MX-5\u2019s bulkhead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Otherwise, the chassis and subframe structures remain the same as when it left Japan. As does the weight (just over a tonne) and the weight distribution (50:50). Rocketeer assures us \u201cthe new model transforms the existing car with the characterful, high revving V6 powerplant\u201d.<\/p>\n

It apparently took 18 months of late nights and possibly some swearing to reach a position where an old MX-5 can safely accommodate and then deliver three hundred Ford horsepowers while still maintaining what makes an MX-5 good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis has been a full re-engineering project from the ground up, starting with the engine, and working through each element to ensure that none of the character or essence of the original is lost,\u201d said Rocketeer MD Bruce Southey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it was originally launched, the Mazda MX5 reset the benchmark for handling and driveability, and we have worked tirelessly to make sure that we bring the Rocketeer approach to every engineering decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the result of those engineering decisions will start from \u00a325k + VAT \u2013 so a nice, round \u00a330,000 for an old car with an old engine transformed into something that\u2019d give modern stuff a run for its money. Good recipe, no?<\/p>\n

We drove the Mk1 earlier this year, and came away with one conclusion: \u201cwe need cars like the Rocketeer<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recipe\u2019s a simple but effective one: take one small car, bolt in a massive engine, strap in, hold on tight. This is the Rocketeer N\/C: a Mk3 Mazda MX-5 with a Ford V6 stuffed in its nose. You\u2019ll know this recipe from Rocketeer\u2019s NA (Mk1 MX-5) and NB (Mk2) cars of course, so it\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,237],"class_list":["post-2148920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-topgear-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2148920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148920\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2148920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2148920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2148920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}