KTM X-Bow to debut at Bathurst 12 Hour
Racing version of KTM sports car gets Aussie debut at Mount PanoramaTalk about jumping into the deep end! The Australian debut of KTM's mid-engined X-Bow will take place this weekend – at the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race at Mt Panorama.
The pocket-sized sports car will race in GT4-spec, a package engineered by German racecar builder Reiter. The squad is best known for its GT3 variants of the Lamborghini Gallardo.
The KTM X-Bow is one of a small number of GT4 cars in the largely GT3-focussed event. GT4 is a new formula intended to offer much of the performance and 'glamour' of GT3 but at sharply reduced prices.
Other GT4 entrants at Bathurst include Porsche Caymans and a racing version of McLaren's 570S.
Ford has recently announced a GT4 version of the Mustang. BMW is soon to debut an M4 GT4 built to contest the category too.
The local Interlloy/Wilson Storage backed team, M-Motorsport, has swapped from a GT4-spec Gallardo into the X-Bow for this weekend's 12 Hour.
M-Motorsport team boss Justin McMillan will anchor the team, with star 2016 recruit Glen Wood and Euro imports Tomas Enge and fellow Reiter recruit and KTM factory driver, Reinhard Kofler.
"We've had a mixed relationship with Bathurst in the past, and really enjoyed our time with the Gallardo, but it's time for a new challenge, and with our strong relationship with Reiter Engineering, it was only natural for us to look to the KTM," McMillan said.
The X-Bow is propelled by a 270kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder Audi powerplant. Weighing just on 1000kg, it is not short of performance. In GT4 spec, the normally open X-Bow sports a roof and doors.
Up-and-coming driver Wood says the X-Bow is a very different proposition to the team's Lamborghini.
"It's a lot of fun, but very physical to drive… The GT3 car has lots of power to dig you out of a tight spot but you have to be a lot more precise with the KTM to get a quick lap time," Wood commented.
The 2017 #B12Hr 'festival' kicks off early on Friday (February 3).
Tickets and camping packages remain on sale for the event and are available via the official Bathurst 12 Hour website.
Race day general admission tickets start at $35 with limited grandstand seats available. For the first time a new covered stand, with its own big screen, has been set up on the exit of turn one.
VIP Parking is also available starting at $20 via Ticketek.
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