You Know You Want To: KTM X-Bow

Superlative track weapon, or just an ugly Austrian duckling?

Isn't it funny how some cars manage to slip under the radar? I asked six colleagues to name just one contemporary, lightweight, track-focused road car and four of them said 'Ariel Atom'. Of the other two, one said 'Caterham R500' whilst the other went for a Radical.

Maybe it's the challenging, unconventional look of the thing that keeps the KTM X-Bow from the front of people's minds? If Darth Vader had used one as his personal transportation on the Death Star it probably wouldn't have looked out of place. But when these things came out in 2008, with the carbon tub, 240bhp, proper ground-effect downforce (...not just a wing nailed on the back), and fastidiously engineered suspension, I wanted one. To hell with the looks...

What separates the X-Bow from other similarly priced lightweight cars is said downforce. KTM claims that that at 125mph one of these orange 'n' carbon beasties is generating 200kg of the stuff, and with the addition of a couple of bolt-on carbon fibre goodies from their extensive - but somewhat cheesily entitled - 'Powerparts and Powerwear' catalogue, that figure can climb yet higher.

On a recent visit to X-Bow specialists ABG Motorsport, current British GT4 Championship leader Marcus Clutton treated me to a spin in a Club Sport X-Bow with the 300bhp ABT kit. As he negotiated the surprising challenging and rewarding roads of...erm...Runcorn (no, seriously, the slip-roads and roundabouts there are epic!) it was apparent that at higher speeds there was some sort of dark force at work pinning the car to the blacktop. It may be hard to believe, but the car seemed to be cornering at a rate considerably faster than that which would have seen other quality lightweight cars spinning off into the scenery.

Around the British circuits, Ginetta G50s, Lotus Evora GT4s, and Aston Martin GT4s can't match Marcus in the X-Bow. And those machines aren't exactly known for being shabby in the bends...

According to some current X-Bow owners, you can do regular track days all year round. Items like brake pads and wheel bearings (all Audi/VW bits) apparently last a long time and are relatively cheap to replace. Obviously things like wishbones and steering arms are susceptible to damage should your ambition exceed the X-Bow's heroic levels of grip and handling, and these should cost around £180 per side to replace. Of course, the carbon panels aren't cheap, but do have the advantage of not needing paint, and they can be bolted on - so labour costs are minimal. As for the engines, the phrase 'bomb-proof' was used more than once.

As a KTM and Lotus specialist, Greg Lock of Hangar 111 knows a thing or two about on-track performance, and the only car he's encountered which the X-Bow couldn't drive around on a racing circuit at will was a Koenigsegg CCR at Silverstone. 'On the track they're astonishing machines' he said. 'The X-Bow makes an Atom or a Caterham look like a scaffolding accident'.

So, you want this kind of track-day ability in your life. Who wouldn't? You just need to find one which is for sale, and that's the problem. It seems that, because a lot of X-Bows went straight into racing series (there are whispers of a new one-make UK series next year), and because those that didn't are being held on to by their owners, the used market is a barren place.

We have one used KTM X-Bow in our classifieds at £38,500 and Hangar 111 is selling the Club Sport model you see here for £35,995, plus the dreaded VAT.

This one is an ex-demo car with all the extra Club Sport bits plus centre-lock wheels and a racing headrest, and has covered a shade below 10,000 miles. Some of the panels are sporting the odd chip here and there, which lends the car quite a mean look, although Hanger111 is in the process of repairing all of these.

You'd need to be possessed of a severe case of masochism to drive one on the road regularly (or am I just getting old?). These things are less of a road car which can also be driven on the track, and more of a track day car which can also be driven on the road (as long as the track isn't too far away).

But if you want prime track day performance and don't want to have to trailer your steed to and from the circuit, and if you don't want to fork out for expensive maintenance, then a X-Bow would be a good choice if you don't mind the looks...and if you can find one for sale.

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Simbu

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