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Mental motorbike- inspired machine will make its debut at Geneva show

Don't know about you, but when Austrian motorbike manufacturer KTM first mentioned it was building a bike-inspired road-legal track car, we got pretty excited. Now we've seen these first official photographs, we're positively salivating.

The KTM X-Bow is intended to give none-bikers all the thrills of two wheels in the form of a super-light, carbonfibre-monocoque sports car. Weighing only 700kg and powered by Audi's turbocharged, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder FSI engine, even the entry-level X-Bow will pack 220bhp. In its most powerful form it will have 300bhp, or 428bhp per tonne. Transmission is a six-speed manual gearbox; a dual-clutch DSG 'box will be offered as an option.

Though no full-size models have yet been produced, the model revealed today is an exact 1:2.5 scale replica; built for wind-tunnel tests. The first official full-scale prototype will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in March. We're already looking forward to putting one up against an Ariel Atom.

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Read our review

Car review

The KTM X-Bow offers eccentric looks and sharp handling but it's an expensive first effort from the motorcycle maker

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