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KTM X-Bow | PH Auction Block

Need a new summer sports car for the sunshine? Do we have just the vehicle 

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There’s never a great time, seemingly, to bring a new stripped-out sports car to market. By their very nature they are occasional playthings that aren’t very suitable for anything but having enormous fun; they can’t really be used every day, they definitely don’t like long journeys and their track-focused hardware makes them expensive. They require commitment. 

Given the wider economic downturn, 2008 really wasn’t the time to launch a new car without a roof, but with a carbon tub and pushrod suspension. Just as the world was about to implode and every non-essential cut back on, KTM launched one of the least practical cars ever to have existed. The X-Bow was a wonderful toy, combining the Austrian company's expertise on two wheels with Audi mechanicals, but toys were not what anyone was going to buy in the late '00s. Well, certainly not as many people as would have been hoped for. 

The X-Bow’s task, in Britain at least, was made all the more challenging by the fact that stripped-out sports cars is an automotive niche that this country excels at. Back then buyers could get the supercharged, Toyota-engined Elises and Exiges, a 9,000rpm Caterham R500 still existed, and the Ariel Atom was improving by the year. With that sort of homegrown talent available, the KTM would have had a tough time making an impact even in more favourable economic climes. With the world as it was back then, though, numbers were only ever going to be tiny. On 21 pages of HowManyLeft data for KTM, the X-Bow doesn’t exist.

So let’s be grateful that a few took the plunge, as it means cars like this incredible X-Bow exist to be auctioned a decade and a half later. (Let’s not forget, either, that KTM continued with four wheels, creating the amazing X-Bow GT XR.) As is so often the case, cars that looked pretty crazy not so long ago now seem absolutely out of this world. In KTM’s trademark Adrenaline Orange, with colour-matched wheels and what honestly look like teeth in the grille, the X-Bow is really like nothing else. Even by the standards of the genre, it’s totally bonkers. In the best way. 

X-Bow power came from a 2.0-litre turbo four, originally with 240hp and later with 300hp - this one has the upgrade. Which ought to be plenty of power with less than 800kg, especially with the added interaction of a short-throw six-speed manual. This one also benefits from all the available factory carbon, four-point harnesses and two sets of tyres. It has been with its current keeper for a decade, which is a good sign - they’ll know absolutely everything about it. During that time it’s been used for a few hundred (presumably exhilarating) miles a year, so the current tally remains less than 12k. There’s a good amount of history to support the mileage, and a 2.0-litre four from the VW empire must surely be easier to maintain than a more exotic powertrain. 

Just as when new, of course, the X-Bow won’t make a great deal of sense for a lot of journeys. But for those that it does suit, with the sun shining and no real destination in mind, it promises to be epic fun. Which is what driving should be all about. Bidding starts on Wednesday.  

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[carspath]

I have had my 2012 X-BOW for the last 7 years and in the course of writing the world ‘s first book on this extraordinary car spent a few days at the factory in Graz, at a X-BOW Battle race meeting in Hungary and a couple of days at Giampaolo Dallara’s ( of Lamborghini and Indycar fame ) R&D facility in Parma, Italy. Meeting the people involved in the conception and production of this four-wheeled KTM explains why it is so special . I have the R version which has an all carbon chassis and body, and the attention to detail is second to none -I compare its build quality to a W124 Merc. It’s fast, corners with up to ? 2.0 ( can’t remember the exact figure ) Lateral G, comfortable for the type of car it is, and exotic - the steering wheel control buttons communicate with the rest of the car using infra-red signals. Drawbacks - helmet lift at speed and could do with a bit more volume even with the factory sports exhaust fitted.

The X-BOW GT XR uses the exact same carbon tub and is hugely more expensive.

[sutts]

I took a photo (iPhone 5c, don’t be too harsh!) and had a look around this car in June 2014 at a PH meeting at Redhill Aerodrome. Completely crazy in a fabulous way.

