Mazda has spent decades proving that a sports car doesn’t need huge horsepower to be entertaining. For some Miata owners, however, the temptation to add a ton more power without ruining the lightweight roadster’s character is difficult to resist.
British engineering company Rocketeer has built its reputation around that idea. Since 2013, it has developed V6 conversions for earlier generations of the Mazda MX-5, using an engine it believes complements rather than overwhelms the little sports car.
The first-generation NA and second-generation NB have already received the treatment. Now Rocketeer has turned its attention to the larger third-generation NC.
The result is the new Rocketeer NC, developed over approximately 18 months and packing a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine Mazda never gave the Mk3 Miata. There’s a significant barrier to entry, though, because the conversion starts at £25,000 before VAT, or £30,000 including VAT — roughly $40,000 at current exchange rates.
The NC Miata Now Makes 300 HP
Rocketeer replaces the Mazda four-cylinder with a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter AJ30 V6, an engine from Ford’s Duratec family that was also used in vehicles such as the Jaguar S-Type. In Rocketeer specification, it produces 300 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque.
The conversion includes a newly developed carbon-fiber intake plenum, exhaust system, throttle body, clutch, and flywheel. Rocketeer also re-engineered the engine for the NC installation, including bespoke cylinder-head work that allows it to fit without modifying the car’s bulkhead.
Rocketeer says the aluminum-block V6 doesn’t upset one of the Miata’s most important characteristics. According to the company, the finished car weighs just over a metric ton and keeps an approximately 50:50 weight distribution, while the original chassis and subframe structures remain unchanged.
Rocketeer Wanted A V6 From The Beginning
Rocketeer’s preference for the AJ30 dates back to founder Bruce Southey’s original Miata conversion project. The company deliberately avoided forced induction and decided a V8 would add too much weight and potentially overpower the character of the car.
A naturally aspirated V6 became the compromise. The 3.0-liter AJ30 brings six-cylinder sound and a high-revving personality while remaining relatively light thanks to its aluminum construction.
“This has been a full re-engineering project from the ground up,” Southey said, explaining that preserving the character and driving experience of the original MX-5 guided the project.
The Conversion Alone Costs Around $40,000
Unlike Rocketeer’s earlier offerings, the NC conversion won’t initially be sold as a DIY kit. Customers must have the work completed by Rocketeer at its Hampshire facility in the UK or through approved installers in Germany, the United States, and Australia.
Pricing starts at £25,000 plus VAT, bringing the UK total to £30,000, or roughly $40,000. Crucially, that’s the price of the conversion alone rather than a complete Miata build.
That makes this an expensive way to extract 300 hp from an NC. Then again, Rocketeer’s goal was to build the naturally aspirated, six-cylinder Miata that Mazda never did, not merely chasing a dyno number.