High-tech low-cost Mexican Sportscar

Constructed from bonded aluminium, the semi-monocoque chassis features aircraft style technology. Closed mould techniques sculpt the distinctive body from high quality fibreglass. Low weight, structural integrity, safety and design flexibility were the main design parameters for the MXT chassis development. The main chassis elements are built from aluminium extrusions and box section and the floor is a carbon-fibre/aluminium sheet sandwich. All these elements use epoxy structural adhesives to bond them.

Supporting the engine, transaxle and rear suspension is a chromoly square tube subframe and an energy-absorbing crash box is mounted just ahead of the front axle. (Chromoly is a steel alloy -- Chromium Molybdenum – this type of tubing is light weight and very strong, and is ideal for constructing race car chassis and roll cages.) Completing the safety picture is the rear substructure and roll bar of Chromoly 4130 tubing. The composite centre section of the body is bonded to the chassis with polyurethane adhesive and bumpers, doors, hood and engine lid are moulded composites.

The air-conditioned interior is leather-trimmed with supportive bucket seats and three-point seatbelts. Electronic driver instruments can be switched between road and race modes and there is an MP3 sound system.

The Mastretta MXT was designed around the Vehicle Certification Agency type approval certification process and all production cars will meet VCA guidelines.

Lifestyle Automotive is the company licensed to distribute the cars in Europe and company boss Tom Martin is confident of success with Mastretta MXT.

“Customers who place orders at the show will be able to register their cars in May next year,” he says. “The Mastretta MXT on display at Excel 22 July - 3 August is the penultimate prototype,” Martin says. “We should complete VCA testing by October and RHD production, which is limited to 80 cars in the first full year, will start by January.” “We needed to create a great car because Mexico has no tradition of sophisticated sports car manufacturing,” says company boss Carlos Mastretta. “It is most important that our customers are delighted by the new MXT. That’s what we aimed to do from the first drawing of the car, but we also want to make our country proud of the MXT and to show the world what we can do.”

Daniel and Carlos Mastretta designed and developed the MXT at Tecnoidea SA de CV, a transportation design company with 20 years experience in the field of specialized vehicle design, based in Mexico City.

Technoidea takes vehicles from the pre-design concept stage through development to construction and to date the company’s mainstream work has involved commercial vehicles. However, the MXT is its latest small-volume automotive project. Mastretta has developed and built component cars for clients in the US and Japan, as well as a small volume production of its first sports car, the Mastretta MXA.