KTM Crossbow (X-Bow)

[Gage]

I like the Name, but the car reminds me of a Cat Fish from the front.    Not a tasty thought for me.

[pakitor23]

Car looks cool but after the dissapointment of the gx-3 I have to see to believe first. Nobody produces anything without being sure they will recover the money + profits ( except Volkswagen with the veyron). Austrian technology is the best of the best. It would be interesting to see the 300 hp version with the s3 engine + the dsg gearbox. That could be a blast and rival with the atom maybe. We will see. Another thing is they better have dealership service and street legal from the dealer if the want to compete with Lotus or Ariel.

[bolus]

looks pretty cool..  I wonder what an Atom with 2 scoops would look like

[g8kam]

Did a quick search, a figure of 40000 euro was memtioned, thats only £27000!!!

Where do I put me deposit down?

[KK]

More update from the Late Night News (ZIB 3) in the Austrian TV yesterday:

1. In the first batch only 100 cars will be produced to see and test the market perception / market reaction
2. Price was mentioned at â?¬ 40k - which usually includes VAT and registration tax for Austria. Assuming that the fuel economy would bring the car into the 12% band (fuel economy is the base for the Austrian registration tax) and taken into account Austrian VAT at 20% this would conclude a â?¬ 30k net amount. In my view that looks pretty (or even unbelievably) cheap. 
3. Production for the first batch will initially be with race car manufacturer Dallara in Italy (http://www.dallara.it/). If the market appreciates the car, plans would be to shift production into Austria.
4. Availability will be autumn next year
5. Carbon Fibre (as well as weight with 700kg and Audi turbo charged engine with 220 bhp) was confirmed - although not which parts will be CF. I assume just the body work given the price range.
6. No information about dealership, but given that they use Audi engines and have their own (bike) dealer network, I would assume sales and maintenance should not prove to be too difficult. The first batch of 100 might even go without a dealership?

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="g8kam"]
Did a quick search, a figure of 40000 euro was memtioned, thats only £27000!!!

Where do I put me deposit down?
[/quote]

Don't forget - the steering wheel will be on the wrong side - which isn't fun in a vehicle that low...

[KK]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Don't forget - the steering wheel will be on the wrong side - which isn't fun in a vehicle that low...
[/quote]

Bruce, you are right, that the steering wheel is not on the right side.

At the same time your are also wrong because the other side left over besides the wrong side may sometimes be the right side. So although the steering wheel is on the left side it nevertheless can be proved that it actually is on the right side:

The last paragraph above is simply right because the position of the steering wheel is designed and fully optimised for driving on the right side of the road and its position is therefore right. This holds despite the fact that the steering wheel is not on the right side but rather on the left side which is not identical to the wrong side but, in this case, rather is the right side.

It is all down to the fact that you guys in the UK drive on the wrong side of the road.
The solution to this minor issue however is dead easy: Just get your road rules right and follow the majority of countries in the world by driving on the right side of the road. 

Conclusion: If you like the KTM Crossbow, go for it because the steering wheel is never on the wrong side as it always appears to be on the right side.

[Alec]

[quote="1st Austrian Atom 2 [Klaus]"]
[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Don't forget - the steering wheel will be on the wrong side - which isn't fun in a vehicle that low...
[/quote]

Bruce, you are right, that the steering wheel is not on the right side.
It however is definitely not on the wrong side either.
The position of the steering wheel is designed and fully optimised for driving on the right side of the road and its position is therefore right.

It is all down to the fact that you guys in the UK drive on the wrong side of the road.
The solution to this minor issue however is dead easy: Just get your road rules right and follow the majority of countries in the world by driving on the right side of the road. 
[/quote]

No, it's very easy to remember here in the UK when driving on the road because left is right and right is wrong. 

[KK]

[quote="Alec"]
No, it's very easy to remember here in the UK when driving on the road because left is right and right is wrong. 
[/quote]

I always thought that you U.K. guys are somehow strange. We are British we are different ... Nevertheless I must add that I very much like Brits and the U.K. and I have some of my best friends over in the U.K.

