We attended the 1st DRIVE ORANGE of the KTM X-Bow

This Friday Highmotor attended the event that we announced to you last month, organized by KTM at the Zuera International Circuit to test its first four-wheeled vehicle in its history, the X-Bow. There, customers and some invited journalists experienced firsthand the unique sensations this very special car delivers.

We saw the X-Bow for the first time at the Madrid motor show, where we gave you details about it, but on this occasion we saw it in action, which is where it demonstrates all its capabilities and how exciting it can be.

First there was a briefing that provided information about KTM, its role in competition, and the X-Bow. As for the company, it is present in 23 countries, and 52% belongs to Stephan Pierre, its chief executive. Recently, the Indian company Bajaj Auto bought more shares and now holds more than 20%, and with this alliance it aims to increase the range of motorcycles sold in Asia and Europe.

As for competition, everything KTM produces is ready to race, as its 150 world titles show, including 7 Paris-Dakar victories, 6 Enduro titles in 2005 and this year’s MX2 title. The X-Bow has also achieved wins, including the GT4 European Cup championship in the Sports Light category.

The car, for its part, led to the creation of a new factory to produce it located in Graz, Austria, which, although considered an independent company from the motorcycle division, has created 100 new jobs, most of them filled by people coming from Magna Steyr.

It is the first model designed and built in Austria, and its philosophy is to achieve maximum performance at a reduced price. The plan is to produce 1,000 units a year, of which between 20 and 30 will go to the Spanish market.

Its appeal lies in the exclusivity and characteristics of the car, such as its carbon fiber monocoque, thanks to which it weighs only 790 kg and generates aerodynamic downforce in corners of 48 kg at 100 km/h and 193 kg at 200 km/h, a true racer. It is powered by a 2.0 TFSI engine from Audi producing 240 hp, with which it reaches 220 km/h top speed and accelerates from 0 to 100 in 3.9 seconds, faster than high-end sports cars, all for 54,000 euros, half the price of those models. In the future KTM may offer a power kit to raise output to 270 hp, although for now few people notice that the X-Bow lacks power.

After the press conference, it was time to get into the car, although first there was a series of exercises to get used to how the car behaves, since, as those who drove it said, it is nothing like a normal car. The five-time Spanish circuit champion Javier Díaz and the GT4 drivers Catharina Felser and Dennis Retera took charge of teaching how to handle the car on a slalom and in acceleration and braking tests.

According to those who tried the X-Bow, this initial training seems an essential step before taking it onto the road for which it is already homologated, because without a prior adaptation period it is easy to lose control of the car, as it lacks ABS and ESP.

Finally, once people had more or less gotten used to the car, Javi, Catharina and Dennis showed what the X-Bow is capable of at high speed and by performing impressive drifts that gave the evening its grand finale. In short, these test days are a great way to convince the public even more of the potential the X-Bow has and above all to experience something thrilling.

We leave you with two videos, the first of the initial slalom test, and the second of the drifts performed by driver Dennis Retera at the end of the event, plus the photo gallery.

KTM X-Bow 1st DRIVE ORANGE: Slalom test from Highmotor on Vimeo.

KTM X-Bow 1st DRIVE ORANGE: Drifts from Highmotor on Vimeo.

Photos and Videos | Highmotor