It’s been ten years since KTM launched the X-Bow, and to this day, we in the U.S. still haven’t had the chance to enjoy the track-day racer. But that’s finally about to change because, at long last, the X-Bow is coming to America. The only caveat is that the Austrian track-day roadster will only be available for track driving.

Talk about a case of good news and bad news. The good news is that the X-Bow is finally headed to the U.S. after ten years of us clamoring KTM to bring it. It took some time, but the Austrian bike maker finally has the green light to send them over. Unfortunately, grocery runs and post office errands are out of the question in the X-Bow. We won’t be able to drive the track car if we’re not on an actual track.

Some people will be disappointed about this “condition,” but there are also those who will probably understand it. After all, the X-Bow is a mid-engined, open-cockpit performance track car. There’s no going around that.

If you’ve come to grips with the restrictions, you can take comfort knowing that KTM is bringing not one, but two versions of the X-Bow to the U.S.

The first version is the 1,759-pound Comp R spec, which packs a 2.0-liter turbo engine that produces 330 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission (hooray for manuals!), which sends the power to the rear wheels, helping it accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds before it peels off your skin at a top speed of 144 mph.

If that spec isn’t extreme enough, you can opt for the Comp R 1st Edition. Not only does it get a more aggressive aerodynamic package, but it’s also been tuned to produce a staggering 350 horsepower and 321 pound-feet of torque. It weighs 1,786 pounds, so it’s a little heavier than the Comp R version, but that that extra weight hardly matters because the car can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 150 mph.

Regardless of the version you want, you’ll be able to pull over 2Gs on the skidpad, enough to make you regret eating your lunch before getting behind the wheel of the car. Both versions have also been homologated to Formula S&A standards by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

There’s no mention on how much it’s going to cost to get one, but previous reports surrounding the X-Bow’s arrival in the U.S. indicated that the track car’s price sits in the vicinity of $100,000. The track cars will be initially offered through HMC Racing in Wisconsin and ANSA Motorsports in Florida. Availability could expand in the future depending on how many partners KTM can deal with down the road.

References

Read our full review on the 2007 KTM X-Bow.

Read our full review on the 2017 KTM X-Bow R.