Reiter Reveals KTM X-BOW, Technical Details

Reiter Engineering and KTM have extended their partnership to produce the KTM X-BOW for customers in Europe, the U.S.A. and Asia.

The X-BOW would seem to fall outside the range of normal homologation but Reiter said this was intended to be a revolutionary project.

“Now is the ideal time to introduce a revolutionary new vehicle concept into international customer motorsport,” Hans Reiter said earlier this week.

“This is an opportunity I did not want to miss and I presented my ideas to KTM. I’m convinced that the new model will attract a lot of interest and will be very successful internationally.”

Added Hubert Trunkenpolz, a member of KTM’s Executive Board: “Hans Reiter came to us with the challenging idea of developing a completely new X-BOW for use in motorsport.

“We enthusiastically support this development in the knowledge that Reiter Engineering is an internationally recognized team that develops, constructs and markets highly successful racing cars.”

The initial release left open many questions about how the X-BOW would come together, what its technical specifications would be and how this car could fit into any international homologation.

However a release issued Friday sought to answer a majority of the questions.

“The car has a closed cockpit and the outer skin of a super sportscar,” Reiter said. “The car will be similar in form to a Lamborghini Countach, which means a very flat and wide car. The design is, however, typical KTM: angular, chiselled, aggressive, and simply cool.”

Reiter called the X-BOW a toned-down version of the McLaren MP4-12C. The X-BOW is to be built around a carbon monocoque with a front crash structure made of carbon-fiber.

The racecar is equipped with double wishbone suspension on the front and rear axles, whereby the front axle uses a pushrod system.

Other GT3 standard such as a motorsport ABS system or a Holinger 6-speed sequential race gearbox with steering wheel mounted shift system is also part of the basic configuration.

Its engine will be a 2.0L, 4-cylinder turbo – in Reiter’s words, a downsized McLaren V8 Motor.

Reiter said the car cannot be homologated for FIA GT3 or ACO GTE specifications. However, he mentioned the potential of it racing in SRO’s GT4 European Championship, Pirelli World Challenge, British GT Championship, or VLN.

World Challenge allows FIA GT4 cars within its GTS class, although the bulk of the class are primarily American muscle cars (Camaros, Mustangs) closer to stock.

“The series has opened up the GTS class to a GT4 platform,” Pirelli World Challenge President/CEO Scott Bove told Sportscar365.

“Similar to a British GT or other championships, with a FIA GT4 format, we’re investigating all opportunities to expand the class.”

Reiter expects the cost to be less than a Porsche 911 Cup car.