Mastretta MXT

The Mastretta is the first car fully designed and built in Mexico. The car we’re driving today is very much a pre-production prototype; it’s powered by a Volkswagen TFSI engine, whereas the production cars will have a turbocharged Ford Duratech motor with around 238bhp. The whole car is targeted to weigh 900kg, which puts it right on a par with the Elise. Lifestyle Cars, which is the European importer, pitches the car in a gap between the Exige and Noble.

The Mastretta is an interesting looking car, very straight-edged and compact. 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. 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. More serious is the rear suspension.

The car feels seriously unstable at speed in constant-radius corners; it needs sorting. The Mastretta has the makings of a nice sports car that’s at the right price, but there’s probably a year’s work needed to sort out all of its deficiencies. How well it does it will very much define the car’s future sales potential.

mastretta mtx front side

mastretta mxt back side

mastretta mxt head lamp

mastretta mxt interior