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In a car that weights less than a Formula One car, achieves 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds and capable of generating 3g of lateral force, the Caparo T1 is as close as you get to having a Formula One car for the road. As best described by WCF contributor, Nick Hall, who got some seat time in the T1, “...the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti Veyron are supercars that perform on the track, the Caparo T1 is a track car that can be driven on the road. There is no matching luggage, no great lifestyle statement, the T1 is purely about blistering speed.”

As one of the most popular BBC television shows worldwide, Top Gear, had their anonymous race track driver, the Stig, put the T1 through its paces on their makeshift airport race track with astonishing results. Smashing the previous record held by the the Koenigsegg CCX the Caparo T1's lap time was a full seven seconds quicker at 1 min 10.6 seconds. Despite the almost vulgar display of performance, Top Gear rule makers disqualified the T1 from making their final results since it is required that each eligible contender must have a minimum ride height which allows clear passage over a speed bump.

Despite numerous technical problems resulting in restarts during the lap runs, Caparo T1 designer, Ben Scott-Geddes stated that, “the model we supplied to Top Gear was one of our final engineering vehicles without adjustable ride height and electronic active driver control systems which are standard on our production models. When driver’s select the ‘road’ setting, the car is more tractable in slower speed conditions and the ride height is fully adjustable to bring the car up to 90mm clearance, making it more than capable of driving over speed bumps.”

“We certainly hope that the Caparo T1 is given another chance by Top Gear to take its rightful place at the top of the leader board; even if they put a speed bump on the track we are confident of our success,” says Angad Paul, chief executive officer, Caparo Group.

Clearly Caparo were unaware of the rule and can provided a vehicle which meets their requirements. Hopefully, Top Gear will relent and give them another chance.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Hennessey Performance Engineering today announced that it is introducing the company's first concept car - The Venom GT.

Penned by British auto designer, Steve Everitt, the Venom GT would incorporate Hennessey's potent Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper V10 powerplant into a light weight mid-engine chassis weighing "under 2,700 lbs". Power would be run through a 6-speed transmission or optional sequential gearbox.

With a power to weight ratio of just 2.7 lbs per bhp Hennessey estimates that the Venom GT could attain 0 to 100 km/h times in less than 2.5 sec. and a 0-300 km/h time of around 14 seconds. Company founder, John Hennessey, is careful to point out that the Venom GT is not being built as a 'Veyron Slayer'. Hennessey point out, saying, 'The Veyron is an ultra fast and ultra luxurious grand touring car which also happens to be quicker and faster than any other road car, except for our Venom 1000 Twin Turbo SRT which beat the Veyron earlier this year from 0-200 mph. The Venom GT will be a much more engaging sports car to drive by challenging the driver with 1000+ HP in a chassis that is nearly 1500 lbs lighter than the Veyron.'

Hennessey said, 'The company already has existing Venom 1000 Twin Turbo clients interested in ordering the lighter, mid-engined Venom GT. "Right now are taking a serious look at building 2 concept cars that could be shown to the public sometime in 2009. If there is enough demand we may consider doing a very limited production run of the Venom GT.'

If the Venom GT goes into production, it would be built at the company's facility at Lonestar Motorsports Park which is located just west of Houston, Texas.

About Hennessey Performance Engineering

Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) specializes in designing, testing, manufacturing and selling high-performance parts and services for the Dodge Viper SRT10, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Chrysler 300C SRT8 and Dodge Magnum SRT8 as well as other high performance and exotic brands such as Bentley, AMG Mercedes and Porsche. HPE is completing the construction of the company's new 30,000 square foot engineering and manufacturing facility at the company's Lonestar Motorosports Park - a 1/4 mile dragstrip located 45 minutes west of Houston, Texas. HPE is the only aftermarket tuning firm in North America that owns and operates its own vehicle testing track / proving grounds. The company will move to its new facility at the end of 2007.

BMW hydrogen power

Once again, Geneva offers the opportunity to develop research on form and contents that break away from the industrial approach that Italdesign Giugiaro adopt daily in order to supply their worldwide clients with designs that best suit their markets. The challenging “diversion” this year represents a niche theme meant to be heatedly discussed: a super-sporty extreme two-seater fuelled by hydrogen to meet the increasingly pressing need to promote and develop alternative and environment friendly propulsion systems and to explore the potential challenge offered to design by a more flexible “displacement” of the chassis lay-out in new engine, mechanical, and electronic equipments.