Alec, anyway, thanks for pointing this out as you prove my point. The difference however being that you tackled the problem from the pessimist's point of view by concluding that the position of the steering is always wrong by effectively saying (in Math terms):
left = right
right = wrong
thus: left = wrong AND right = wrong

I moved in from an optimist's point of view, concluding that the position of the steering wheel is always right.
[quote="1st Austrian Atom 2 [Klaus]"]
Conclusion: If you like the KTM Crossbow, go for it because the steering wheel is never on the wrong side as it always appears to be on the right side.
[/quote]

[Bruce Fielding]

Yes, but if you drove on the right and had the wheel on the right, two rights would make a wrong.

[JonnyBravo]

Im glad to see no one has become confused and wrongly started to write write. It would be sillyy to get it wrong with write when right is right in this context.... yet as clearly pointed out by Bruce is still wrong.
I'm gettiing confused .... much more of this and I'll be having my last rites....
oh gawd.....

[KK]

[quote="JonnyBravo"]
I'm gettiing confused .... much more of this and I'll be having my last rites....
oh gawd.....
[/quote]
Well that sounds scary ... But before your last rites you need to write your last will such that the right stuff left behind ist actually left with the right people, right. 
But let's stop with that now. I don't want to assume any liability for your early demise.


So back on topic then:
There's an articel about the X-Bow in the latest version of Austrian car magazine Autorevue (01/07). The majority of the article is available on-line - although as one would expect - in German only: http://www.autorevue.at/index.html?/art ... 9229.shtml

Below is a quick summary of some of the information in the article:

• KTM originally wanted to name the car Crossbow - but that name was already taken by Nissan for a Hummer-like offroad monster prototype from 2001. That's why they came up with X-Bow - although it should be pronounced Crossbow.
• Carbon Fibre Monocoque technology is confirmed (produced from Italian Dallara). According to KTM it assures the highest standards of safety
• No airbags but 4-point safety belts.
• Development work started in autumn 2005 already.
• Idea is to be closer to race cars than anything else on 4 wheels available for purchase on the market (NOTE: well that's probably to high a claim)
• Audi engine co-operation already confirmed, further co-operation with VW for sales, warranty and service currently being negotiated (only for special stores though)
• Audi 200bhp turbo charged engine with direct fuel injection is uprated to 220bhp. German Audi tuner Abt is available for those who want more (i.e. 250bhp) and the S3 engine at the top end (260 to 300bhp depending on turbo charger used).
• First appearance in Geneva, March 2007. Estimated delivery time for the first batch of 100 in autumn 2007
• Price confirmed at "slightly above â?¬ 40k incl. VAT, but exlcuding Austrian registration tax"). This makes for a net price of around 35k. Prices for a lower spec base version are anticipated at around the â?¬ 30k mark (net of taxes) provided there's life after the first 100 prototype batch.
• sequential manual gearbox as an option from KTM; Audi DSG ready (as an alternative option at a later stage).
• If real production gets kicked off they plan for around 5.000 vehicles over a life span of 4 years. Magna's production facilities in Austria might be an option for that.
• They expect difficulties in markets like Italy and France due to stricter approval rules there (NOTE: This suggests that there might be no current plans for a EU type approval)
• Due to strict US product liability rules it will (if at all) only be available as a kit car in the US - i.e. shipped as parts for home building.
• 0-100 km/h time is expected to be sub 4 seconds, top speed around 220 km/h, expected weight in the area of 700kg (all figures quoted for the 220bhp version).

[dp35]

If everything in that list actually happens, that will be a great car at a great price.

