KTM X-Bow

2008 KTM X-Bow

Edmunds Inside Line

The car's carbon-fiber tub weighs 198 pounds and is made by German specialist Wethje. It's exquisite, and it sets a new precedent, not just for low-volume track weaponry but also for the automotive industry as a whole. The X-Bow's body generates 425 pounds of downforce at 124 mph, and KTM claims the car can pull 1.5g on road tires and 1.8g on race rubber.

With X-Bow prices starting at $86,000, you've got to wonder how KTM plans to make money out of this thing. But project boss Stefan Riedler is confident: "The break-even point is 4,000 cars, and we plan to make 1,000 per year. With the race program in the FIA's [Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile] new GT4 category, we might break even sooner than that. This combination of styling, performance and especially technology is just not currently available."

The turbocharged inline-4 makes 237 hp at 5,500 rpm, while the 229 pound-feet of torque are spread evenly between 2,000 rpm and 5,500 rpm. The suspension layout features double wishbones front and rear, and the dampers from WP Suspension (a motorcycle specialist) are adjustable for bump and rebound. The brakes come from Brembo, with 12-inch discs in front and 10.3-inch discs in the rear.