Austrian motorcycle maker KTM makes only one automobile, and it’s appropriately bonkers. The X-Bow (pronounced ‘cross-bow’ not ‘ecks-bow’, just a reminder) has been updated for 2018, with most of the changes thoughtfully made to keep the running costs down, since, you know, these things are usually bought as economy commuter cars.
For 2018, KTM has added a number of improvements to the longevity and durability of components:
“Updates include a more powerful Holinger transmission (MF) installed, which is not only designed for 700 Nm torque permanently, but also doubles the mileage to 10,000 km. The mileage of the chassis components, such as the wishbones or the GT3 central locking wheel hubs, has been increased to 20,000 km, which pushes the running costs down to €3.90 per km.”
If we convert metric units to our ridiculous American units and euros to dollars, running costs of the X-Bow come to about $7.36 per mile, which is pretty reasonable, in the expensive context of racing, at least.
KTM has also put in a new Motec ECU, a motorsport-spec cable harness, and a LMP-spec headrest, so you’re good to go for all your racing needs.
The X-Bow still has an Audi 2-liter engine making 360 horsepower, weighs only about 2,200 pounds, and can be yours for around $180,000. If you want one, the ones scheduled to be built in February are already gone, and they’re only selling 15 by the spring of 2018, so you better get moving.
Also, you get in via a big canopy, which is always wonderful.