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Ford Focus ST-powered Mastretta MXT cometh

Zach Bowman — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, South America

Mastretta is reportedly on the verge of pulling back the covers on its latest creation, the MXT-R, at the Autosport International Racing Car Show. According to Autocar, the Mexican sports car will make use of the 2.0-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder engine lifted from the Ford Focus ST. Tuned to around 285 horsepower, the engine should have no trouble hustling the lightweight MXT-R around a track. Judging from the available photos, the MXT-R will also use the aerodynamic package employed by Mastretta's race car.

Technically, the MXT-R will be used as a development vehicle, though Autocar says customers interested in laying down their hard-earned cash for the car can register at the show booth for more information. Details on performance figures are still missing at the moment, and Mastretta hasn't given the world any notion of how much the MXT-R will cost if it gets built. Of course, that isn't stopping us from wanting to get behind the wheel for a spell...

Ford Focus ST-powered Mastretta MXT cometh originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mastretta MXT hits SoCal like hot salsa, gets ready for North American sales

Matt Davis — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, MISC

This yellow hottie from down Mexico way is the Mastretta MXT - you may remember it from the racially charged Top Gear kerfuffle earlier this year. Built on a bonded aluminum chassis very similar in concept to that of the Lotus Exige and Elise, it is a rare home-produced and conceived sports car from the heart of Latin America. Mastretta is located about a quarter-hour outside of Mexico City limits in Ocoyoacac.

Currently on sale in Mexico and Europe, the edgy package is based on said British bonded alloy chassis with a carbon fiber floor panel and rear engine cradle. The body is all composite construction and the MXT hugs the earth on 17-inch Toyo tires.

The MXT's current powertrain is a 2.0-liter turbocharged affair mounted transversely in back, good for 247 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 257 pound-feet of torque peaking at 3,950 rpm. Sourced from Ford, it's the formerly Mazda-engineered pre-EcoBoost unit that was used in hotter Focus and Fiesta units worldwide until recently. At just 2,100 pounds, the 0-60 time is quoted at 4.9 seconds. Click through to the jump to continue reading.

Continue reading Mastretta MXT hits SoCal like hot salsa, gets ready for North American sales

Mastretta MXT hits SoCal like hot salsa, gets ready for North American sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mexico's Mastretta MXT headed for production, Clarkson unavailable for comment

Dan Roth — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Plants/Manufacturing, Misc. Auto Shows, Celebrities

2011 Mastretta MXT - click for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Mastretta MXT, Mexico's homegrown sports car that took a Top Gear slagging, is ramping up production. The company is on track to produce 100 vehicles by the end of 2011, and that figure will double next year. Speaking at the Guadalajara International Motor Show (SIAG), Daniel Mastretta announced the first production MXT will be delivered by the end of July.

Despite what Clarkson, May and Hammond had to say about Mexican cars and cuisine, co-founder Daniel Mastretta didn't fire back at Top Gear with anger. In fact, the comments on the popular show helped publicize the MXT and spurred the company to make improvements to the vehicle. The aluminum chassis MXT features a turbocharged Ford Duratec four-cylinder and MTX transaxle, but as Lotus has proved with the Elise, plebian pieces with a light load can translate into thrilling performance. Mastretta is holding 30 percent of its Toluca, Mexico factory output back for the Mexican market, while the rest of the coupes will head out for other lands.

Vehicles will soon be put in the hands of media for evaluation drives. That's a vote of confidence by the manufacturer in its product and Mastretta can count us among the interested parties who are eager to see what this car is capable of.

Mexico's Mastretta MXT headed for production, Clarkson unavailable for comment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mexico's Mastretta hoping to turn Top Gear notoriety into sales

Zach Bowman — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., UK, Celebrities

Mastretta MXT - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mexican sportscar manufacturer Mastretta is making the best of a bad situation. The company is attempting to capitalize on the furor over insulting comments that the presenters of Top Gear made about the automaker and Mexico in general. According to Drive.com, since the incident, traffic to the company's website has skyrocketed, and more importantly, orders for the Mastretta MXT have leapt as well. According to Carlos Mastretta, the company's general manager, the manufacturer now has orders from countries in Europe as well as Brazil and Chile. Mastretta has recently begun to receive inquiries from the States, as well.

