Project Thunderbolt: Building A LS3 Powered Miata – Part 13
by Christopher Christopher
Published in engineswapdepot.com
Tom’s Turbo Garage is back with another Project Thunderbolt episode after taking four months off to enjoy his creation. In this episode Tom takes Project Thunderbolt through several tests to see how the LS3 crate motor performs in his Mazda Miata. Like all of Tom projects he really made sure everything was perfect and it is probably one of the cleanest swaps I have seen in a long time.
| Stock | LS3 Conversion | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheel Horsepower | 153 @ 5800 rpm | 433 @ 6200 rpm | +280 / +183% |
| Wheel Torque | 147 @ 3800 rpm | 411 @ 4700 rpm | +264 / +179% |
| Curb Weight (w/ hard top) | 2,574 lbs | 2,731 lbs | +175 lbs |
| Weight Balance | 52.5%F 47.5%R | 53.6%F 46.3%R | +1.1%F -1.2%R |
| Fuel Consumption (MPG) | 20 city 23 combined 26 highway | 24 combined | +1 |
Source: Tom’s Turbo Garage