The KTM X-Bow is now ready to make its full-body debut in the U.S. after KTM Sportcar CEO Stefan Pierer announced the company’s plan to launch shipments of the X-Bow to North America in the spring of 2017. The X-Bow has technically been available as a kit car since 2011 because it didn’t meet federal crash standards, but Pierer’s announcement is still a significant milestone for the company as it marks the first time KTM will be able to offer turn-key versions of the X-Bow, complete with all of its mechanical.

Pierer added that the base model X-Bow R will be used as the version of which U.S.-bound X-Bow models will be based on. The Austrian company also plans to create a North American subsidiary and a small exclusive dealership network to handle the track car’s introduction into a new market.

KTM is laying out these plans in anticipation of the X-Bow’s arrival and, while there is a lot of optimism that the track car will make an impression in the U.S. and Canada, the company is under no illusion that it will sell like ice cream on a hot summer day. According to Pierer, KTM expects to sell just 15 cars in the U.S. in 2017 and another 30 to 40 more in 2018 – well short of the traditional sales numbers associated to track cars of this type.

Those who have yet to buy the kit car versions of the X-Bow now have the option of skipping through the laborious task of piecing all the parts of the kit car together in favor of just buying a turn-key version. Neither Stefan Pierer nor KTM itself discussed the specific plans of the launch, but for those who have waited five long years to see a fully built X-Bow go on sale in the U.S. market, the door is now open. Don’t be too late deciding though, because from the looks of things, there aren’t that many units expected to come here.

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Why it matters

As it has been known, the X-Bow has actually been available in the U.S. since 2011, but it’s only now that we’re getting word that the actual X-Bow, complete with the Audi-sourced 2.0-liter turbo four engine that produces 300 horsepower, is finally making its long-overdue North American debut.

This is tremendous because it gives American owners access to one of the most recognized track cars in its segment. The Ariel Atom has been on sale for quite some time now and while that car has also endeared itself to American track car enthusiasts, having another option to choose from is a pretty big deal.

I'm excited to see the complete KTM X-Bow in the U.S. The kit cars that have been available for the past five years has been a good option to have, but the cost and the added labor that comes with building it up from scratch is far less appealing now that an option to buy a fully built model is about to become a real thing.

Make no mistake. KTM has no plans of invading North America with an army of X-Bows. It has a far more modest objective at this point and the company has even said that one of its first priorities is to reach out to racetrack operators in the U.S. in the event they’d like to come up with a deal to buy a fleet of X-Bows for their respective businesses. That’s actually a good idea for KTM and I think it’s one that the company should pursue once all the elements and paperwork are in place to finally make the move across the Atlantic.

KTM X-Bow R

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