Once again we go back to the ’more money than brains (or possibly skills) file’ as the owner of a new lightweight KTM X-Bow runs out of track. It seems the driver took the car to the Nurburgring in Germany to possibly confirm the petite car’s 137 mph top speed. Instead he got a lesson in g-forces and gravity as the car used its 237 hp to send it over the track and on top of the guardrail.
The X-Bow is known for its exceptional handling, but it is truly amazing when the car can even balance itself on a rail. The car didn’t last there for too long before sliding on two wheels and stopping on the track’s infield.
After receiving more than 600 orders from its customers, KTM has decided to bring the X-Bow to the US market. The company said is doing ’whatever is possible to bring the car to the U.S.’
The X-Bow is powered by an Audi engine that delivers 240 hp and will be sold as a street-legal automobile, despite earlier claims that it would remain a track-day only car. Production began in June and 500 cars are expected to be delivered to European customers by the end of the year.
AutoCar reported in their latest issue that KTM is working on a more powerful version of the X-BOW and the official launch will be made in 2009 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Under the hood of the new version, KTM will place a modified version of Audi’s 2.0-liter FSI engine, an engine that has produced as much as 261 horsepower in the S3.
Also the new model will get the option of a full-height windshield and a removable roof.
The KTM X-Bow celebrated its racing debut in the GT4 European Cup at Silverstone Circuit in the UK. The car’s performance exceeded all expectations, claiming two class victories and excellent overall placings.
Both cars, which are run by the German team Reiter Engineering, completed practice, qualifying and two races without any technical problems – confirming that the KTM X-Bow really is ‘Ready to Race’. Entry into the GT4 racing series has been used as the last acid test for the car, shortly before the series production begins this Summer.
The performance of the KTM X-Bow on the track surprised even the most optimistic among the Reiter team, with the cars finishing ahead of more established, and more powerful opposition. This was despite running on treaded tyres, with added ballast and an increased ride height, at the instruction of GT4 race officials to equalise the performance of the field.
> More
KTM announced that two X-Bow track cars will entry in this year’s FIA GT4 European Cup. Competing in the newly-created ‘Sport Lights’ class, the cars will be prepared and raced by German-based motor racing specialists Reiter Engineering, which has operated successful Lamborghini racing teams in the FIA GT1, GT2 and GT3.
The decision by KTM to place the racing premiere of X-Bow in the hands of Reiter, rather than enter the championship under a factory-run operation, was taken to allow KTM to use the GT4 entry as a pilot project to ‘drive’ development of future customer motor sport applications as well as the production model.
Italian Loris Bicocchi, who will be one of two drivers competing in the Reiter team, has been heavily involved in the development of the KTM X-Bow from the outset as test driver and played an important role in the chassis tuning of the vehicle. Biccochi’s former motor sport experience has included the testing, development and racing of many of the world’s most prestigious supercars – including the Koenigsegg CCR.
> More
KTM will unveil at the Geneva Motor Show the production version of the X-Bow. The car will be a completely black, fully carbon-equipped X-Bow Dallara edition – one of just 100 being made – and features a long list of extras, including carbon-fibre body panels, a limited slip differential, a removable steering wheel and a racing chassis tuned by Italian sports car specialists Dallara.
A plaque with a unique serial number and special graphics mark out the limited-run Dallara X-Bow cars, which are sure to become coveted collectors’ items.
> More
KTM Powersports AG has confirmed that its stunning new X-Bow sportscar will be exhibited at the Autosport International Racing Car Show starting on 10 January.
> More
The extremely positive reactions to the world premiere of the
KTM X-Bow at the Geneva Motor Show gave the green light: the Upper Austrian company will produce its lightweight sports car in series. KTM’s partner for this production should be Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik in Graz, Austria – a partner with a long tradition and considerable experience in automobile manufacturing. A corresponding letter of intent has already been signed.
This decision led to a change in plans for the start (...
> More
An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-Bow is not merely a milestone in the
KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, its also a new citation in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of the concept: for their first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners such as Audi and Dallara. The result is a street-homologated sports car with racing technology, like an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque. Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 162 kW (220 hp) Audi TFSI engine, the performance values of the KTM X-Bow outstrip those of super-sport cars with more than twice the power: with a deadweight of approx. 700 kilos, the
KTM X-Bow accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.9 se
> More
Pages: 
Picture Gallery
Post a comment
RSS -
Webmaster free news |