This episode of Carnage is an absolute belter, as we head to the dyno with our Barra-swapped MX-5 on full kill mode with the aim of cracking into the 1000rwhp club.

Its previous best was 822rwhp on 29psi, which was good enough get its current PB of 8.72 @160mph. To push the package any further, Zane Heath from Maxx Performance advised to fit a bigger intercooler, dump pipe and injectors to crack a four-digit power figure.

With those mods done, the little MX-5 was bolted onto the Maxx Performance hub dyno so Zane could work his magic. Right off the bat the car was making more power, easily resetting its PB with figures of 920rwhp coming effortlessly.

We then found it was running out of fuel pumps, so Scotty swapped the old pair of 460s in the surge pot for a pair of Walbro Hellcat 525 pumps.

With those wired up, the Barra was instantly running a lot richer and gave Zane the confidence he needed to push forward to 1000rwhp. Not long after the car cracked the magical barrier, running three consecutive 1000rwhp runs, the best reading at 1013rwhp at 39psi.

It’s bloody impressive when you consider the engine only has budget friendly rods and pistons, with basic ARP gear. The crank, block, head, cams, valves and so on are all the same as they were when they rolled out of the engine plant in Geelong around 20 years ago. We’ve also gotta give a massive shout out to Dandy Engines for machining and assembling the bottom end.

For now, kick back and relax with this latest episode, and keep your eyes peeled for when we take this thing racing very soon!