Autoblog

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments