KTM X-Bow

[skylinecrazy]

240 BHP, 2 litre engine from Audi, no traction control or ABS, 3.9 seconds to 60, only 790KG, 54k, (bit steep) 137 MPH and 37 MPG.

Edited by skylinecrazy on Sunday 29th June 14:13

[Pilky]

Sorry but it seams a bit..ermmm pointless. An expensive excersize in seeing how clever they can be. All that nice prepreg composites on a road car waiting to get a wishbone pulled out in a eveyday motoring bump or whatever...real easy to repair that is! An Arial Atom does it better cheeper.

[skylinecrazy]

Pilky said:

Sorry but it seams a bit..ermmm pointless. An expensive excersize in seeing how clever they can be. All that nice prepreg composites on a road car waiting to get a wishbone pulled out in a eveyday motoring bump or whatever...real easy to repair that is! An Arial Atom does it better cheeper.

You're apologising to me because?

[Pilky]

Sorry for saying sorry..bad phrasing...must be due to working on a sunday!

[skylinecrazy]

Pilky said:

Sorry for saying sorry..bad phrasing...must be due to working on a sunday!

[Rocket Pepper]

It's a fantastic way of saying car design is still in the hands of those it should be, and not the legislators.

It's also a very clever way of getting your motorcycle business into a one make race series, for cars!

[B.J.W]

Right,

So to sum up:

It has less power than the ('standard') Atom
It is slower to 60 than the Atom
It is slower to 100 than the Atom
It has a lower top speed than the Atom
It weighs more than the Atom

And it costs 20k more than the Atom

Hmmmmm.

[Caddyshack]

B.J.W said:

Right,

So to sum up:

It has less power than the ('standard') Atom
It is slower to 60 than the Atom
It is slower to 100 than the Atom
It has a lower top speed than the Atom
It weighs more than the Atom

And it costs 20k more than the Atom

Hmmmmm.

Do you like Atoms?

[absolutely]

A friend of mine helped to design the X-Bow.

[Rocket Pepper]

B.J.W said:

Right,

So to sum up:

It has less power than the ('standard') Atom
It is slower to 60 than the Atom
It is slower to 100 than the Atom
It has a lower top speed than the Atom
It weighs more than the Atom

And it costs 20k more than the Atom

Hmmmmm.

Warburtons, Hovis, Kings Mill.......

Your point is?

[B.J.W]

Rocket Pepper said:

B.J.W said:

Right,

So to sum up:

It has less power than the ('standard') Atom
It is slower to 60 than the Atom
It is slower to 100 than the Atom
It has a lower top speed than the Atom
It weighs more than the Atom

And it costs 20k more than the Atom

Hmmmmm.

Warburtons, Hovis, Kings Mill.......

Your point is?

My point is that if I was in the market for a such a vehicle, I would find it hard to justify an X-bow over a more capable machine that cost 20k less.

[darth_pies]

That should say 45k GBP shouldn't it? Not 54k?

[Rocket Pepper]

B.J.W said:

My point is that if I was in the market for a such a vehicle, I would find it hard to justify an X-bow over a more capable machine that cost 20k less.

Capable is rather subjective. 20k more expensive might put some off. Others might find such elitism attractive.

[B.J.W]

Rocket Pepper said:

B.J.W said:

My point is that if I was in the market for a such a vehicle, I would find it hard to justify an X-bow over a more capable machine that cost 20k less.

Capable is rather subjective. 20k more expensive might put some off. Others might find such elitism attractive.

Take (and agree with) your point, but an Atom is not exactly mass produced. Waiting list on the latter is now almost 2 years. I like the X-Bow, my point was simply that if I (personally) was buying this type of car (and elitism aside), if I was going to pay £20k more I would want it to better than the current benchmark.

[Rocket Pepper]

I've only seen an Atom once. The bloke driving it was wearing a lid. I'd say that's probably par for the ride. I think it also sums up a difference in the whole concept. Wearing a lid in an X Bow might look a little silly, whether necessary or practical, or not. Whilst both cars seem similar in concept, the X Bow looks to go a step further in style by having a body. That body is the difference between an awful lot of weird and wonderful perceptions about who's driving and for what purpose.

Sounds a little silly I grant you, but I would feel a little image conscious in an Atom to the point where I might feel a little uncomfortable about what it says about me. The X Bow looks more eccentric in some sense. As such, I think I could get out of one in a busy car park full of onlookers and assume which ever identity crisis of the day my mood presented. Not so the Atom. I couldn't help but imagine I'd feel a bit of a t!t climbing out of one in that same busy car park full of onlookers.

I like the Atom, but that's it. Something about the way it looks, which is great, sez it's not for me. The X Bow looks like the weirdness I'd enjoy owning. Then again, maybe I'm just weird anyway!!!

[shalmaneser]

I would have one of these. The quality of workmanship really is second to none. Even to someone who has worked with carbon fibre, the standard of finish was incredible.

It will easily be worth every penny.

[Harsh]

Rocket Pepper said:

I've only seen an Atom once. The bloke driving it was wearing a lid. I'd say that's probably par for the ride. I think it also sums up a difference in the whole concept. Wearing a lid in an X Bow might look a little silly, whether necessary or practical, or not. Whilst both cars seem similar in concept, the X Bow looks to go a step further in style by having a body. That body is the difference between an awful lot of weird and wonderful perceptions about who's driving and for what purpose.

Sounds a little silly I grant you, but I would feel a little image conscious in an Atom to the point where I might feel a little uncomfortable about what it says about me. The X Bow looks more eccentric in some sense. As such, I think I could get out of one in a busy car park full of onlookers and assume which ever identity crisis of the day my mood presented. Not so the Atom. I couldn't help but imagine I'd feel a bit of a t!t climbing out of one in that same busy car park full of onlookers.

I like the Atom, but that's it. Something about the way it looks, which is great, sez it's not for me. The X Bow looks like the weirdness I'd enjoy owning. Then again, maybe I'm just weird anyway!!!

you'll find that you're likely to need a lid in the KTM as well,

it's clearly entering a market where demand outstrips supply (witness the 2 year waiting list for the Atom) so i can see why they have done it.

but as has been mentioned earlier it doesnt push the boundaries within its sector. I would have expected a new car to do that. more expensive and the latest design/technology should suggest it is superior. That appears not to be the case.

not saying it's not a good car, and it does look wild i rather like it, but if i bought one i'd always have that niggling thought in the back of my mind that i should have bought the better car......the Atom

[ettore]

I kind of like this but I had a good look around one at Silverstone earlier this year and was struck by the size of the thing. This may be perception but it seemed huge in comparison to an Atom or a Caterham?

[Akers]

I like it a lot. What spearates the X-Bow from say an Atom or Caterham, is that it generates useful levels of downforce, 200KG at 125mph, apparently.
If the infomation in Evo about developments (300bph S3 engine, DSG gearbox, windscreen) are true, it has the potential to be an excellent track and hooning toy.

[Rocket Pepper]

But the Atom still looks kinda 'naked' and it's kinda modeled on an open wheel race car. The X Bow looks different again, and looks do count, is all I'm saying.