KTM KTM X-Bow GTX

[WBarnes]

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The KTM X-Bow GTX Is a 600-HP, Five-Cylinder Monster

The 2200-pound car is built for the new SRO GT2 racing class, but we're hoping for a street version.

www.roadandtrack.com

It may look wild and fresh today, but the original KTM X-Bow debuted more than 12 years ago. It was fast, insane, and unfiltered. And KTM just announced a new version, with more than twice as much power. That's going to be a lot to handle.

Perhaps that's why the X-Bow is aimed at the new SRO GT2 racing class, not street driving. Much like the original, it's powered by an Audi TT motor. But instead of a 237-hp version of the 2008 TT's engine, the new one uses a tuned TTRS 2.5-liter five-cylinder that makes 600 horsepower.

Considering that the X-Bow will weigh around 2200 pounds, it's bound to be wild. It has to be, too, since it's courting the same customer race teams as cars from bigger manufacturers, like the Audi R8 LMS GT2. We'll have to wait for more details and for racing to start to see how it stacks up, but it's clearly a project KTM has taken seriously.
That gives us hope that a street version will eventually make it to market. As KTM points out in the release, over 1300 original X-Bows have been produced. Even with a six-figure price tag, it seems like KTM found plenty of customers for a market for low-volume, stripped down track cars. I'd wager a lot of customers would happily pay more for five-cylinder excitement and 600 hp.

 

[tieftaucher]

The front looks shark-like from the side.

 

[M.N.D]

Interesting to see the X-Bow soldering on after 12 years. The car looks more like a prototype, similar to its younger GT4 sister, even though it's a GT entry, but I'm not complaining.

I'm looking forward to see what the GT2 class can bring to the table, and if there will be some commitment from other manufacturers. I don't know for how long the R8 will stay in the market, but if Audi will possibly cease production after the current generation in (which is already 5 years old, assuming that the lifecycle is 7-8 years), things will look odd in my opinion, as the other entry, the 911 GT2 RS CS, is considered an old model that's not sold anymore, and the grid will mostly have cars that are out of production.

I see Lamborghini and Ferrari with their one make racing platforms as viable options if both cars are lightly modified to comply with the GT2 regulations. Mercedes can use the GT Black Series as a homologation base, and McLaren is a good option as well, but none of them mentioned even any kind of interest in the class. Scuderia Glickenhaus once mentioned that they may offer a GT2 entry, however...