Get set for the Mexican wave

Mexico is synonymous with tequila, enchiladas and sombreros... but surely not sports cars?

Well, don't choke on your taco just yet, because Mexico's Mastretta Design is indeed responsible for the aggressively styled coupe pictured alongside.

The Mastretta MXT (as it is known) will take its bows at December's Mexico City Auto Show, and it's destined to go on sale in its home market in the first quarter of 2008 -- it may also be offered in other international markets further down the track.

Their tangerine-hued sports car was designed in house and the project is now in the final phase of prototype testing.

The manufacturer says it plans to build 150 examples of the mid-engined sportster annually at a state-of-the-art production facility.

Taking a leaf out of the Lotus textbook, the MXT's structure is bonded aluminum, while the body is constructed of reinforced plastic.

While the styling and execution has distinctly exotic overtones, the source of motive power is distinctly un-exotic -- specifically, a 2.4-litre Toyota Camry engine that's been tweaked to churn out 147kW.

That said, even this output is likely to make for spirited performance given the MXT's waif-like dimensions. The manufacturer hasn't quoted its kerb weight, but we're guessing it'll be well under the 1000kg mark.

It won't be a complete barebones stripper either, as standard kit will include air-conditioning and an MP3 sound system -- but airbags will be optional.

In case you're wondering who the heck Mastretta is, the answer is that it's a diversified company that reportedly designs everything from buses to oil bottles.

The company is also known in Mexico for producing a VW Beetle-based coupe and a dune buggy-esque "fun car".

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