I have a hard time believing that all of the following will occur:

[quote="1st Austrian Atom 2 [Klaus]"]

• Carbon Fibre Monocoque technology is confirmed (produced from Italian Dallara). According to KTM it assures the highest standards of safety
• Idea is to be closer to race cars than anything else on 4 wheels available for purchase on the market (NOTE: well that's probably to high a claim)
• First appearance in Geneva, March 2007. Estimated delivery time for the first batch of 100 in autumn 2007
• Price confirmed at "slightly above â?¬ 40k incl. VAT, but exlcuding Austrian registration tax"). This makes for a net price of around 35k. Prices for a lower spec base version are anticipated at around the â?¬ 30k mark (net of taxes) provided there's life after the first 100 prototype batch.
• Due to strict US product liability rules it will (if at all) only be available as a kit car in the US - i.e. shipped as parts for home building.

[/quote]

[g8kam]

[quote="1st Austrian Atom 2 [Klaus]"]
[quote="JonnyBravo"]
I'm gettiing confused .... much more of this and I'll be having my last rites....
oh gawd.....
[/quote]
Well that sounds scary ... But before your last rites you need to write your last will such that the right stuff left behind ist actually left with the right people, right. 
But let's stop with that now. I don't want to assume any liability for your early demise.


So back on topic then:
There's an articel about the X-Bow in the latest version of Austrian car magazine Autorevue (01/07). The majority of the article is available on-line - although as one would expect - in German only: http://www.autorevue.at/index.html?/art ... 9229.shtml

Below is a quick summary of some of the information in the article:

• KTM originally wanted to name the car Crossbow - but that name was already taken by Nissan for a Hummer-like offroad monster prototype from 2001. That's why they came up with X-Bow - although it should be pronounced Crossbow.
• Carbon Fibre Monocoque technology is confirmed (produced from Italian Dallara). According to KTM it assures the highest standards of safety
• No airbags but 4-point safety belts.
• Development work started in autumn 2005 already.
• Idea is to be closer to race cars than anything else on 4 wheels available for purchase on the market (NOTE: well that's probably to high a claim)
• Audi engine co-operation already confirmed, further co-operation with VW for sales, warranty and service currently being negotiated (only for special stores though)
• Audi 200bhp turbo charged engine with direct fuel injection is uprated to 220bhp. German Audi tuner Abt is available for those who want more (i.e. 250bhp) and the S3 engine at the top end (260 to 300bhp depending on turbo charger used).
• First appearance in Geneva, March 2007. Estimated delivery time for the first batch of 100 in autumn 2007
• Price confirmed at "slightly above â?¬ 40k incl. VAT, but exlcuding Austrian registration tax"). This makes for a net price of around 35k. Prices for a lower spec base version are anticipated at around the â?¬ 30k mark (net of taxes) provided there's life after the first 100 prototype batch.
• sequential manual gearbox as an option from KTM; Audi DSG ready (as an alternative option at a later stage).
• If real production gets kicked off they plan for around 5.000 vehicles over a life span of 4 years. Magna's production facilities in Austria might be an option for that.
• They expect difficulties in markets like Italy and France due to stricter approval rules there (NOTE: This suggests that there might be no current plans for a EU type approval)
• Due to strict US product liability rules it will (if at all) only be available as a kit car in the US - i.e. shipped as parts for home building.
• 0-100 km/h time is expected to be sub 4 seconds, top speed around 220 km/h, expected weight in the area of 700kg (all figures quoted for the 220bhp version).

[/quote]Heres another link, no mention of Italy & France as their intended market, but Britaiin would have upto 2 dealerships.Yee Haaaa

http://autopark.blogspot.com/2006/12/kt ... eight.html

[ross]

Further to my post here (as this thread seems a better place to mention it now)...

http://forum.atomclub.com/index.php/top ... l#msg55102

...I've had word from the MD at KTM UK that currently there's no official retail pricing, distribution channel in place or way of placing a deposit, but they'll have a lot more info after Geneva.

I've been the first end user to contact them (in the UK) about placing a deposit so if and when they're able to take an order, I'm told I'll be one of the first to purchase one assuming I'm still in a position to place a deposit.

My guess is that it the X-BOW either won't make it past the concept mule stage, or will be much less interesting in final production and/or will end up costing way more than the current speculated price.

Still, here's hoping anyhow!

Cheers, Ross.