The decision to remove the steering wheel took Italdesign Giugiaro to the creation of a highly innovative driving system: two joysticks are fixed on the armrests of the pilot’s seating and pedals unit, where all elements can be adjusted and customized to the driver’s needs. The armrest/joystick/ electrical pedals and seating unit is not connected to the chassis. This and its by-wire impulses system allow to adapt the different versions with right, centre and left driving with no onerous works once the vehicle should go into production. This system presents design - construction and performance - characteristics that prompted Italdesign Giugiaro to patent it.

VAD.HO is meant to be an open “work in progress": it has been positively welcome by BMW that accepted to provide for it their series 7 12 cylinders hydrogen powered engine.

One curiosity: the acronym “VAD.HO” is a play on words that uses the name of the Vadò industrial area in Moncalieri where Italdesign Giugiaro headquarters have been located since 1974, and also refers to the hydrogen propulsion system adopted for the vehicle (vado - or “I go" in Italian - on H).

The cockpit

This model immediately puts all its ambitions on the line: a longitudinal cockpit in polycarbonate emerges on the left-hand side while the right side houses the engine and hydrogen propulsion devices in the centre. The two Argonauts are seated in tandem in the fuselage, settled into a comfortable and super-equipped ergonomic cockpit.

The joysticks are fixed in the armrests that are integral with the pilot seat (the left armrest can be raised to facilitate getting in and out of the vehicle).

Designers and technicians believe that this solution facilitates naturally comfortable – and therefore stable and precise – steering manoeuvres and activation of all the joystick commands, including driving and secondary devices such as entertainment and other options.

In order to facilitate manoeuvres in curves without having to twist or rotate your wrists, the joysticks were conceived with two grips that help the necessary movements. The joystick moves back and forth along the armrest to ensure driver comfort, as well as the sliding pedal block that, hinged on the lower part, adjusts to the seat, which is in turn fixed to the chassis.

The control group is designed as an IT console with liquid crystal displays designed for aeronautic applications (EFIS – Electronic Flight Information Systems). The digital driving instrumentation is positioned centrally under the rear-view continual video monitors and the navigator; side video cameras project films externally. The surface occupied by the instrumentation is in any case limited, in order to allow the pilot maximum external visibility.

Access to IT data from the console is also available to the rear passenger by means of a dedicated joystick, similar to the driver's, and two monitors built into the back of the driver's seat. The faces of both pilot and passenger are filmed by video cameras and may appear on reciprocal monitors to enhance team interaction.

Thanks to video cameras installed in the frontal optical group, the driver can use the monitors either for parking radar and for an infrared effect for night-time driving, or interactive driving between the car and road infrastructures, when they become available.

Passengers get into the vehicle through two integrated doors/domes that are hinged lengthwise onto the structure and lift gull-wing style. The living space for the pilot and passenger are definitely comfortable because they were calculated at an "OSCAR percentile” larger than 95% and therefore more spacious than those of a luxury sedan. The rear passenger is able to stretch out his legs and change his position by adjusting the footrest platforms on the sides of the front seat. The armchairs are also equipped with four-point belts that can be regulated all around.

Passenger safety in case of collision or overturning is guaranteed by structural side reinforcements, the steel roll bar on which the two semi-domes rest, and the activation of the air bags in the oval strip under the structure at the cockpit base. The cell is equipped with “umbrella” airbags that surround both the pilot and the passenger. The upholstery materials chosen for the interior are in metallic and phosphorescent opaque grey tones: both for the silver leather armchairs and the synthetic pieces in aeronautic styling. Bolder effects were used in areas around the control console.

The package

The sporty-racy ambitions of this project have imposed a wedge-shaped volume, backed up by very subtle lines and modulations that are never forced or exasperating, but rather in perfect harmony with those parameters of balance and elegance that distinguish the Giugiaro trademark. The introduction of stylistic features was intentionally avoided on this project, which is undoubtedly oriented towards contents. In fact, the VAD.HO body is characterised by a feasible decomposition with regards to production logics and meets international homologation regulations (including pedestrian accidents).

Even the overall dimensions are “reasonable”. The figures are close to those of the Ferrari Maranello, a compact two-seater with similar performances: 4550 mm long, 1980 mm wide, and 1150 mm high, like Enzo model.

Naturally, the aerodynamic penetration requirements are enhanced by the reduction in the main section because the windscreen/cockpit impacts on only half of the vehicle.

The nose presents a screwed-on bumper block with ample air intakes. The lower zone of the bonnet features an adjustable spoiler in between the “pagoda”-shaped ridges formed by the fenders that smooth off into the sides.

