The Mexican Hotness You’ve Never Heard Of
-Grant Hollingsworth
Meet the Mastretta MXT. (MX = Mexico, T = Transversely mounted engine) If this is the first Mexican designed and built performance car you’ve heard about, don’t worry. You haven’t missed anything. This is the country’s first real crack at the performance car market…and what a crack it is!
Now, Mastretta cut its teeth building urban buses in the 90’s, as well as a less-than-stellar kit car (to the tune of 44 horsepower) late in the decade. Consequently, their credibility as a performance car manufacturer currently hangs in the balance. The MXT, however, is a far cry from any of their previous endeavors. Built on a chassis comprised of aluminum, carbon fiber, and good ol’ steel; this agile creature clocks in at just over 2,000 pounds. You’ll be hard-pressed to find accurate engine specifications by browsing around, so I asked Carlos Sandoval, Communications Manager for the firm, to clear up the issue.
“Our engine is a Ford Duratec 2.0 manufactured in México for some European and American models. The turbo system and all the electronics are custom built and designed for us. The official output is 250 hp.”
250 ponies isn’t exactly the figure you’ll see associated with many modern performance vehicles. Even so, this number works well for the MXT because of its dainty figure. Accordingly, the Mexican 2-door sports a scant 8.2 lb/hp rating. The almighty Corvette coupe manages a 7.6 on this scale; not far ahead.
The Mastretta MXT employs a 5-speed manual gearbox mated to a rear wheel drive system. If these cogs are changed quickly enough, you’ll be on your way to 62 mph in a modest, but respectable 4.9 seconds. The stout Duratec 4 cylinder engine will also take the car to a top speed of 150 mph, much thanks to the snail mounted on its back. The MXT will seemingly be kind to Mother Nature as well, with a fuel consumption rating of 25 mpg.
Don’t expect to see the Mastretta on American streets just yet, as it will reportedly only be initially available in European markets for around $60K. Entrance and certification in the American market is quite a steep hill to climb for such a low-volume company. Uncle Sam is not kind to newcomers. Mastretta says there will only be 150 examples built this year, although that number will surely climb in years to come due to inevitable demand. The MXT is a resounding step in the door for a country so long deprived of a halo car. Mr. Sandoval assures me, “Production starts one and a half months from now.” You go, Mexico.
