KTM has announced it will build a new plant to produce its X-Bow sports car. Best known for making motorcycles, KTM said the expansion is due to the large volume of orders it has received for the X-Bow. The X-Bow is the company’s first sports car.
KTM originally intended to build 500 X-Bows annually but has already received orders for over 1,000 examples. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2008 with a price of about $55,000.
Power for the X-Bow comes from an Audi-sourced 2.0L TFSI engine rated at 220 horsepower. Thanks to excessive carbon fiber use, the X-Bow can accelerate from 0-60 in under 4 seconds and has a top speed of over 180 mph.
Between the X-Bow and the Ariel Atom, it appears as though more companies are attempting to offer supercar performance at a more main-stream price. While the new entrants don’t offer the luxury or prestige of more expensive sports car, they do rival their performance numbers. Although it remains to be seen if the new breed of ultra-light and affordable sports cars can sustain their popularity, the news of KTM’s expansion seems to be good news for the segment.
09/26, 9:33 AM
posted by:
Gogogodzilla
Nice looking car.
And the performance numbers plus the cost listed make it even nicer!
09/26, 9:45 AM
posted by:
55amg
180mph in that? no thanks
09/26, 9:56 AM
posted by:
JMa
With ever tighter emission and fuel economy rules around the world, are small light cars with smaller 4 cylinder engines the future of sports cars? I would miss the sound of Porshce’s flat 6, Ferrari V8s and V12, and the rumble of the LS1 as much as the next guy, but I guess one has to be realistic when looking 10-15 years down the road.
09/26, 9:57 AM
posted by:
autonut
Elise looks better and already reached those performance figures. Unfortunately they are also at the same price level.
09/26, 9:59 AM
posted by:
jamaicandude
Carbon monocoque and proper harnesses… I don’t think I’d feel any less safe in this. xxxx… 180mph should be scary enough in any car I imagine. On a track, maybe…
09/26, 10:01 AM
posted by:
Rotman
Oh man, this will be a widow maker for sure.
09/26, 10:06 AM
posted by:
Commodore
I really don’t care about the new plant or about these kind of cars in general
09/26, 10:28 AM
posted by:
Aston Martin
Ah, the Aussies are trying to tale on us British in the game we play best… lightweight sports cars. Sorry, but Caterham and Ariel own the show.
09/26, 10:29 AM
posted by:
Aston Martin
Commodore, do you think I care about you not caring? If you don’t care, don’t post anything.
09/26, 11:10 AM
posted by:
Piablo
I hope this car is succesful. For everyone concerned about safety, i’d rather be riding in this than one of those Smart ForTwos. Or why would anyone think a Porsche Boxster would be any safer than this?
At $55K, it’s certainly out of my range as an eco-commuter. But it sure would be fun to race. Then again, I’m still hooked on one of those Factory5 Cobra kits. I just see the future of cars moving in this direction.
09/26, 11:31 AM
posted by:
Deanster
Does it qualify as an actual car, or are they exempt from safety standards by classifying it as a motorcycle (open air two-person capacity?)? Does anyone know?
09/26, 12:15 PM
posted by:
sik59rt
i would rather do 180 in this than a motorcycle….
and commodore. i dont care that you dont care.
09/26, 12:22 PM
posted by:
SubieDoug
Aston Martin – KTM is an Austrian company, not Australian
If this performs as well as the SuperDuke 990 does (and if I had that kind of loot to spend on a toy), I’d snatch one up in a heartbeat.
09/26, 12:35 PM
posted by:
ActSci
Is this thing actually a street legal car?? It looks like a damn go-kart. Pretty neat though!
09/26, 1:01 PM
posted by:
schitzo1978
i liked this “car” when it was called the T-Rexx
09/26, 2:56 PM
posted by:
Jaguar XJ-S
The T-Rex had three wheels there schitzo. And this is a completely different brand. T-rex is Canadian. This KTM is Austrian as SubieDoug pointed out. This car is no relation at all other than it is small, light, and stupid fast.
09/26, 5:10 PM
posted by:
Deanster
Yeah schitzo, you’re being a douchbag! LOL!
09/26, 7:49 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
I don’t think it’s street legal ActSci, but if it is, then the Ariel is as good as dead.
09/27, 9:34 AM
posted by:
onramp
Awesome. It’s about purity…lightweight, good chassis dynamics, acceleration, etc. Awesome.
I highly doubt someone is going to walk into a showroom for one of these and get in a discussion about safety…why even debate it?
It’s a whole lot safer than a motorcycle, and last time I checked people seem to buy a lot of those.
09/28, 7:53 AM
posted by:
Piablo
As long as it has the proper lights and mandated safety features…doesn’t take much to be street leagal. It’s openness gives it a false sense of impracticality.
09/29, 4:02 PM
posted by:
BLISS
SOUNDS LIKE GOOD START