The Mastretta MXT is an

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

produced by the Mexican car manufacturer Mastretta. 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 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 automobile developed by Mastretta, succeeding the MXB and MXA

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s. The name "MXT" refers to the car's MeXican origins, and to its Transverse engine configuration. The Prototipo Cero was developed between 2004 and 2007, and was powered by a modified straight-four Volkswagen EA827 engine. This configuration allowed the vehicle to reach , but Mastretta decided the vehicle needed more power. Production was originally set to begin in the first quarter of 2008, but the vehicle's release was postponed while Mastretta negotiated with several automobile manufacturers to source a more powerful engine.

Pre-production version

On 22 July 2008, the Mastretta MXT was unveiled at the British International Motor Show in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The car shown was the prototype, but the company announced that the final production version would be significantly different, and that production specifications would be released soon. In 2009 Mastretta revealed the specifications and equipment for the 2011 production MXT. Standard features were to include racing bucket seats and seatbelts, Hella xenon headlights, ABS brakes, a Supplemental Restraint System, 17 inch magnesium wheels, digital instrument panel, a Borla Exhaust system, an LCD display based digital MP3 and CD player entertainment system, and an automatic climate control system. The vehicle's security and safety features were specifically designed to exceed EU crash and safety standards, and lead designer Daniel Mastretta reported that the vehicle was already undergoing tests to qualify for European quality and safety standards in 2009. The 2011 production ''MXT'' was powered by a

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...

, intercooled 2.0-liter

straight-four engine A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine) is a four-cylinder Reciprocating engine, piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a ...

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

State of Mexico The State of Mexico, officially just Mexico, is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Colloquially known as Edomex (from , the abbreviation of , and ), to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is the mo ...

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

References

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 Cars discontinued in 2014