The Rocketeer MXV6 is the MX-5 Roadster Mazda Wouldn’t Build

Allegedly, Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “If you want a thing done well, do it yourself”, and that is exactly how the Rocketeer MXV6 came about. Built by the Rocketeer Cars company in the UK, it answers the question a lot of Mazda MX-5 and car enthusiasts, in general, have been asking for years: What would a V6-powered MX-5 be like to live with? The most straightforward answer would be “Brilliant!!” but it’s not as simple as it may look. A bigger engine usually means more weight, which potentially throws off the ideal 50-50 weight distribution the little roadster is famous for. But is that a sacrifice worth making for a more thrilling ride? Let’s find out!

The Masterful MX-5

The ingredients that made the Mazda MX-5 such a legendary little roadster are quite simple: a low kerb weight, perfect 50-50 distribution, the engine up front, and drive to the rear. The concept is far from groundbreaking, as it is something the Brits were very good at for decades. Think of cars like the Lotus Elan, the MG B, the Austin Healey, the Triumph TR-series, and so on. Yet, the Japanese roadster had a couple of other things going for it when it was first released in 1989: affordability and reliability. In almost four decades of production, well over a million have been produced, consolidating it as one of the most successful sports cars ever made. In fact, it is the best-selling two-seat sports car in automotive history, which says a lot about just how brilliant a car it is!

Today, the car is in its fourth generation and is still a much-loved compact sports car. From the very first NA generation to the current ND-gen cars, the playful soul of the MX-5 has been retained. It still has a relatively low weight, still has the engine up front, and still sends all the power to the rear wheels only. Sure, it has matured into a more luxurious car, but the essence is still very much there! It still delivers boatloads of driving fun if you step on it without immediately biting your head off. It’s the sort of car you drive for pure enjoyment instead of blistering performance. But if you’re on the hunt for a little bit more oomph and are looking to make your NA or NB series MX-5 a little more ‘You’, there’s a very good solution coming from the UK! And it goes by the name of Rocketeer Cars.

Rocketeer Cars

Rocketeer Cars is a company based in Hampshire, United Kingdom and was founded in 2013 by Bruce Southey. The original idea of the company was to focus on contracting and consulting for the automotive industry while also offering conversion kits on the side. Over time, this has shifted to an extensive range of conversions and parts dedicated to the MX-5, with track-specialized builds, reliable daily drivers, and more finding a strong fanbase the world over.

Rocketeer’s vision is to enhance the near-perfect driving experience of the MX-5 with a little bit of extra sparkle here and there, elevating it to new heights. All this is done with the utmost respect to the original platform, enhanced with precision-engineered components where needed or desired. It is said to still have the handling characteristics of the original car, yet with all the dials turned up to 11. It’s basically the V6 MX-5 that Mazda themselves have never built.

The Rocketeer MXV6

The Rocketeer MXV6 comes in three forms: a full-fledged restomod build, a turn-key conversion, and a do-it-yourself kit. It basically comes down to how much you’re aiming to spend, how far you want your MX-5 modified and personalized, and if you want to leave it to the professionals of Rocketeer Cars and their partners or have a go at it yourself. A restomod sees a donor car being fully broken down to a bare shell, refurbished and strengthened, before being built back up by Rocketeer specialists. Turnkey cars are also built by hand but with more standardized levels of detail. Both will get you Rocketeer badging, setting your car apart from stock MX-5s just a touch more. The DIY parts packages can also be applied to cars like the Ford Capri, Reliant Scimitar, Triumph Stag and so on, but we’re side-stepping a bit here.

To start with the obvious, the Rocketeer MXV6 ditches the 1.8-litre four-cylinder of the MX-5. It is replaced by the Ford-built Duratect 30/AJ30 engine used by Jaguar in the X-Type, S-Type, XJ and XF models. The output is about 240 horsepower in stock form, which is already considerably more than the max 180bhp you get from the NA or NB MX-5’s four-banger (or in the case of a turn-key conversion for the NC-gen cars as well). Not content with that base number, the lowest Rocketeer offers is a 280bhp conversion, but output in excess of 400bhp is also an option. Each engine is fully rebuilt and upgraded by Basset Down Balancing, a partner of Rocketeer Cars.

Performance-wise, acceleration times drop considerably while the top speed increases quite drastically. A typical NA or NB MX-5 has a zero-to-100kph time of around 8.6 seconds. Rocketeer claims that the low-end spec MXV6 hits 100kph in five seconds, while top-spec builds are even quicker. But what matters most is the fact that Rocketeer also promises to uphold the MX-5’s fabled 50-50 weight distribution by reworking a ton of other bits on the car besides the engine swap. Any build can include various performance parts, from braking to suspension, from wheels and tyres to exhaust systems, and so on.

And it doesn’t end with the mechanics, as there are a ton of exterior and interior options to choose from. Different lighting kits, for instance, can convert the original frog-eyed pop-up headlights look to a meaner twin-light pop-up design. The body can also be fully restored and refreshed if needed, with upgrades wherever the client needs or wants them. Interior trim can be finished in pretty much any colour and material when opting for a restomod build, so it really comes down to how far you’re willing to take it. Prices for restomod builds are determined by the changes requested, while turnkey builds start at GBP 16,995, excluding VAT and a donor car. The DIY kits are priced according to their contents. An electronics pack costs GBP 1,995, while the engine pack will set you back GBP 5,995 to give you an idea of the total costs involved.

The biggest question, however, is whether the MX-5 DNA has been retained after you’ve gone all out on the parts and options list. The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’ as the Rocketeer MXV6 has been skilfully re-engineered to simply deliver more in every area of the MX-5’s laureled driving experience.

For more information, please visit RocketeerCars.com.

Editorial Note: The information and images used for this article have been sourced from and used with the permission of Rocketeer Cars.