The optical devices are housed in a drop-shaped recess that begins with the bumpers and narrows towards the sides: this cavity houses the dual-function projector, the position and direction LEDs, a video camera at the top, and the passenger compartment air intake.

The asymmetric transparent dome gives this car a strong personality; the windscreen wiper is hidden under the small crowl. From the side, the profile of the fender crest is sinuous and dips towards the centre, while a bird’s eye view confirms the designer’s will to make the front more aggressive and modulated and the tail softer and sharper.

The originality of the cockpit's asymmetric solution is even more visible in VAD.HO central body. The fairing of the engine air system, the filter, and the electronics can be seen on lowered section that houses the engine. Since the cut of the passenger door is repeated symmetrically on the engine side, the engine block can be simply accessed by raising the large panel/trapezoidal door hinged onto the centre line with a gull-wing movement. The recess of the side indicator also serves as housing for the video camera.

The blunt one-piece rear end recalls the Corvette, but is characterised by the line of the bonnet with its asymmetric profile because it must converge with the dipping line of the cockpit and the side/engine line.

The trunk capacity for a super-sporty two-seater is truly remarkable: 550 dm3.

The rear end view is “carved” to emphasize all the aggressiveness of this vehicle’s nature. The “G” Giugiaro logo was adopted to house the rear stop LEDs with striking media impact. VAD.HO is following up the content research started by Italdesign Giugiaro with 2004 Toyota Alessandro Volta with hybrid propulsion and the 2005 Mitsubishi Nessie that runs on hydrogen; while the formal aspects evoke the design of the 1988 Aztec, which even then offered driver and passenger a chance to slide into a definitely attractive “aeronautic” atmosphere with a formula that today is much more easily feasible thanks to IT innovations and by wire technologies that have been tested and nowadays are considered to be reliable.

This evocation of the world of aeronautics is shown again in the colours choice for the body - opaque silver-grey -, in the service decals on the engine equipment and the fuel tank, and the use of large 20" solid tyres.

Technical Specifications

Length	4550 mm
Width	1980 mm
Height	1150 mm
Wheelbase	2800 mm
Front track	1700 mm
Rear track	1660 mm
Front overhang	947 mm
Rear overhang	797 mm
Weight	1150 Kg
Engine	BMW 12 cylinders – fuel: hydrogen
Gearbox	BMW Smg drivelogic, 7 speed
Drivetrain	rear
Suspensions	Suspension front and rear: independent Double wishbone – Coaxial springs and hydraulic shock absorber - anti roll bar - anti dive and anti squat devices
Brakes	Brembo
Front	Ventilated disc ø 380x34mm caliper: 8 pistons.
Rear	Ventilated disc ø 355x32 mm caliper: 4 pistons
Tires	Vredestein
Front	275/35x20
Rear	315/35x20
Rims	OZ
Front	10” x 20”
Rear	11” x 20”

Ford has announced the arrival of a new special edition of the high performance Focus ST. Called the Focus ST500, and priced from £20,495, it will be available to just 500 UK customers.

The Ford Focus ST500 is based on the top-of-the-range Focus ST3 with the addition of unique features. All models are finished in metallic black with classic silver bonnet, roof and side stripes which are designed to echo the livery of the winning GT40 in the 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966.

Power comes from the Focus ST's acclaimed 20-valve five-cylinder Duratec 2.5 engine, which develops 225PS at 6,100rpm and 320Nm of torque at just 1,600rpm. Since its introduction in 2005, the Focus ST has established itself as one of the finest "hot hatchbacks" ever made and received critical acclaim from the specialist media and enthusiast customers alike.

With sales of over 13,500, the Ford Focus ST is now firmly positioned as the most sought after performance hatchback in the UK, and reflects the motorsport success of the all-conquering Focus RS WRC, which saw Ford take the 2006 WRC manufacturer's title, and which currently heads the 2007 World Rally Championship.

Included in the Focus ST500's unique specification are scarlet leather Recaro sports seats and matching upholstery, special ST500 badging, automatic Xenon high-intensity headlamps, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and solar-reflect windscreen.

A new sportscar from family-run specialist marque Melkus will rise out of the ashes of its legendary predecessor, the RS1000, which ceases production next year. At a special unveiling, the Melkus family presented a clay model of their new two-seater mid-engined sports coupe, dubbed the RS2000.

The new sportscar will be a re-interpretation of the Melkus philosophy, based loosely on that of the RS1000's timeless style and inheriting its predecessor's gull-wing doors. The new car however boasts a re-invigorated design language characteristic of such classic forms while not straying into the realm of retro.

