When Miska Kähkönen isn’t working as a young electrician in Espoo, Finland, you’ll likely find him in his garage, or out having fun on two and four wheels. Miska is into motorcycles – from street to motocross – and recently started overlanding in his Jeep Cherokee XJ. The real star of his garage, however, is a 1991 Mazda MX-5.
Miska purchased the MX-5 back in 2013 with the intention of daily driving it. But – surprise, surprise – that all changed during its first winter in his possession, when Miska decided it would make a great project car.
The first iteration of the project debuted at a local car show in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the little Mazda started to resemble the machine we see now. It was a trip to Poland for a Next Level Drift event that inspired its transformation.
On his return to Finland, Miska wasted little time ordering a full Duce bodykit from Firefly Speed Shop in the UK, and everything else he needed to set the MX-5 up for drifting.
With all Miska had going on in his life it took several years for the Mazda to hit the road again, but when it did, it was a different car. This was largely thanks to the DIY turbo conversion, which is centered around a Garrett T3 (scavenged from a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth) fitted to the Mazda’s original 1.6L engine, which remains internally stock. The setup is reputedly good for around 230hp and 300Nm – plenty for the lightweight MX-5.
We all know how much fun Daigo Saito is having with his Roadsters, and they don’t have any meaningful engine upgrades.
Miska still shifts through the Mazda’s original 5-speed gearbox, but the diff has been locked.
What drastically helps with drifting is the suspension setup, and Miska uses BC Racing BR coilovers, plus front knuckles, lower control arms and steering spacers from Destroy or Die. The wheels are 16-inch Riverside tri-spokes sourced from Japan.
The interior features a full roll cage, Recaro SPG race seats, carbon door panels, and a quirky addition – a 15-year-old pink iPod Nano loaded with all the best bangers from the early ’00s.
Miska describes the MX-5 as uncomfortable on the street, but “entertaining” nonetheless.
While the Mazda was his first project car – and something he completed himself – it’s not going to be his last. Right now, Miska is working on a C5 Corvette that he inherited from his father. Since the MX-5 has been relegated to track and street use, the Chevy will replace it on the show front, with air suspension and large wheels at the top of the list.
The dream is to build Finland’s best modified C5, so I look forward to seeing what Miska comes up with. In the meantime though, there’s plenty of fun to be had in his little roadster.
Vladimir Ljadov
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