300-hp KTM X-Bow R revealed

2011 KTM X-Bow R – Click above for high-res image gallery

The KTM X-Bow may not be the prettiest ride on the track, but looks don't help you win races. With 240 horsepower motivating a mere 1,742 pounds, the X-Bow has plenty of punch to dice through a track with relative ease. And if 240 ponies can help you win at the track or the next stop light, then 300 horsepower ought to be even better. We caught wind of rumors back in July that KTM was prepping just such a beast, with the ability to hit 60 miles per hour in a scant three seconds, and it looks like those rumors were based in fact.

KTM has officially announced that the new X-Bow R is, in fact, the real deal, with a 300 horsepower version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter Audi engine sourced from the S3. The X-Bow R will also sit lower with a lower engine mounting to increase cornering speeds and impress your friends at the same time. The R model will reportedly come in two forms; a "Sport" variant for the street and a "Race" pack for the track.

If you're already one of the 500 existing X-Bow owners, don't worry about your sudden case of horsepower envy. KTM is said to be prepared to offer many of the parts that add up to an R designation through X-Bow PowerParts, giving owners the opportunity to tune their four-wheeled motorcycle to Sport or Race specifications. Additional details and pricing information will be available after the first of the year.



[Source: CarScoop]
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At the moment KTM is working intensively on the 2011model of its super sports car X-BOW. The first ever small series manufactured and street legal homologated car with a carbon fibre monocoque has been sold around 500 times since its launch in 2008. Around 50 X-BOW partners throughout Europe and currently ten importers globally look after sports car enthusiasts all over the world in order to supply the only 790 kilogram light, 240 horsepower strong extreme athlete.

After having been on the market for approximately two years now, the KTM X-BOW line-up will be supplemented with the introduction of the "R" model in the upcoming year. The engine for this even more powerful version comes again from Audi – but it will be exactly the same engine used among others in the actual Audi S3.

Changes to the engine electronics and peripheral devices will boost the performance up to 300 horsepower. Additionally, a considerably lower positioning and a modified mounting of the engine will lead to even higher cornering speeds and increased driving precision. In addition, two optional equipment packages should customize the X-BOW "R" as ideally as possible to the requirements of the customers: The road legal and homologated "Sport" package, as well as the "Race" package, which is optimised for track use. The packages each include a vast number of completely new developed parts, which increase the performance of the car dramatically. Many of these parts will be also available separately in the PowerParts program, so all current KTM X-BOW owners will enjoy the benefit of the new developments.

The prototype shown, pictured at a first rollout on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, has nearly all new parts installed, which will raise the enthusiasm amongst the numerous X-BOW customers and which should attract many more new customers.

Detailed information, prices and pictures will follow at the beginning of next year.

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