Fascination and Hi-Tech
An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-BOW is not just a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, it also sets a new benchmark in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of its original design concept: for its first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners, such as Audi and Dallara.
The result is a street-legal sports car with pure-bred racing technology, such as an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque, which is now standard equipment in Formula 1 racing because of the weight and safety advantages it offers.
Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 177 kW (240 hp) Audi 2.0 TFSI engine, the KTM X-BOW sets new standards and outstrips supersport cars: with a weight of approx. 790 kilos, the KTM X-BOW accelerates to 100 kmh in just 3.9 seconds. And its fuel consumption and pollution emissions are comparable to those of a compact car with a high-quality engine.
But the X-BOW isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and extraneous, weighty comfort features, the X-BOW offers an unfiltered driving adventure.
This is made possible by the X-BOW's double triangular wishbone axles for the wheels, its transparent technology and its reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. This sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. So driving the KTM X-BOW becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when driving a motorcycle or a Formula 1 racecar.
Successful debut at the Geneva Motor Show
Production launch in June 2008
A prototype of the KTM X-BOW made its first public appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007. The extremely positive reactions to this world premiere gave the green light for the assembly lines to start rolling out this lightweight sports car in series.
The production began in the factory in Graz Austria in June 2008. The first models were delivered to our eager customers in August 2008. Approximately 350 vehicles were sold by the end of the year. For 2009, the first full year of production, KTM expects a sales volume of approx. 600 units.
The KTM X-BOW meets the requirements for road homologation as defined by the new EU guidelines for small series homologation. These guidelines are already in force in the following countries through a national homologation policy: Austria, Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and in Switzerland, where the X-BOW is also already homologated as it is in the other EU-countries. It is expected that the KTM X-BOW will be approved for road homologation in much of the rest of the European Union in 2009.
Outside the European Union the KTM X-BOW is homologated in the United Arab Emirates. In all other countries outside the European Union the KTM X-BOW is classed entirely as a racecar for use solely on racetracks, based on the FIA homologation policy. Approval for road homologation in countries outside the European Union is still being considered by the relevant national authorities.
A safe carbon fibre monocoque: Racing Know-How from Dallara
Carbon fibre monocoques have been the Formula 1’s safety net for years. On the road, this technology was formerly reserved for the elitist, supersports cars in the highest price classes. KTM is now the first to offer this solution in a much more affordable segment.
KTM has been able to call upon the expertise of its development partner, Dallara, for this. These specialists from Varano (near Parma) in Northern Italy have long been acclaimed as experts in carbon technology and in designing components made of this light, yet rigid material. The monocoque developed for the KTM X-BOW is not only extremely robust it is also remarkably safe, thanks to an integrated crashbox. The silencer, which is centrally located in the rear of the car, was also designed to act as a crashbox; it absorbs the force of an impact to the rear of the vehicle.
The driver and passenger are also protected by Schroth four-point safety belts, which have also proven themselves in the racing world. The sturdy roll bars have been skillfully integrated into the monocoque’s structure and are yet another safety feature of this modern sports car.
Spectacular design: Floating Elements
KISKA DESIGN is behind the unmistakeable contours of the KTM X-BOW. Gerald Kiska’s creative team have worked closely with KTM since the mid 1990s. His Salzburg design studio is entrusted not only with the design of KTM’s motorcycles, but also with the appearance of the company itself.
In creating the design concept for KTM’s first sports car, Kiska incorporated many features that are more closely associated with motorcycles than with cars. Each component fulfils a function, the technology remains transparent, the form is noticeably simple. The car’s few body panels are “floating elements”. They suggest lightness and simplicity, which is perfectly consistent with the car’s concept.
The deliberate reduction in all things even includes the lights: simple headlamps, embedded indicators flush with the car’s contours and the clear design of the tail lamps forego superficial, showy effects. Instead, the vehicle openly displays its attractive meshwork of carbon fibres. And other details – such as the wheel suspensions with their noticeable pushrod dampers or the silencer – suddenly serve aesthetic purposes in addition to their usual functions.
