The most hardcore sports car to hit the market since the Ariel Atom will come to the UK next week. The X-Bow, KTM’s eagerly awaiting two-seater, will take its UK debut at the Autosport International Racing Car Show at the Birmingham NEC, which opens to the public on Saturday 12 January.This track-tuned but road-legal racing car - built by a brand known only for its motorbikes - will cost around £35k, making it a direct rival for the Lotus 2-Eleven and Ariel Atom 300. It goes on sale later this year and will be built in Graz, Austria. A ‘Gleaming White’ version of the X-Bow will be shown for the first time at the Autosport event. If you want one, you’ll have to get on the waiting list soon – KTM’s already taken more advanced orders than expected but now intends to build 1000 X-Bows per year.
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Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
Will this get taken to Bruntingthorpe and scorch Jason Plato?
I think we need to know.
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
Is the market for track day specials not getting a bit over crowded. When all said and done this market has limited numbers of clients in a specialist area.
I am sure the car will handle and out accelerate most other things available though.
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
not to mention the onset of recession...
banker's bonuses (like them or not) feed the market for porsches and track day toys. with them drying up, the market isn't looking healthy...
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
I think the market never looked healthier, as our roads get more and more congested and regulated, more and more people turn to the track to have some fun. Once you start driving normal cars on the track you quickly develop an appetite for more purpose built machinery (and are hapy to bum around in a golf diesel on the road)
You will get a 13 month wait if you order an Atom at the moment and it just keeps getting longer.
KTM originally planned to build 100 at Dallara as a pilot build to judge demand. Demand was so high on launch that they scrapped the idea to do the first 100 in Italy and decided to go into full production in Austria with Magna. Magna can only build 1000 a year and based on demand so far, that will not be enoug, KTM are now building their own dedicated factory near salzburg to keep up with demand!
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
I think the market never looked healthier
you could make an analogy to the housing market, where things never seemed healthier a few months back either. then credit crunch hit and jitters in the market and big write offs in banks have sent bonuses plummeting.
i hear what you're saying, but at the end of the day i think people would tend to tighten purse strings in times like these.
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
Triumph should make a car like ktm but maybe less brutale and sexier!
joining:suzuki, honda, bmw, ariel and ktm in the exclusive club of manufacturer which produce cars AND bike.
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
but at the end of the day i think people would tend to tighten purse strings in times like these
you are right of course, in difficult times people will always be a bit more careful about what they spend their cash on, esecially if its a toy.
I meant more the maket for track day cars within the market for performance cars was to increase. I think that as the roads get less fun to drive on more people wil get their kicks on the track and of those less will want to do it with a ton and a half of expensive exotic and more will turn to the lightweight track car like the ktm ,atom,caterham etc
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
I think that as the roads get less fun to drive on more people wil get their kicks on the track and of those less will want to do it with a ton and a half of expensive exotic and more will turn to the lightweight track car like the ktm ,atom,caterham etc
Lets face it, in the real world exotic or not, bespoke track day cars are still bloody expensive, and I for one would still be scared wit less to run around £20K worth of machinery that could get crunched in a big way.
The market that could grow, especially in time of an economic squeeze, is either ex track cars, or older cars that can be converted using very little time and money. I built and ran an old Porsche 944, gutted and caged, on a couple of track days. It was as quick as a standard Elise round Brands Hatch and if I had of stuffed it, I could have walked away knowing I'd only spent £2k on it.
All you have to really do is look at the thread about the Autocar 250 (videos section) to see how much fun you can have with out spending silly money.
It's all about the twisties........
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
I am one of those people who have sold the 'exotica' to run a 'cheaper' track car. Of course, the KTM isn't cheap at £37k, by any means, but it's the overall costs and style of car that has to be taken into consideration...
My Porsche Cayman S was a fantastic all-rounder I could drive in comfort to the circuit, with Sat Nav guiding me, and clmate control to keep me comfortable. All you had to remember was to press the Sport button and disengage the phone module when you're entering the circuit!
The downfall of course, was the cost of tyres, pads & discs, servicing intervals reduced, and the fear of even marking one of those body panels or the very expensive carrera sport wheels, let along a serious knock!!
The KTM on the other hand has smaller tyres, smaller brakes, less body panels (which are all 'bike-like' floating panels, and easily replaced), less weight, so I'm presuming less strain on the mechanical parts, cheaper clutch, etc, etc....
Judging by the Ariel Atom, the KTM should also hold its value far better than any road car. Going halves with a friend is often a good idea too, as you're not going to be wanting to drive something like this every day of the week! At least it halves running costs.
I'm certainly looking forward to taking delivery later this year, and with the extra performance, it certainly makes a lot of sense to me!
Dan
Re: KTM X-Bow to get UK debut at Autosport
nice one. hope you enjoy it 
got me thinking about multi-purpose track day cars in general. i used to have an Accord Type R that wasn't too bad at that role. also my mate has a DC5 which is good, and of course there are the scoobies and evos which work well.
as we speak, friends are planning a trip to the Ring (despite one mate writing his off last year!)
sadly i think my 530i auto is not quite right for the track 
