Monday 24th August 2009

KTM X-Bow Production Halted

Austrian 'bike firm scales down ambitions for X-Bow as many cars remain unsold

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Is it only the Brits that can make a decent fist of featherweight hardcore sports cars? Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM's ambitious plans for its X-Bow sports car appear to have been scaled back, according to reports in the Austrian press.

Just one year after it built its first car, KTM has had to stop production of the X-Bow, after having sold fewer cars than expected.

KTM initially planned to build around 1000 X-Bows a year, but the global economic crisis has hit the pricey track toy hard, and KTM now says it is aiming to build between 200 and 300 cars a year for the foreseeable future.

For now, with 500 X-Bows built so far and 80 still unsold, KTM has stopped production at its Graz facility, although production is slated to resume in January 2010.

KTM had hoped that the UK would be one of its strongest markets. But despite plenty of critical acclaim (not least among those on the PH team who have been lucky enough to get a go in one), the KTM hasn't sold all that well here, with only 23 examples registered in the UK so far.

[havoc]

Timing and price (esp. price!) were both against it. Add-in a couple of so-so reviews in the press, and I'm not surprised.