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]