This Off-Road Mazda MX-5 Might Be The Ultimate Project Rally Car

We love an off-road-ready Mazda MX-5, and this insane-looking creation from Paco Motorsports is one of the craziest we’ve seen yet. Based on a 2017 ND Mazda MX-5 (Miata) RF, the high-riding rally machine has been overhauled for off-road antics by the Kentucky-based racing firm, and we think that this MX-5 could well be the ultimate rally project car. The best news? If you love this crazy-looking Miata, Paco has confirmed that the full conversion kit will be available to order soon.

This build features some of the largest tyres we’ve ever seen on an MX-5. The off-roader sits on whopping 30-inch chunky tyres at the rear and 28-inch mud-churning units at the front. To get these huge wheels to fit with the car’s bodywork, new front and rear bumpers have been designed from scratch using CAD software, along with wider fenders.

To transform the road-going MX-5 into a rallying hero, a set of modified Koni shock absorbers with larger springs have been installed to provide between 8- and 9-inches of travel at each corner. Paco Motorsports also fitted the MX-5 with specially designed side rocker sliders, and, of course, an off-road build wouldn’t be complete without a set of Hella rally-spec spotlights. There will undoubtedly be more equipment included with the kit, but the firm has remained relatively tight-lipped about the specific details of the package so far.

What we do know is that no changes have been made in the performance department, so the car still uses the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 158bhp – plenty of power for off-road fun, but we think some tinkering under the hood wouldn’t go amiss. Still, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to aftermarket performance upgrades for the Miata.

Or, you could buy the firm’s “Offroadster” kit for the first-generation Miata, starting from $3,199 (£2,612) for the base conversion kit and rising to $5,999 (£4,899) for the complete setup. While the ND off-roader was built as a one-off, the team at Paco has confirmed that they will be taking orders for the kit in the near future.