The jump in attention is thanks solely to the dust up over the Top Gear comments. According to Drive.com, the MXT was a relative unknown - even in its home country. While Mastretta is a well-known manufacturer of public-transportation vehicles, few knew that the company is also responsible for this new sportscar before hearing about the confrontation between the BBC and Mexico's ambassador to the UK.

The Mastretta MXT is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine with around 250 horsepower, and the company says that the vehicle should be good for 0-60 mph dashes in the high four-second range thanks to its lightweight design.

Gallery: Mastretta MXT

[Source: Drive.com]

Report: Mexico's Mastretta hoping to turn Top Gear notoriety into sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: BBC apologizes for Top Gear remarks about Mexicans

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Celebrities, MISC

Ugh, fine. We're sorry. Okay, so that's not exactly how the BBC responded to Mexico's Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, but it certainly didn't fall all over itself in making a formal apology, either.

In case you need a refresher, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond quipped on a recent broadcast episode of the hit television series, in reference to the Mexican-built Mastretta MXT sports car, "Mexican cars are just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent, oaf with a mustache leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

Not surprisingly, a number of the country's inhabitants were not amused... including the aforementioned Mexican Ambassador, who sent a letter to the BBC as something of a formal complaint. The BBC responded with a letter in return, which included the following statement:

Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized. We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centered on national stereotyping are a part of 'Top Gear's' humor.

In any case, an apology was demanded and an apology (of sorts) was provided. Now, if you'll excuse us, we lazy, over-fed and easily amused Americans are moving on. Hat tip to Jesse!

[Source: Associated Press via Google | Image: Gareth Fuller/AP]

Followup: BBC apologizes for Top Gear remarks about Mexicans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Top Gear riles Mexico with comments, elicits response

Zach Bowman — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Celebrities, MISC

Top Gear crew discusses Mexico's Mastretta MXT - Click above to watch video after the jump

Another month, another nationality insulted by the Top Gear presenters. James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have hopped into hot water with the Mexican government over comments that the trio made on a recent show. While discussing Mexico's Mastretta MXT sports car, Hammond said:

"Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

To make matters worse, Clarkson joked that the BBC wouldn't receive any complaints from the Mexican ambassador because he would likely be asleep. He was not.

The ambassador reportedly sent a letter to the BBC saying that the presenters had used vulgar and bigoted language to describe the people of his country and that the remarks were both xenophobic and humiliating. So far, the BBC hasn't commented on the situation. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

[Sources: BBC, YouTube]

Video: Top Gear riles Mexico with comments, elicits response originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Mastretta MXT stakes a claim for Mexican elemental performance

Chris Paukert — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:21:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Specialty

2011 Mastretta MXT: Click above for high-res image gallery

Mexico may be known as a hub for automotive production in the Americas, but it isn't typically identified as a hotbed of design or engineering. The folks at Mastretta are out to change that with their new MXT sports car.

Powered by a Ford-sourced 2.0-liter Duratec I4 engine mounted amidships and plumbed with a turbo for 250 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque, the MXT is a simple, lightweight proposition designed to resonate with the Colin Chapmans and Gordon Murrays of this world.

The overall shape of the car is perhaps derivative but quite appealing in person, with better-than-expected fit and finish for a small-volume prototype, though the interior still needs some modest refining (even for an elemental track day car). The aluminum semi-monocoque construction features a carbon fiber belly pan and a steel subframe, and suspension is via double wishbones front and rear. The body is comprised of fiberglass reinforced plastic, which should help with both ease of manufacturing and updating.

Thanks to Mexico's low labor costs, the folks at Mastretta (a company that cut its teeth building kit cars and commercial buses) are optimistic that they can sell the 2,050-pound MT for just $50,000-$60,000 for European audiences, with the goal of eventually bringing the car north to the States. That strikes us as an ambitious target for a car with over 1,800 unique pieces and a handful of major carbon fiber components, but with virtually no costly electronics to develop (there's no stability control, ABS, or what have you) and no airbags (at least in this prototype stage), it's possible that they could be on to something.

Mastretta officials we spoke with are going for UK certification shortly in order to sell the MXT across Europe. Plans for any U.S. sales will require passing a more stringent homologation process, however, so the company will likely need to build sales momentum before it attempts to set a foot in the North American market. Volume targets are modest at present, with initial production plans calling for one car a week, ramping quickly to about 150 units per year, with a longer-term goal being 500 units.

