Geneva show: KTM commits to X-Bow

NOT content with successfully branching out from dirt bikes to road bikes, Austrian motorcycle maker KTM has come good on its promise to produce a road-going four-wheeler that captures the essence of, and employs technology from, its wildest two-wheeled models.

As previewed at the 2007 Geneva motor show, the result is the X-Bow: a super-light, supercar-quick open-wheeler that weighs just 700kg but packs a Volkswagen-sourced turbocharged 177kW 2.0-litre TFSI engine to stake its claim as one of the most radical track cars ever to enter series production.

Twelve months later and the production-ready X-Bow’s appearance at this year’s Geneva show was accompanied by news that the initial run of just 100 cars, dubbed the Dallara edition after the famed Italian chassis constructor who helped engineer it, is a sell-out.

In fact, KTM also used the 78th Geneva show to announce it has opened a purpose-built four-wheeler factory in Graz, Austria, to produce both the X-Bow and its new range of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).



The Dallara-series X-Bow is even more exotic than the concept that wowed Geneva last year, with all-black carbon-fibre body panels wrapping the original’s carbon monocoque tub, plus a removable steering wheel, limited-slip differential, a numbered limited-edition plaque and, of course, a Dallara-tuned chassis.

In the UK, the Dallara X-Bow (pronounced “crossbow”) was pre-sold for the equivalent of $A85,000 – a snip for a car that accelerates to 100km/h in a 911 Turbo-like 3.9 seconds, features four-wheel double-wishbone suspension and 37/63 front/rear weight distribution – and comes with the choice of a six-speed manual or Audi S tronic DSG automatic transmission.

Subsequently, KTM’s order bank stretches out beyond 2000, and it's believed X-Bow production could reach 1000 this year.