2.0-litre TFSI engine from Audi: TFSI Technology from Audi
KTM was able to win Audi AG as its partner in developing the drive unit. The four-cylinder TFSI engine ingeniously reflects the X-Bow’s construction principles: lightweight, high performance and intelligent technologies.
The engine’s outstanding attribute is its direct fuel injection technology, FSI. This is combined with an exhaust turbocharger plus an intercooler. Among other triumphs, Audi has repeatedly won the 24-hour Le Mans race with this effective and tried and tested technology package. Thanks to FSI, the engine can utilise fuel better than one with ordinary intake manifold injection and it even achieves significant fuel savings in the frequently used partial load range.
The injection takes place at a pressure level between 30 and 110 bar, valves in the intake system swirl the inflowing air into a cylindrical stream. A continuously variable intake camshaft ensures optimal cylinder charging at any speed. Two balancer shafts compensate the second order inertia forces and so guarantee reliable, low-vibration operation.
The KTM X-BOW's long-stroking, four-valve engine delivers a powerful performance: 310 newton-metres of torque peaks at a broad plateau between 2000 and 5500 rpm. The peak performance of 177kW (240 hp) is achieved at 5500 rpm.
The drive unit package is complemented by a manual 6-gear transmission, which is also made by the VW/Audi group and can be equipped with a limited-slip differential if so desired. This mid-engine vehicle’s drive comes from the rear wheels.
Puristic, unfiltered driving experience: Puristic and Functional
As a result of its clear concept, the KTM X-BOW can do without plenty of elements that ordinarily add complexity and extra weight. So the narrow wind deflector makes an elaborate ventilation system and windscreen wipers unnecessary; doors are also not included in the design, due to the vehicle’s low overall height.
You’ll also look for a standard instrument panel in vain. The driver can find all the necessary driving information on a centrally located display.
The seats are further examples of the X-BOW's intelligent and simple construction: the shells for the driver’s and passenger’s seats are fully integrated into the carbon fibre construction of the monocoque. An overlay by Recaro that is individually fitted for the occupants’ size provides solid comfort. And the X-BOW has manually adjustable pedals, to provide the best ergonomics for drivers of any height.
Direct and Sporty
A low centre of gravity and well-adjusted balance are the prerequisites for excellent driving dynamics. The X-BOW's driving capabilities are extraordinary due to its superior chassis, which is directly descended from motor sports technologies. That means: suspension on double triangular wishbone axles, with suspension and damping elements by WP Suspension, with a pushrod arrangement up front.
The Italian brake specialist Brembo is also one of KTM’s partners whose know-how helps make the X-BOW unique. KTM is also expanding this partnership from the motorcycle sector into the automobile sector. The X-BOW's powerful braking system consists of 305 mm discs at the front and 262 mm discs at the rear. The interaction of the vehicle’s light weight, ideal balance, low centre of gravity and a 17-/18-inch tyre mix results in spectacular braking performance: when the brakes are warm, the KTM X-BOW needs only 32.9 metres to decelerate from 100 kmh to a standstill.
Outstanding downforce values: Exceptional Contact Pressure
The primary goal in developing the KTM X-BOW was not attaining extreme final velocities, but in achieving unique driving dynamics. The sports car is thereby aided by ingenious aerodynamics, the result of many hours in the wind tunnel of racecar specialist Dallara. The most vital factor here is the design of the underbody. The completely flat underfloor has a prominent diffusor at the rear. The air flowing beneath the floor of the car is directly channelled with the aid of the front end’s construction, which was designed for this purpose. To make this diffusor work even more effectively, the linking points for the rear suspension were set as high as possible.
This enables the KTM X-BOW to achieve a phenomenal downforce of nearly 200 kilograms at a speed of 200 kmh – about three times more than most other supersport cars. In combination with the high-performance chassis, this fantastic downforce makes extreme cornering speeds possible. The transversal acceleration of 1.5 g that can thus be attained (with series tyres) clearly surpasses the usual values achieved by street homologated sports cars.
