Coming to America: Street legal KTM X-Bow
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the KTM X-Bow
Although KTM has been making motorcycles since 1934, it's new to the car business. Evidently, no one told them that if you're going to go back on something you said in the auto business, it's supposed to be really disappointing. Instead, KTM has announced its intention to bring the X-Bow track car to the United States and make it street-legal to boot, despite previously saying that the X-Bow would only be sold in Europe and Asia and that it would be confined to the track.
The announcement was made by KTM sales and marketing chief Hubert Trunkenpolz at the recent annual gathering of KTM bike dealers from across North America in Salt Lake City, Utah. Apparently the company has received some 600+ requests from American KTM dealers for the X-Bow to make the transatlantic trip. Trunkenpolz (now we just like saying Trunkenpolz) noted that they will need cooperation from Volkswagen/Audi, who supplies the running gear, and from local authorities, but that the company "will do whatever is possible to bring the car to the U.S. – that, I promise." Thanks for the tip, everyone!
Gallery: KTM X-Bow
[Source: Dealernews via Hell For Leather]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4agze 3:07PM (8/25/2008)
wow really, im in the market for a lotus exige hope its price lower maybe something to look at ill wait lol
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Mehul 10:18PM (8/25/2008)
It does appeal to me too. Now if we also got the Atom, we'd have some good selection
BigMcLargeHuge 3:09PM (8/25/2008)
Its probably going to be priced like a supercar.
But amazingly enough, I want this more than any other supercar!
Which blows my mind, because its just a car minus all the parts that make it a car.
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lester 3:21PM (8/25/2008)
Easily a $60k plus US price.
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Adam Marcello 3:44PM (8/25/2008)
I really hope they dont plan on selling a complete car thats street legal. That would probably require a pretty thorough redesign for safety (ie. airbags). Hopefully they will offer it as a kit car similar to the atom so that all that crap isnt needed.
As for pricing I would think they would try to make it competative with the atom. Thats their main competitor. Based on looks this would get my money though. Has anyone done a track comparison of the two yet?
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why not the LS2LS7? 4:14PM (8/25/2008)
Not gonna happen (making it street legal in the US).
It'd require so many changes and so much testing that it would obliterate their profits, even if they converted every "I swear I'll buy one" into an actual sale.
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meshies 4:31PM (8/25/2008)
sweet jeebus i want one so bad.
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jonathan charak 4:58PM (8/25/2008)
Where's the love, I sent this tip into ya'll at like 6:15 am (central time) today?
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jonathan charak 4:59PM (8/25/2008)
nevermind... now I see the 'thanks everyone'
Ray 5:12PM (8/25/2008)
It's Y'ALL not ya'll. Y'all is short for you all, I don't understand what ys'll is short for. Get it right people!
Chase 6:44PM (8/25/2008)
A lesson in common scotch:
"Ys'll" is short for "Yes, I will." As in, "Ys'll do't."
Kitko 5:33PM (8/25/2008)
38,000 British Pounds in the UK including taxes (17.5% VAT) and delivery.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/227641/
That, translated into US prices, will almost certainly not make $76,000. My tip is $55K + tax.
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Escher 5:51PM (8/25/2008)
Hope this is true. Roughly translated from German to English, this marketing guy's name is something like "drunken jester."
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pies 6:54PM (8/25/2008)
Sorry to bring bad news but KTM has put the price in Europe up to waaaaay more than this. The actual UK price including 'mandatory options' is about 53k GBP. With the carbon bodywork and aero bits you are looking at 65k to 80k GBP. So you guys in the USA will be looking at 100k to 150k US Dollars i guess!!!!
I'm one of the few who've driven the car: it looks great and is fantastically well engineered but is dull to drive with an Audi turbo engine which lacks any kind of charisma or aural drama. Buy an Atom, Caterham or Lotus instead for much less.