Autoblog

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res pics of the KTM X-Bow.

KTM, the bike manufacturer turned track toy purveyor, will be showing off the X-Bow in "Gleaming White" next week at the Autosport International Racing Car Show, and has announced that production will begin in Graz, Austria later this year. Preorders have reportedly gone through the roof, but KTM only intends to build 1,000 X-Bows per year for the time being. Those that got on the waiting list early will be in the running for a limited edition model, dubbed the "Dallara Series," that will come equipped with extra kit to boost the X-Bow's prowess on the track. Unfortunately, KTM's press release (after the jump) didn't divulge what additional features the Dallara will be fitted with, but if we were to wager a guess, we'd put our money on some upgraded brake components and a few tweaks to the ECU to boost the Audi-sourced 2.0-liter TFSI mill.

Click above to view in high-resolution

Formula 3, for any racing fans who don't watch the feeder-formulas like football fans watch college pigskin, is one of the most important lower formulas in international motorsports. While NASCAR may have its own hierarchy, the vast majority of racing's most successful drivers have at some point passed through F3, making the aray of regional and national series operating around the world an important stepping-stone for aspiring F1 drivers.

Although technically Formula 3 does not mandate a uniform chassis (like Champ Cars, IndyCars, GP2, and A1GP do), Dallara's permeation of the series might as well be a complete monopoly. Dallara also the builds chassis for IndyCars, the World Series by Renault (which feeds into F3) and GP2 (the next step up from F3). It built the immensely successful R8 endurance racer for Audi and the first batch of the KTM X-bow, as well as consulting on the development of the Pagani Zonda and Ferrari 333 SP.

Dallara's new Formula 3 chassis, despite FIA-mandated restrictions, benefits from significantly improved aerodynamics as a result of many hours spent in wind-tunnels and in CFD simulators. The Dallara F308 is also more compact than its predecessor while conforming to new side-impact regulations. In addition to the usual suspension set-up, a new pushrod unit is available designed to minimize understeer, and the car comes equipped with Brembo's latest brake package.

With Formula Three grids growing around the world, and the F308 now conforming to Spanish and Italian regulations, Dallara expects to sell 70 cars for the 2008 season. Check out the press release after the jump for more details, and the gallery below for more high-resolution images.

[Source: Dallara]

Click image to view more shots of the street-legal Indy car

The DuPont Registry is the car shopping guide many of us use for that mission-critical research on what to buy when the good ship Powerball sails into our lives. After all, you can never be too prepared for that sort of thing. The August issue has a real gem nestled among the countless Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Lamborghinis you'd normally expect to see in the Registry's glossy pages.

It's even less practical than the most cramped exotic, too. It seats one, and that seat belonged to Eddie Cheever back in 2000. It's a Dallara Indy Car, and yes, it's 100% street legal. Back in its day, a 3.5L methanol-fueled Infiniti V8 sat behind the driver, and while the Infiniti decals still adorn the bodywork, a small-block Chevy provides motivation today. Wearing its original livery, the car's outfitted with all the required lighting, runs on pump gas, has electric start, a carbon fiber and leather-surrounded cockpit, 5 gauges and launches like a sportbike with its 2.5-second 0-60 time. In an era where the phrase "racer for the street" has become become cliché, this bad boy lives up to the description in every sense.

The car was put up for auction on eBay back in December but didn't meet reserve. The old listing's still up, where you can find additional pics, info and video.

Gallery Note: Some pictures appear distorted when first viewed because the gallery sets the preview size automatically, and the images are actually smaller than that default size. To see them in undistorted form, just click them again, and they'll reduce down to their correct original size. Apologies for the inconvenience.

[Source: DuPont Registry, August 2007 issue]

click above image to view 113 images of the KTM X-Bow

We just got word that KTM has decided to switch builders for its grown-up go-kart, the X-Bow. This 1,500-pound, 300-hp track day special is set to launch next February with an initial, special-edition run of 100 units. It was originally anticipated that 100 would be the total number of units sold per year, so Dallara had been tabbed to produce them. But with 600 firm orders in hand, KTM has turned to Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik instead. KTM head Stefan Pierer explained that switching to Magna Steyr allows production to get up to speed more quickly because of their larger capacity available right off the bat. And if that 600-order figure doesn't seem impressive, KTM now has hopes to eventually reach 1,000 units annually.

No mention of a drop in price accompanied the announcement, but if KTM were asking $55,000 based on 100 units sold, we suspect 1,000 units might mean a lower pricetag in the future. Even at $55,000, however, the X-Bow remains something of a bargain, with a power-to-weight ratio of just 5.13 lbs/hp. Some supercars can't match that figure, and few come close at this price outside of the obvious rivals like the Ariel Atom, Caterham, etc. It would be interesting to see new racing classes over the next few years with all of these no-frills vehicles – the Lotus 340R, Deronda F and others going cycle-fendered wheel to wheel.

[Source: Gizmag]

American motor racing has been steadily moving towards "Spec", that is, each team racing the same car with the same engine and other components. The Indy Racing League runs Dallara chassis powered by Honda engines. (Although NASCAR technically uses a few different cars with different engines from different suppliers, they all look pretty much the same.) Now the latest spec racing cars for the Champ Car series – IRL's rival formerly known as CART – have just been delivered.

The new Panoz DP01 has been received by ten Champ Car teams, the first ten before the entire field makes the switch from the previous Lola-built cars. The new chassis will use the same turbocharged Cosworth V8 engines, the now independent engine supplier owning majority rights to the series and having involuntarily withdrawn from supplying engines in Formula One. They all run on spec Bridgestone tires, just as Formula One makes the switch next season.

Constructed primarily of carbon fiber, the new cars weigh an impressive hundred pounds less than their predecessor Lola counterparts. The chassis were delivered unpainted and all-but-identical to the teams who'll be adding their own team and sponsors' livery. We're looking forward to seeing the new cars in action.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Yesterday marked a historical milestone for open-wheel racing and for the movement towards alternative energy motorsports as former IndyCar champions Tonny Kanaan and Sam Hornish Jr. ran tests on 100% ethanol fuel. The champs ran the new 3.5-liter Honda V8s around the road course at Daytona all day without incident, marking the first time open-wheel racing has been run on a completely renewable fuel source, in advance of the series' shift to ethanol for the 2007 season.

The drivers' performance was competitive against Scott Dixon and Vitor Meira who ran on the 2006 mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% methanol; all drivers clocking comparable lap times.

The historical significance of the day of testing was even further enhanced by the venue, as this was the first time since 1959 that Indy cars ran at Daytona.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

In news that just about pegged our automotive weirdness meter, USA Today reported Thursday that Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony is getting into bed with KISS singer Gene Simmons and the Indy Racing League.

Before you get any crazy ideas, we’re quite sure the truth is bizarre enough: the 21-year-old NBA basketball phenomenon has become co-owner of the Hemelgarn IRL team, a deal brockered by KISS icon Simmons, who owns the marketing firm now promoting the series.

To be driven by rookie P.J. Chesson, car No. 91 has been dubbed “Car Melo.” The blue-and-white Dallara is set to feature the mug of the young Nugget himself.

[Source: USA Today]

(Thanks for the tip, Tom!)