"We don't want to build an overly power-orientated vehicle, instead we want our sports car to have agility at its heart," say Peter and Sepp Melkus of their new RS2000. "And that's only possible through more compact dimensions and a lightweight design."

As such, the new Melkus will be constructed from a range of weight-saving materials including aluminium, glass-reinforced plastic and carbon components in order for a gross weight of under 1000 kilos to be achieved. Corresponding with the downsizing of the new vehicle, the RS2000 is to be fitted with a lightweight four-cylinder turbo unit, producing 250 PS. A short-shifting gearbox will allow acceleration to 100 kph from standstill in under 5 seconds, going on to a top speed of 250 kph.

Performance figures such as these naturally warrant the safety features to match, with anti-lock brakes and airbags to be fitted as standard. But creature comforts are also not to be forgoed, electronic climate control and windows also being thrown into the package at no extra cost.

But above all, customers will be buying into a brand whose production figures barely extend into double figures, with only 25 examples of the Melkus RS2000 to be hand-built each year. Figures are yet to be finalised, but the aim of the project is to have the new Melkus on sale at 60,000 Euros, with the first prototype RS2000s rolling off the production 'line' at the end of 2008.

Melkus however will not simply halt their development plans at the RS2000. A racing version based on the road car will be developed, promising more aggressive styling among other winning features. The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show will play host to this exclusive model, while a Melkus GT concept car featuring hybrid drive is presently in the works, although will not materialise in that form until 2011 at the earliest. This will too preview the direction Melkus wish to head. Stay tuned for further details.

Prototype ready in spring 2008

It was always a dream of Heinz Melkus to construct a follow-up model of the legendary RS1000. Now, Peter and Sepp Melkus, son and grandson of the famous constructing engineer and automobile racer are going to realise his dream.

Melkus Sportwagen KG is the firm where the smart sportscar shall be manufactured by hand in small series, just like the production of the limited edition of the RS1000 replica today.

The goal is to produce up to 25 sportscars per year in the Melkus factory. It is planned to  build a new representative factory hall to have enough place for the production and storage.

The development of the RS2000 prototype starts in January 2007 in close cooperation with Sebastian Wolfram (HMW-Designer) and the Technical University Dresden. The ambitious aim until spring 2008 is to present the Melkus RS2000 prototype to the public and to start with the production of the limited series in the same year.

Design Concept

(Sebastian Wolfram, HMW-Designer)

The special challenge concerning the design was to save and perfect the exceptional extravagance of the RS1000.

It was out of any question to touch the stunning curves and shapes of the RS1000. But it was the unique classic design that should be perfected in a gentle way.

We are going to transform the clarity of the surfaces and shapes in a new period of sportscar engineering. It is a reinterpretation of the classic design without the idea of a retrodesign. We perfect facings, tighten outlines and curves, flatten surfaces and form volumes with more emotion.

The proportions are much stronger and sportier because of a bigger package volume. We create an independent and incomparable design with typical notes of the RS1000 and the use of specific modern details (lights, wheels, interieur).

The RS2000 acts well trained and avoids any importunity and aggresiveness. The RS2000 has its own style reasonable in the history of the car. It is an hommage.

Temporary Specifications

Concept

• compact coupe with gullwing doors

• mid engine concept (diagonally or horizontally)

Dimensions

• overall length: 4000cm

• overall width: 1800cm   ÂÂ

• height: 1120cm

• wheel dimension, front: 16 inch

• rear: 17 inch

Chassis/Frame

• tubular steel skeleton frame with integrated roll-over bar

• Traction gear

• front and rear axle with double triangular control arm and adjustable stabilizers

• inner lying spring and damper unit (adjustable height and stiffness with Pushroads)

Brakes

• front: 4 piston disc brake with fixed caliper

• rear: 2 piston disc brake with fixed caliper

• drilled and ventilated brakediscs

• ABS

• steelflex brakeline

Steering gear

• rack and pinion steering without servo assistance (2-2,5 steering wheel turns)

Car body

• bonnet,bootlid and doors made of GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic)

• aluminium underbody

• steel or carbon car top

Safety

• front carbon crashbox

• side impact bars integrated in the doors

• roll-over bar

• ABS

Engine

• 4 cylinder in-line engine

• up to 2000 ccm

• performance between 130-200 PS depending on the version

Clutch

• dry single disc clutch

Gear box

• 6 short stepped gears

Weight

• under 1000 kg

Driving performance

• top speed: max.250km/h

• acceleration 0-100 km/h within 5 sec.

