Cars & Bids, a relatively new site that specializes in auctioning modern enthusiast cars, is selling a 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata. While that's hardly unusual, this example lost its four-cylinder engine and gained a Jaguar-sourced V6.

Pulling a 3.0-liter six out of a 2000 S-Type and dropping it into an unsuspecting Miata is apparently easier than it sounds. England-based Rocketeer offers a kit that makes the swap reasonably straightforward, though the listing notes the factory air conditioning system is not compatible with the new engine. Cold air aside, the installation is done so neatly that it looks like Mazda envisioned the Miata with a bigger engine. Jag's V6 inevitably adds weight to a roadster praised globally for its nimble handling, but it also brings a whole lot of horsepower to the table.

Around the turn of the last century, Toyota decided to try to entice more young American car shoppers into their showrooms by offering a cute, cheap subcompact based on the big-selling (in Japan) Vitz and closely-related Platz. This effort led, eventually, to the creation of the "youth-oriented" Scion brand and — because young Americans lusted after trucks more with each passing year — didn't result in the hoped-for firehose-like torrent of yen aimed at Toyota's coffers. Starting in the 2000 model year, the Platz two-door became the Echo Coupe over here, and not many were sold. Still, I think these tough little commutemobiles are interesting, and so I documented this '02 when I saw it in a Colorado yard.