Will Ford EcoBoost power make the Mastretta MXT more than the butt of Top Gear jokes?

By Stephen Edelstein Published April 2, 2014

Most people know the Mastretta MXT as Mexico’s only sports car, and the subject of a comically tense Top Gear review.

Yet Mastretta hopes its creation will stand alongside established sports cars from other parts of the world. And a round of updates could help it do just that.

According to Autocar, Mastretta will soon toss the current MXT’s 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine, and replace it with the turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four from the Focus ST.

That engine develops 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque in stock trim, which actually isn’t too much more than the Duratec-powered MXT’s 250 hp and 250 lb-ft. With that engine, the MXT will do 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 161 mph.

However, it’s possible Mastretta will tinker with the EcoBoost engine, giving it more power, and making the MXT more entertaining.

Especially since that sports car is supposed to lose some weight. Considering that the current MXT weighs just 2,200 pounds, it’s hard to see how that will be accomplished. Maybe Mastretta will only let skinny people drive it.

The updates will reportedly be capped by some styling changes, which the MXT definitely needs. Right now, it looks like a Smart Roadster that’s having some kind of allergic reaction.

The face lifted MXT is expected to appear in 2015, when it will also be launched in Europe. No word yet on any plans to bring it to the United States, but unless production expands beyond the current rate of just 50 cars per year, the MXT should be a pretty rare commodity wherever it goes.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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