An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-BOW is not just a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, it also sets a new benchmark in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of its original design concept: for its first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners, such as Audi and Dallara.
The result is a street-legal sports car with pure-bred racing technology, such as an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque, which is now standard equipment in Formula 1 racing because of the weight and safety advantages it offers.
Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 177 kW (240 hp) Audi 2.0 TFSI engine, the KTM X-BOW sets new standards and outstrips supersport cars: with a weight of approx. 790 kilos, the KTM X-BOW accelerates to 100 kmh in just 3.9 seconds. And its fuel consumption and pollution emissions are comparable to those of a compact car with a high-quality engine.
But the X-BOW isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and extraneous, weighty comfort features, the X-BOW offers an unfiltered driving adventure.
This is made possible by the X-BOW's double triangular wishbone axles for the wheels, its transparent technology and its reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. This sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. So driving the KTM X-BOW becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when driving a motorcycle or a Formula 1 racecar.
Successful debut at the Geneva Motor Show
Production launch in June 2008
A prototype of the KTM X-BOW made its first public appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007. The extremely positive reactions to this world premiere gave the green light for the assembly lines to start rolling out this lightweight sports car in series.
The production began in the factory in Graz Austria in June 2008. The first models were delivered to our eager customers in August 2008. Approximately 350 vehicles were sold by the end of the year. For 2009, the first full year of production, KTM expects a sales volume of approx. 600 units.
The KTM X-BOW meets the requirements for road homologation as defined by the new EU guidelines for small series homologation. These guidelines are already in force in the following countries through a national homologation policy: Austria, Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and in Switzerland, where the X-BOW is also already homologated as it is in the other EU-countries. It is expected that the KTM X-BOW will be approved for road homologation in much of the rest of the European Union in 2009.
Outside the European Union the KTM X-BOW is homologated in the United Arab Emirates. In all other countries outside the European Union the KTM X-BOW is classed entirely as a racecar for use solely on racetracks, based on the FIA homologation policy. Approval for road homologation in countries outside the European Union is still being considered by the relevant national authorities.
A safe carbon fibre monocoque: Racing Know-How from Dallara
Carbon fibre monocoques have been the Formula 1’s safety net for years. On the road, this technology was formerly reserved for the elitist, supersports cars in the highest price classes. KTM is now the first to offer this solution in a much more affordable segment.
KTM has been able to call upon the expertise of its development partner, Dallara, for this. These specialists from Varano (near Parma) in Northern Italy have long been acclaimed as experts in carbon technology and in designing components made of this light, yet rigid material. The monocoque developed for the KTM X-BOW is not only extremely robust it is also remarkably safe, thanks to an integrated crashbox. The silencer, which is centrally located in the rear of the car, was also designed to act as a crashbox; it absorbs the force of an impact to the rear of the vehicle.
The driver and passenger are also protected by Schroth four-point safety belts, which have also proven themselves in the racing world. The sturdy roll bars have been skillfully integrated into the monocoque’s structure and are yet another safety feature of this modern sports car.
Spectacular design: Floating Elements
KISKA DESIGN is behind the unmistakeable contours of the KTM X-BOW. Gerald Kiska’s creative team have worked closely with KTM since the mid 1990s. His Salzburg design studio is entrusted not only with the design of KTM’s motorcycles, but also with the appearance of the company itself.
In creating the design concept for KTM’s first sports car, Kiska incorporated many features that are more closely associated with motorcycles than with cars. Each component fulfils a function, the technology remains transparent, the form is noticeably simple. The car’s few body panels are “floating elements”. They suggest lightness and simplicity, which is perfectly consistent with the car’s concept.
The deliberate reduction in all things even includes the lights: simple headlamps, embedded indicators flush with the car’s contours and the clear design of the tail lamps forego superficial, showy effects. Instead, the vehicle openly displays its attractive meshwork of carbon fibres. And other details – such as the wheel suspensions with their noticeable pushrod dampers or the silencer – suddenly serve aesthetic purposes in addition to their usual functions.
