The Mazda Miata, and those who own the pint-sized sports car, seem to be the butt of many jokes on the internet. If you try to roll one of those jokes out on Peter Chavez and his 1990 drop-top Miata you better be ready to eat some crow. Chavez’s Miata has a 445 cubic-inch LS crammed under the hood along with a giant F1-X ProCharger for good measure.

Mazda introduced the Miata as a compact sports car that was designed to slice up corners with the precision of a samurai sword. Gearheads who live for horsepower viewed the pocket rocket as underpowered and immediately started swapping various V8 engines into it. These engine swaps transformed your average Miata into a tire-roasting machine, and some were modified even further for drag racing activities.

Chavez has taken his Miata to the extreme side of things when it comes to preparing it for drag racing. Hustler Racing Engines was the go-to shop for Chavez as he modified the Miata and they built a nasty LS-based engine. The engine makes over 1,200 horsepower thanks to the boosted air provided by the F1-X supercharger bolted to it. A TH400 transmission is responsible for sending the power back to a 9-inch Ford rearend and a set of Mickey Thompson slicks. A Holley Dominator EFI system makes sure the engine is kept happy during each pass.

The combination that Chavez and Hustler have put together is absolutely no joke — the Miata has been 7.97 at 178 MPH and Chavez thinks the car could tickle the 7.80s. Even if you’re not a fan of the Miata, you have to respect a car that can lay down impressive numbers like Chavez’s ride can.