Rocketeer Cars, the Hampshire outfit responsible for squeezing Jaguar V6s into unsuspecting MX-5s, has just topped up the tank with a round of fresh investment — and they’re not idling. Instead, they’re charging into 2025 with two new models and plans to cross the Atlantic.
If you’ve not come across Rocketeer before, picture this: take a dainty Mazda MX-5, one of the sweetest-handling cars ever made, and bin the original engine. In its place goes a 3.0-litre V6 that howls like a banshee and makes 280 horses, or up to 375 if you’re particularly brave or daft. The result? A featherweight sports car with a bark to match its bite.
So far, Rocketeer has delivered over 30 turnkey and RestoBuild cars, along with more than 150 self-build kits to tinkerers across the globe. Now, with new investors on board — some of them dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads with garages full of exotica — they’re pushing the throttle to the floor.
Top of the new developments is the Rocketeer Keiryō, which, in true Japanese fashion, translates to “lightweight.” It’s anything but timid, though: Rocketeer’s aiming for 375hp and a kerb weight of just 850kg. That’s 441hp per tonne, folks—right up there with the Ferrari F40 and McLaren 620R. It’s designed to appeal to a new breed of sports car driver: less traction control, more grin factor.
Also incoming is the long-awaited NC-based (Mk3) Rocketeer. It’s already been thrashed on the dyno and shown 300hp in standard tune. First deliveries are due mid-year, and with so many Mk3 MX-5s still knocking about, it’s expected to become the bread-and-butter model.
But Rocketeer isn’t just looking to fill British B-roads with V6 wail. The new funding will also support entry into the US market, where enthusiasm for self-builds and unique performance cars is alive and well. Rocketeer already has build partners in Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. Uncle Sam is next.
There are three routes into Rocketeer ownership: bespoke RestoBuilds with custom interiors and one-off paintwork (the full Rolls-Royce treatment, but faster); Turnkey builds delivered complete with Rocketeer badging and a spot on the official registry; or self-build kits for the hands-on types.
All versions share the same beating heart—a Jaguar-derived AJ30 V6, designed by Porsche and fettled by Cosworth. If that doesn’t stir your soul, you’re on the wrong website.