2.0-litre TFSI engine from Audi: TFSI Technology from Audi
KTM was able to win Audi AG as its partner in developing the drive unit. The four-cylinder TFSI engine ingeniously reflects the X-Bow’s construction principles: lightweight, high performance and intelligent technologies.
The engine’s outstanding attribute is its direct fuel injection technology, FSI. This is combined with an exhaust turbocharger plus an intercooler. Among other triumphs, Audi has repeatedly won the 24-hour Le Mans race with this effective and tried and tested technology package. Thanks to FSI, the engine can utilise fuel better than one with ordinary intake manifold injection and it even achieves significant fuel savings in the frequently used partial load range.
The injection takes place at a pressure level between 30 and 110 bar, valves in the intake system swirl the inflowing air into a cylindrical stream. A continuously variable intake camshaft ensures optimal cylinder charging at any speed. Two balancer shafts compensate the second order inertia forces and so guarantee reliable, low-vibration operation.
The KTM X-BOW's long-stroking, four-valve engine delivers a powerful performance: 310 newton-metres of torque peaks at a broad plateau between 2000 and 5500 rpm. The peak performance of 177kW (240 hp) is achieved at 5500 rpm.
The drive unit package is complemented by a manual 6-gear transmission, which is also made by the VW/Audi group and can be equipped with a limited-slip differential if so desired. This mid-engine vehicle’s drive comes from the rear wheels.
Puristic, unfiltered driving experience: Puristic and Functional
As a result of its clear concept, the KTM X-BOW can do without plenty of elements that ordinarily add complexity and extra weight. So the narrow wind deflector makes an elaborate ventilation system and windscreen wipers unnecessary; doors are also not included in the design, due to the vehicle’s low overall height.
You’ll also look for a standard instrument panel in vain. The driver can find all the necessary driving information on a centrally located display.
The seats are further examples of the X-BOW's intelligent and simple construction: the shells for the driver’s and passenger’s seats are fully integrated into the carbon fibre construction of the monocoque. An overlay by Recaro that is individually fitted for the occupants’ size provides solid comfort. And the X-BOW has manually adjustable pedals, to provide the best ergonomics for drivers of any height.
Direct and Sporty
A low centre of gravity and well-adjusted balance are the prerequisites for excellent driving dynamics. The X-BOW's driving capabilities are extraordinary due to its superior chassis, which is directly descended from motor sports technologies. That means: suspension on double triangular wishbone axles, with suspension and damping elements by WP Suspension, with a pushrod arrangement up front.
The Italian brake specialist Brembo is also one of KTM’s partners whose know-how helps make the X-BOW unique. KTM is also expanding this partnership from the motorcycle sector into the automobile sector. The X-BOW's powerful braking system consists of 305 mm discs at the front and 262 mm discs at the rear. The interaction of the vehicle’s light weight, ideal balance, low centre of gravity and a 17-/18-inch tyre mix results in spectacular braking performance: when the brakes are warm, the KTM X-BOW needs only 32.9 metres to decelerate from 100 kmh to a standstill.
Outstanding downforce values: Exceptional Contact Pressure
The primary goal in developing the KTM X-BOW was not attaining extreme final velocities, but in achieving unique driving dynamics. The sports car is thereby aided by ingenious aerodynamics, the result of many hours in the wind tunnel of racecar specialist Dallara. The most vital factor here is the design of the underbody. The completely flat underfloor has a prominent diffusor at the rear. The air flowing beneath the floor of the car is directly channelled with the aid of the front end’s construction, which was designed for this purpose. To make this diffusor work even more effectively, the linking points for the rear suspension were set as high as possible.
This enables the KTM X-BOW to achieve a phenomenal downforce of nearly 200 kilograms at a speed of 200 kmh – about three times more than most other supersport cars. In combination with the high-performance chassis, this fantastic downforce makes extreme cornering speeds possible. The transversal acceleration of 1.5 g that can thus be attained (with series tyres) clearly surpasses the usual values achieved by street homologated sports cars.
