Stummel

nothing to do with the 993tt but maybe of interest for some.
dont know if it will be available in US, guess not

http://www.ktm-x-bow.com/

Had a chance to test drive the X-Bow in full carbon trim on a little race track.
In short the car is about 1700lbs with an Audi 4-cylinder TFSI engine delivering 240hp with real downforce aerodynamics and a nice carbon monocoque from Dallara.

Power delivery up to about 80mph is comparable to a stock 993tt but driving experience is much more involving and car control is absolute amazing.

It is a blast to drive even at lower speeds and even beginners can drift quite easily with the right setup i.e. a bit understeering to neutral with poweroversteer in a heartbeat.

Even with 250lbs I was comfortable with the driving position and ergonomics.

A really nice track tool and maybe it is even a very nice weekend driver for the real men here

pstoppani

The latest I heard from KTM is that they plan to import the X-Bow to the US next year.

C.J. Ichiban

I configured one as an "italian resident" and it only came to 82k euros...wow what a bargain! lol

JDHertz11

I sat in one at the KTM booth at Goodwood a few months ago. It feels "right" to sit in. Everything is easily within reach. KTM makes some great stuff. I ride a Super Duke 990 and I can assure you that they make a great product.

Felix

Nice car but it's very dear for a limited use car. New 911 price without 911 practicality.

Stummel

can't compare us and euro prices directly.

guess price would be in the range of 70k to 100k USD.
seems a lot but the car is definately a lot more fun than any stock GT3!

my reaction was the same like yours but after driving the car things look a bit different. quality is superior to P-cars and handling is extremly direct and driving experience very intense.
0-60 is faster than a GT3 and you can easily mod the engine to 300hp.

what is missing is sound (easy to mod) and a hi-reving n/a engine.

btw: KTM offered the first 100 X-bows for like 55k Euros, that was a real bargain.

C.J. Ichiban

stummel, I realize it's an awesome track car- but where I live I can get a slightly used and fairly bulletproof 200hp Formula Mazda open wheeler for $20K US, and go race it on weekends, run it on trackdays, etc. and pretend I'm kimi raikonnen...

Cars like the ariel atom and the x-bow look really cool, and then I realize that they're not true race cars, and don't have a racing series to run in, and can't really be driven on public roads...I'm sure it's a lot of fun however. I'm not the typical P-car owner because I aim to do 50-100 track days per year, so it's funny because not only do I need more than one track car, but I keep getting tempted to purchase an open wheeler also.

Stummel

C.J., already read about your track adventures and find it really cool that you use the cars the way they were meant to be used.

I also do about 70-100 track days but unfortunately not really days but more evenings as on workdays the Nordschleife is open only from 5 to 7:30 on most days.

The X-Bow is racing in the FIA series and will create a race series next year. You can have full KTM support at these races. "ready to race" appears on the speedo when you start the car - quite cool.

I do not know a lot about the other open wheelers but what I have seen from the UK cars is in no way comparable to the build quality of the KTM - complete differnet worlds.

The Ariel Atom could be comparable I guess but has no street license in Germany - other than the X-Bow.

As far as pretending to being Kimi I think it is far easier to run the X-Bow near its limits than a GT3. So it is a perfect tool to learn and grow and it does not get to its limits to soon.

I know the car is not perfect and the price tag seems a bit unreal. For 50k Euros I would buy one I guess but not for 100k Euros (full carbon setup).

At least this car makes you think about what you are really doing on the track and most important WHY you spent your time there

And yes, the X-Bow does give a similar driving experience than a F3000 with 1000lbs and 180hp and on full slicks but you can have it all day long on public roads...

C.J. Ichiban

thanks, I love tracking my cars and get a lot of joy out of learning and improving, I'm actually doing some endurance racing this offseason, which will be even better.

well if you're running the ring for an hour or two once or twice a week, I'd say that qualifies as a track day...

seriously though- if you get one, let me know...I really love the design and wouldn't mind riding shotgun around spa, hockenheim, or the nordschliefe!

I didn't know that the x-bow was going to have it's own series, for whatever reason that's my defining trait on whether a car is really a good track car- if the manufacturer is willing to support its customers with parts and assistance for racing and track events, then I respect that car a lot more. Until Audi actually starts selling their R8 gt3 cars, I just look at them as grand touring cars despite the claim from Audi that "it's a racecar"

I think it's neat that all these companies provide local track support and ladder systems:

porsche motorsports (FIA, PCA club racing, imsa cup cars, etc),
bmw (formula bmw, bmw club racing)
mazdaspeed (spec miata, formula cars, mx5 pro series, in usa at least),
Ford (spec racers, new mustang challenge here this year),
ferrari (challenge and FIA GT)

dp35

Atoms are actually legal to drive on US roads, and are easy to register in Texas (so I've heard). For that reason, they are superior to cars like the X-Bow or Lotus 211. IMO its not fair to compare the Atom to the X-Bow, because the Atom actually exists in the US, and we don't know if the X-Bow ever will.

But if you'd like to compare anyways, the Atom's performance is superior to the Lotus and the KTM.

If you want a car that can handle the abuse of the track, and is still a lot of fun on the street (in good weather), you should consider an Atom. Although not quite as fast as a F-Mazda, Atoms are the fastest cars that you can drive to/from the track, and a lot cheaper to run. An Atom is a great way to pretend you're Kimi.

Sadly, most Atoms owners don't use their cars properly (track abuse). But those of us that do would love to have another.

C.J. Ichiban

wait I'm confused- you're saying that too many atom owners abuse their cars at the track? that's kind of the point, isn't it?

either way I'd love to drive one just to see what it's all about

dp35

No, just the opposite, too many owners do NOT abuse their Atoms at the track, or even track them at all. Its sad. There's four or five of us in the country that track ours regularly, the other 100 or so are hiding in garages, driving to Starbucks, or being polished for shows.

Not sure about getting you behind the wheel, but I might be able to arrange for you to see one and get a passenger ride.

pstoppani

My experience is that most of the Atoms are not driven very hard at the track, if they see track time at all.

Here is a way to drive one: http://www.arielatomexperience.com/