Hot Wheels Mastretta MXR against the Zender Fact 4

 

After months of careful designing and approval, the Mastretta MXR arrives to the Hot Wheels line, the first supercar designed and built in Mexico.  So along with this first review I decided to bring one casting that was similar to the Mastretta, the Zender Fact 4, to compare.


Mexican-Made-for-Fun

The MXR is the racing version of the MXT, an intense five-year build of a car built completely in Mexico without any help from other automakers (with the exception of select parts) by Daniel Mastretta.  Mastretta chose Hot Wheels to make the MXR into smaller scale so that when the actual MXR gets revealed for the first time, the Hot Wheels version will be shown right next to it.  The chassis is a monocque tube design, double wishbone suspension on all four corners, 2.0L I-4 from Ford producing 250 hp. and 348 Ib.-Ft. torque through a five-speed manual, all midship in the body.  The cost for one is around $58,000 and all the cars will be hand-built in Mexico.

 

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The Hot Wheels version looks sharp in the blue with blacked-out headlight decals, a lower bumper that sadly flares up just like last year's Evora GT4, but at least is less-noticeable than the GT4.  The sides featured smoothly-integrated side scoops, while the rear cover has twin vents to vent heat out of the engine compartment.  The rear features detailed taillights, center exhaust tip, MASTRETTA letters barely visible in the center, and the MXR's unique rear spoiler.  The interior features digital gauges similar to a race car's gauge package, center controls involve A/C knobs and an aftermarket sound system display.  The seats are supportive and the shifter is a round knob that accents the otherwise drabby interior of the real car.  Aside from the front bumper lip, the other downside is the fact that once the clean look is gone, it'll look like any other Hot Wheels generic fantasy casting (as a matter of fact this version was placed with a Quick'n'Sik in matching blue that looked like the convertible version of the MXR).

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The Fact 4

The Mastretta MXR has a very similar feel to a very limited-run car (and company) that tried after several attempts to create their own exotic car, but failed to get the finances to produce and deliver the vehicles to potential customers:  The Zender Fact 4.

I don't know what got Hot Wheels into doing this vehicle in the early 1990's, but it's got an awesome spec sheet: a Twin-turbocharged Audi V8 producing 448 hp. through a 5-speed manual, carbon fiber body and monocque chassis, and a 190 mph top speed.  The styling featured a wedged shape that resembled the Ferrari F40.  The rear looks close to the Vector V8 with central exhaust tips and taillights from a VW pickup.  The Lamborghini-style scissors doors open to an interior with a clean, simple setup and supportive seats, all drab in yellow (yeeeaaaa...).  This Hot Wheels casting has made in various recolors, most splattered with graphics and different colors, but the clean versions with FACT 4 above the left headlight is the best, as this white 1996 version shows with the 7-sp wheels that correctly match the actual car.  My favorite detail is the headlights that are part of the window piece in blue against a white background.  Could use some more details, but overall it looks pretty cool (and good luck trying to find information on this car; not even Google can provide more than a few pictures and a few pieces of information on this car or the company Zender).

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On that note, let's hope the Mastretta doesn't take the same road as the failed Zender and come out to be a successful supercar automaker for Mexico!