The Mastretta MXT is an automobile produced by the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

car manufacturer

Mastretta Mastretta Cars is a Mexican car maker and design studio established by industrial designer Daniel Mastretta in Mexico City in 1987. During the 1990s, Mastretta developed a small number of kit cars under the brands Tecnoidea and Unediseño, but ...

. It is the first car that Mastretta has designed without any foreign input. The ''MXT'' is based loosely on the Lotus Elise and the Audi R8. The ''MXT'' entered production on 1 January 2011. It has received national and international attention for being almost entirely produced and designed in Mexico. Production of the Mastretta MXT ended in May 2014.

History

Prototipo Cero

The ''MXT Prototipo Cero'' (Spanish for ''Prototype Zero'') was the third automotive development by Mastretta and succeeded MXB and MXA kit-cars. The name "MXT" comes from Mastretta and Mexico as well as a reference to its Transverse engine configuration. The Prototipo Cero was developed between 2004 and 2007, and was powered by a modified uprated Volkswagen inline-4 engine that is also used in the still-produced fourth generation Jetta. The increased power allowed the vehicle to reach however Mastretta decided the vehicle needed a more powerful engine. Production was originally set to begin in the first quarter of 2008 but the vehicle's release was postponed while Mastretta entered negotiations with several automobile manufacturers from which to acquire a more powerful engine.

Pre-production version

On 22 July 2008, the Mastretta MXT was presented at the British International Motor Show, held in London. Although the model shown was the prototype version, the company revealed that the final production version would be significantly different and specifications regarding the production model would be unveiled soon. In 2009 Mastretta revealed the specifications and equipment to be equipped on the 2011 production MXT. Standard features were planned to include racing bucket seats and seatbelts, Hella xenon headlights, ABS brakes, an SRS

airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...

system, 17 inch magnesium wheels, digital board instruments, Borla exhaust, an LCD display based digital MP3 and CD player entertainment system and automatic climate control system. The vehicle's security and safety features were specifically designed to surpass EU crash and safety standards and the vehicle was confirmed by lead designer Daniel Mastretta to already be undergoing tests to qualify for European quality and safety standards in 2009. The 2011 serial-production ''MXT'' was powered by a 2.0 liter inline-4 with more than , turbocharger and aftercooling allowing it to reach a top speed of over . Three years after its first appearance on ''Automóvil Panamericano'', the 2011 production model ''MXT'' debuted at the

2010 Paris Motor Show The 2010 Paris Motor Show took place from 2 October to 17 October 2010, in Paris expo Porte de Versailles. For 2010, the theme of the special exhibition was "The Incredible Collection 2: automobile manufacturers collections and museums." Introdu ...

on September 30, 2010. The ''MXT'' entered production on 1 January 2011, at Mastretta's new factory in

Mexico State The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from th ...

with an expected 2011 production of 150 units. Around 70% (105 cars) will be exported to Europe and the United States, and 45 will remain for domestic sales.

Production version

The 2012 Mastretta MXT was officially introduced to the international motoring press at the Los Angeles motor show in November 2011. In production, it is constructed on a tube-frame monocoque chassis, using double wishbone suspension pieces front and rear, carrying coil springs and monoshocks. Carbon-fiber body elements and aluminum elements in the chassis contribute to a low curb weight of 930 kg. The engine is Ford's Duratec inline 4-cylinder, with an announced power output of and of torque connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Origin

Daniel Mastretta commented in London:

Prices

The price for the ''MXT'' started at US$58,000 depending on options. Sales began in early 2011 in the United Kingdom and Mexico, followed by other countries including France and the U.S.

Notes

* * * * (seems to have ed oversight, e.g. RS, should be looked into * *

External links

Mastretta Official Page (English and Spanish)conceptcarz.com on Mastretta MTXMastretta MXT road test video on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mastretta Mxt Cars of Mexico Cars introduced in 2011 Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles