X-Bow: Street Legal in the EU, Speed Demon Anywhere
This street-legal, track-ready baby is hot, hot, hot

Posted:  Mar 05, 2008
Type:  Editorial
Rating:  100%

0
Comments: 4

Rate this article

Share

Send to Friend

Photos: TunerZine Staff Words: TunerZine Staff

Previous Article Next Article

It’s radical. It’s lightweight. It doesn’t have a hood, or doors, or a windscreen. (Okay, there’s a transparent wind deflector. A big whopping 70-milimeter’s worth.) You pronounce it “crossbow,” but it’s spelled “X-Bow” and it’s the radical, new, two-passenger sports car from Austria-based motorcycle manufacturer KTM. And frankly, this street-legal, track-ready baby is hot, hot, hot.

KTM’s website sums up the X-Bow mystique neatly. This is a car “oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s experience.” There’s no other sports car out there prepared to deliver the “immediacy that can only by felt when riding a motorcycle.” The first 100 are sold out. There are orders for 600 more after that, and plans to only build 1,000 in 2008. From the looks of things, KTM won’t have any problem moving that final 400. Even with a price tag of $50,000 USD.

Designed in partnership with Kiska Design, KRM engineered the X-Bow with the renowned Italian open-wheel racing car manufacturer, Dallara. In fact, Dallara will build the first 100, an exclusive series long since sold out and destined to bear collector plaques with sequential numbering. After the special lot, production will be switched to Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.

The X-Bow has a body weight of 1,598 lbs. with the six-speed manual transmission; 1,644 with the Audi S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox. The carbon fiber monocoque has integrated crash protection and there’s an F1-style crashbox. Under the hood look for a 220 hp, two-liter, four-cylinder TFSI Audi engine with options for 260 and 300 hp versions. (You won’t find the Audi logo anywhere on this machine, though. Audi wanted airbags and KTM wouldn’t go for it.) Brakes by Brembo. The gasoline fuel tank holds 9.2 gallons. Acceleration is a heart throbbing zero to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds.

So what’s the downside? When the X-Bow starts shipping in February 2008, it’s European only. The vehicle meets the European Union road service guidelines in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and Spain. Switzerland and the rest of the EU should come onboard with approval during the year, but if you’re outside one of the listed countries, your new car dealer may not have the X-Bow because it is a race car all the way, legal on the track only.

Destined to be a big hit in Britain with its thriving car culture, the X-Bow joins the ranks of the Ariel, Lotus, Nobel, and Radical as a car ready for the racetrack, but fit for the hands of weekend speed demons. Already a crowd favorite when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show, the X-Bow should be a resounding success for KTM as the company’s first-ever car design -- and hopefully, not its last.

BROWSE MAKES AND MODELS

TUNERZINE COMMUNITY

Meet new friends from TunerZine Community!

Tuner_Psycho Name: Johan Holm Gender: Male Age: 16 Location: Stockholm CA Member Since: Nov 17, 2007
lonelylion Name: lonely lion Gender: Male Age: 26 Location: istanbul NY Member Since: Dec 27, 2007
Devin154 Name: Devin Hill Gender: Male Age: 16 Location: Rialto CA Member Since: Dec 30, 2007

Tuner_Psycho

Name: Johan Holm
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Location: Stockholm CA
Member Since: Nov 17, 2007

lonelylion

Name: lonely lion
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Location: istanbul NY
Member Since: Dec 27, 2007

Devin154

Name: Devin Hill
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Location: Rialto CA
Member Since: Dec 30, 2007

WE RECOMMEND

2007 NHRA Sport Compact Year in Review We take a look at the highlights from the 2007 NHRA Sport Compact season	Legendary Porsche 917/30 Spyder This legendary race car will be turned loose on the Shannons Phillip Island Classic	Top 10 Q&A with RiceBoyTV's Ricky Chu RiceBoyTV.com is an up and coming website designated to shake the Internet off its feet	A Look Back: SEMA 2004 2004 doesn't seem too long ago...what has changed in the sport compact scene?

2007 NHRA Sport Compact Year in Review

We take a look at the highlights from the 2007 NHRA Sport Compact season

Legendary Porsche 917/30 Spyder

This legendary race car will be turned loose on the Shannons Phillip Island Classic

Top 10 Q&A with RiceBoyTV's Ricky Chu

RiceBoyTV.com is an up and coming website designated to shake the Internet off its feet

A Look Back: SEMA 2004

2004 doesn't seem too long ago...what has changed in the sport compact scene?

COMMENTS

junior_564 Posted on May 9 2008 1:32, by junior_564 that thing is cool
junior_564 Posted on May 9 2008 1:31, by junior_564 that thing is raw
harajuka Posted on Mar 5 2008 7:17, by harajuka I want one of these!!!
Andy Posted on Mar 5 2008 4:52, by Andy whoa, that thing is crazy looking.