Check out our high-res gallery from the show floor below, and then hop the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Mastretta MXT

Gallery: Mastretta MXT

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Mastretta]

Continue reading Paris 2010: Mastretta MXT stakes a claim for Mexican elemental performance

Paris 2010: Mastretta MXT stakes a claim for Mexican elemental performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mexico's Mastretta releases a few lines about MXT sports car for Paris

Chris Paukert — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:14:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Specialty, South America

Mexican sports car intender Mastretta has officially announced that it will reveal the production version of its MXT at this month's Paris Motor Show.

Longtime Autoblog readers may recall that the Latin auto was actually expected to go on sale back in 2009, but for unknown reasons, it evidently hasn't made it into serial production yet. Previously shown iterations of the MXT have been powered by a 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder, with the promise that a production model would be turbocharged and fettled by the enginemeisters at Cosworth. The target back then was a modest 240 horsepower, but with an expected weight of under a ton, 0-60 mph was expect in under five seconds.

At this point, we're not sure if the car will look like the model revealed in 2007, let alone how many MXTs are planned, or at what cost. Back in 2008, Mastretta indicated that they were targeting about 150 units per year, with fully 70 percent of production earmarked for Europe and the United States. Click past the jump for the company's announcement and check out our gallery of the original MXT below.

Gallery: Mastretta MXT

[Source: Mastretta]

Continue reading Mexico's Mastretta releases a few lines about MXT sports car for Paris

Mexico's Mastretta releases a few lines about MXT sports car for Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London 2008: Mastretta MXT will be Mexico's first homegrown car

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Misc. Auto Shows, UK

Click above for more high-res shots of the Mastretta MXT

It may have taken Mexico a while to produce its first car, but at least when it finally took place, it did so with style. When we originally heard of the Mastretta MXT, it was said to be powered by a stock Ford Duratec four-banger. Fortunately, the production machine will be blessed with a much more impressive version of the 2.0L mill, one tuned by the maestros at Cosworth, who have also bestowed the block with a turbocharger. Claimed output is 240 horses, which is plenty to move the MXT along at an impressive clip due to its light weight of just 900 kilograms -- just a bit shy of a ton. The run to sixty is dispatched in under five seconds and top speed is up around a buck-fifty.

The car will be available beginning next May in the U.K., with other European destinations to follow. Fitting, as the car, with its chassis a blend of aluminum bonded with composites and its body of fiberglass, will be compared most directly with Britain's own Lotus Elise and Exige.

Gallery: Mastretta MXT

[Source: Mastretta]

Continue reading London 2008: Mastretta MXT will be Mexico's first homegrown car

London 2008: Mastretta MXT will be Mexico's first homegrown car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Run for the border: Mexico's 2008 Mastretta MXT mid-engine exotic

Dan Roth — Sat, 19 May 2007 10:19:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Misc. Auto Shows

check out the video after the jump, and click the above photo to view a gallery

The fact that we can't have it makes us want it more. This nicely aggressive coupe from Mexico's Mastretta Design is beautifully sculpted, with plenty of energy bottled up in its stance. The structure is bonded aluminum, just like a proper supercar, and with a production target of 150 units per year, the mid-engine MXT is appropriately exclusive, too. The styling may be writing checks that the powertrain can't cash, with 200 horsepower from the 2.3 liter four, performance numbers are in the realm of the Camry; but we don't think that's the point. This is one stylish car, and we wish we could get our hands on it here in the US. Even without big power, it releases all the proper neurotransmitters -- light weight, minimalist interior, spiffy shape -- too much power may turn it into a widowmaker, anyway.

Mastretta designs all sorts of stuff, from buses to oil bottles. Their vehicular expertise has been honed by producing a handsome Beetle-based coupe, as well as a dune buggy-esque "fun car." Moving off the old VW Type 1 architecture, a faux '62 'Vette was worked up with a custom chassis ready to accept GM components. Mastretta also pulled it all together on the nuts and bolts side and put the designs into series production, so they've also got the practical engineering chops to bring vehicles to fruition. This nectarine-hued creation will drop off the branch in Q1 of 2008, after its formal debut at the Mexico City Auto Show in December of this year.

[Source: Mastretta Design via Carscoop]

Gallery: Mastretta MXT

Continue reading Run for the border: Mexico's 2008 Mastretta MXT mid-engine exotic

Run for the border: Mexico's 2008 Mastretta MXT mid-engine exotic originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2007 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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