Slant six in a Miata ? Why ???

I think the slant six is a fine engine for it's intended applications. I don't mind a slanty in a street rod.
It looks stupid to me to butcher a Tic-Tac sports car to put in an engine that will propel the car NO faster than it did with the stock engine.
To me, Hot Rodding is about using parts to improve performance. This is a build reminiscent of an episode of Junkyard Wars where the crew had no choice but to use the only resources they had at their disposal.