Mazda 6 Gets Big Upgrade With Lexus V8
Here's how to make a Mazda 6 much cooler.
Going Traditional
Mazda has long been a brand synonymous with spirited performance, but many of us traditional automotive enthusiasts prefer our vehicles to feature big V8s and rear-wheel-drive architecture. Luckily, Lexus still provides us with both, but that isn't the case with the Mazda 6. Thus, one owner in China decided to take matters into his own hands and swap a Lexus V8 into his Mazda 6, a build that was completed a couple of years ago and shown off via new.qq.com, but recently discovered by Engine Swap Depot.
Photos: new.qq.com
Thirsty for Power
From the outside, the Mazda sedan looks bone stock, which helps it blend in perfectly with the rest of the boring daily drivers out there in the world. Originally equipped with Mazda's 2.0-liter SkyActive-G four-cylinder, the owner wasn't satisfied with its output and swapped that out for a 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G engine, then added a supercharger later on. But the owner's thirst for power wasn't quenched yet.
Photos: new.qq.com
Major Surgery
The owner sent his sedan over to a tuning shop called OMAS, where it underwent some seriously major surgery, all in the name of power. There, the shop installed a 4.3-liter V8 out of a Lexus LS430, which was originally rated to produce 290 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque.
Photos: new.qq.com
Major Modifications
That job, as one might imagine, wasn't easy. To make the Lexus V8 fit in the Mazda engine bay, OMAS had to modify both the firewall and the transmission tunnel, a new exhaust, cooling system, and fuel tank, as well as the subframe from a 2008 Toyota Crown.
Photos: new.qq.com
Long-Term Project
During this process, a new transmission and necessary driveline components were installed to transform the front-wheel-drive sedan into a rear-wheel-drive menace. Altogether, the project took around five months to complete and cost roughly 100,000 CNY (USD 14,898).
Photos: new.qq.com
True Sleeper
As we can see in this video, that time and money paid off, because this formerly boring sedan has been transformed into a true burnout machine. But our other favorite thing about this build - other than its engine - is the fact that it looks bone stock, making it a true sleeper if anyone wants to challenge the owner to a bit of a race.
Photos: new.qq.com
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