If there's one thing enthusiasts never get tired of, it's the quest for more power using one tried-and-true formula: the good old-fashioned engine swap.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata has long been a favorite canvas for such projects, with builders cramming everything from small-block V8s and V6s to Honda's F20C and K24-series four-cylinder engines to achieve more horsepower.

Louisiana-based tuning company Geaux Moto, however, has taken the ND Miata in a very different direction with its “Ecoyata” Ford-powered roadster that makes up to 460 PS at the wheels.

Motivation for the lightweight Miata comes from Ford’s 2.3L EcoBoost engine from the Mustang, together with its MT-82 six-speed manual transmission, giving it the power-to-weight ratio of a Viper ACR.

The fully built engine gets a Mountune bottom end, a larger twin-scroll Garrett turbo, and dual wastegates. A street tune delivers a more manageable 321 PS and 512 Nm, while one customer car has pushed 460 PS and 532 Nm on the dyno.

All that power requires serious cooling. The Ecoyata gets a larger radiator and intercooler, along with additional radiators tucked behind the factory fog light openings. A baffled Focus RS oil pan also helps the engine cope with oil starvation during hard cornering.

Interestingly, fitting the engine was the easier part of the conversion. The Mustang's MT-82 isn't compatible with the ND's factory Power Plant Frame, forcing Geaux Moto to develop its own transmission mounting solution. An OS Giken limited-slip differential is also fitted inside the stock housing.

Carrying so much power, it needs extra downforce on the straights and on the corners. A Varis-designed aero package, including a carbon-fiber front splitter and large rear wing, generates a claimed 576 pounds (or 261 kg) of downforce at 160 km/h.

Despite its track-focused hardware, the Ecoyata remains surprisingly street-friendly. The factory Mazda PCM works alongside the Ford ECU, allowing features such as ABS, electric power steering, the start/stop system, and the instrument cluster to remain functional. Air conditioning and much of the original interior are also retained.

Geaux Moto isn't treating the Ecoyata as a one-off, either. The company is developing the conversion as a proper swap kit, with components including engine and transmission mounts planned for customers.

The ND3 Miata is already fun at 181 PS. With 450 PS at the wheels, Geaux Moto has turned it into a very different kind of monster.