[biggbn]

Wow. Love these

[blue al]

De-dickenson’s it with wrap and it would become a nice toy for some one

[Gecko1978]

It's a pity perhaps there is not a removable roof option. AiUI a roof an thus doors add huge cost to any build there is a readers cars thread where a lm proto type is being build an a roof makes the cost double

[Fastlane]

carspath said:

I have had my 2012 X-BOW for the last 7 years and in the course of writing the world s first book on this extraordinary car spent a few days at the factory in Graz, at a X-BOW Battle race meeting in Hungary and a couple of days at Giampaolo Dallara s ( of Lamborghini and Indycar fame ) R&D facility in Parma, Italy. Meeting the people involved in the conception and production of this four-wheeled KTM explains why it is so special . I have the R version which has an all carbon chassis and body, and the attention to detail is second to none -I compare its build quality to a W124 Merc. It s fast, corners with up to ? 2.0 ( can t remember the exact figure ) Lateral G, comfortable for the type of car it is, and exotic - the steering wheel control buttons communicate with the rest of the car using infra-red signals. Drawbacks - helmet lift at speed and could do with a bit more volume even with the factory sports exhaust fitted.

The X-BOW GT XR uses the exact same carbon tub and is hugely more expensive.

How do you think it compares to your Atom?

I have a 2008 supercharged Atom, which is lighter and faster but not as sophisticated as the Xbow and I suspect not as easy to drive fast either.

[bigmowley]

I bought one when they were launched at the LeMans 24hrs race. I saw it on the stand and paid my £1000 deposit on the spot. I may have had a few drinks beforehand

Turned out to be a brilliant call. I got one of the very first superlights ever built, collected it from the factory in Graz with one of my lads and drove it 1000 miles home to the Isle of Man via Oulton Park for a trackday. KTM honored the launch price we were quoted at LeMans, about £46K IIRC despite the retail price being about £15K higher by then. Top guys.
Here we are driving it home


It was beautifully engineered car and a joy to own despite a number of annoying niggles. I liked it so much that I bought another one a year later, this time a GT4 race car and did a lot of races in that car including British GT, Britcar, and GTCup. Fantastic times, lifetime memories and all that. Here we are at Spa.



Eventually the costs became prohibitive and the money pot was a bit low so they both had to go. Sad times.

However on a brighter note we have another one in the family now and the good times are rolling again.



Can’t be many people who have owned 3.

[bobj42]

I wonder:
- if the optional windscreen can be retrofitted
- what parts availability and lead-time is like for KTM-only parts like body panels, chassis, tub etc. should you come in contact with a tyre barrier (and what the prices are like)
- what the ground clearance is like on that front splitter - more or less than 100mm?

I had a passenger ride in one once, on the road, not the circuit. It gripped hard to the point I felt that it might only be fun to drive on a circuit (and I wouldn’t want to bother with all the other inconveniences of driving it on the road if that were the case). It was considerably easier to get in and out of than say a Caterham, but much more exposed without a screen or doors. Looked cool and well built, but a track-only car for me (hence the question about parts availability).

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Fantastic looking things

[Water Fairy]

Bloody marvelous!

[The Pistonsdead]

bigmowley said:

I bought one when they were launched at the LeMans 24hrs race. I saw it on the stand and paid my £1000 deposit on the spot. I may have had a few drinks beforehand

Turned out to be a brilliant call. I got one of the very first superlights ever built, collected it from the factory in Graz with one of my lads and drove it 1000 miles home to the Isle of Man via Oulton Park for a trackday. KTM honored the launch price we were quoted at LeMans, about £46K IIRC despite the retail price being about £15K higher by then. Top guys.
Here we are driving it home


It was beautifully engineered car and a joy to own despite a number of annoying niggles. I liked it so much that I bought another one a year later, this time a GT4 race car and did a lot of races in that car including British GT, Britcar, and GTCup. Fantastic times, lifetime memories and all that. Here we are at Spa.



Eventually the costs became prohibitive and the money pot was a bit low so they both had to go. Sad times.

However on a brighter note we have another one in the family now and the good times are rolling again.



Can t be many people who have owned 3.

Great story and journey too, and it indeed looks a fantastic piece of automotive engineering.

[pycraft]

carspath said:

Drawbacks - helmet lift at speed.

"Helmet lift" sounds like a euphemism. Best not to treat it like a gearstick, especially at speed. Could be quite distracting.

[GTRene]

Gecko1978 said:

It's a pity perhaps there is not a removable roof option. AiUI a roof an thus doors add huge cost to any build there is a readers cars thread where a lm proto type is being build an a roof makes the cost double

they have aso sorts like these with a roof...

like the X-bow GT4







or go nuts with the X-bow GT















https://www.autoscout24.nl/lst/ktm?atype=C&cy=...

[Flanners]

Yes please, one used to go the PH Meet@The Grasshopper in Westerham few years back now. I don't have any sort of car wish list but I think this or the Atom (drove a SC'd 350 version omfg!) would be on it.