Price

• ca. 75.000 EUR

Forward thinking tyre manufacturer Kumho is paving the way for the world’s first truly eco-friendly racing car. Inspired by the company’s success in this year’s Le Mans 24 hour race, it decided to employ its unique conceptual abilities to show exactly what an environmentally friendly Le Mans car of the future could look like. The result is the Epoch!

Epoch by name and nature, Kumho’s revolutionary single-seater simply bristles with futuristic technology and green credentials. Its chassis is grown from bamboo, thereby providing an immediate carbon offset, while its lightweight body panels are formed from recycled tyre tread rubber.

Power comes from Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) units integral to the four-wheel hubs. Proven in the railway industry, this advanced electromagnetic technology has the advantage of zero friction as well as maximum torque at zero rpm.

As you’d expect from one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers, the Epoch also boasts revolutionary tyre technology. Known as EAP (Electro Active Polymer), it allows the tread and even the shape of the tyres to be fundamentally altered simply by passing an electric current through the rubber. This is achieved via the positioning of magnets on the hubs and within the wheel rims. It effectively allows the characteristics of the tyre to be altered at will, to suit different tastes and conditions.

Even the car’s interior benefits from an example of Kumho’s innovative tyre technology, being clad with the type of scented ‘aroma’ rubber already available for the tyres of various luxury saloons and compact SUVs.

Epoch is the work of Kumho’s in-house designer, Rob Dolton. The only qualified vehicle designer employed within the world’s tyre industry, he is retained by Kumho’s European Technical Centre in Birmingham specifically to explore future technologies for road and track vehicles, and the tyres they run on. A graduate of the internationally renowned Automotive Design Department of Coventry University, he worked for Fiat Advanced Design in Turin before joining Kumho in 2005.

Enthusing about his brainchild Rob Dolton said, “While delighted at winning the LMP2 class at Le Mans this year, we accept that environmental pressures will not allow motorsport to carry on in its current form indefinitely. However, rather than viewing it as an increasingly antisocial pastime, we regard it as a perfect platform for developing green technology solutions. Epoch is an example of just how exciting the future could be.”

Ready just in time for the IAA in Frankfurt but the brand new Wiesmann GT MF5 will not be making an appearance there. Wiesmann was not happy with the space allocation at the show, so instead of a high profile debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show Wiesmann launched the new GT in their own dealership on the Frankfurt (car) mile on its opening night.

The new Wiesmann GT MF5 is powered by BMW's V10 although it is a front-mounted mid-engine instead of the front-mounted M5 and M6, and produces 507 hp with 520 Nm of torque. The engine is coupled to a sequential 7-speed transmission system with a variable differential lock. The Wiesmann engineers spent a lot of time developing the high performance chassis to ensure a comfortable ride and, maybe more importantly, safety at all times. The rear wing and difffusor give the back-end enough downforce at the higher speeds, and it is exactly those speeds for which the GT MF5 has been built.

Dipl.-Kfm. Friedhelm Wiesmann: “This new sports car tops off our porfolio of models, setting the new benchmark when it comes to the Wiesmann sports cars’ driving performance – which is rather impressive anyhow.“

The new GT is 5 cm lower than the previous generation, 9,6 cm wider and total length has increased by 8 cm to 4.3 meters giving the new GT MF5 an even lower center of gravity providing more stability, or as Wiesmann calls it, roadability. The car may weigh 100 kg more than the MF4, but the performance has not suffered which is proven by its 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds and power to weight ratio of 2.7kg/hp.

Detailed content

Completed just in time for the start of the IAA: the Wiesmann GT with the model name of MF 5 and a 10-cylinder motor. Hiding behind this unpretentious name is the most exciting sports car ever to be presented by Wiesmann to the public.

It is a perfect blend of the corporate philosophy’s contents, which is a combination of beautiful body shapes and state-of-the-art technology. The appearance of this super sports car alone would clearly signal the arrival of something extraordinary: a very low and cowered-down body in combination with wide base tyres stand for abounding power and a highly racy vehicle to be expected.

Wiesmann fulfils the desire of many a GT enthousiast, who had welcome the successful expansion of the Wiesmann model portfolio, and who, at the same time, had still wanted for the engine to become even racier.

Dipl.-Kfm. Friedhelm Wiesmann (business graduate), spokesman of the board, explains: „Our intention is to meet these demands with the GT MF 5. This new sports car tops off our porfolio of models, setting the new benchmark when it comes to the Wiesmann sports cars’ driving performance – which is rather impressive anyhow.“

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Wiesmann (graduate engineer), managing director in charge of development and production, says: „Compared to the normal GT, it is already the outer appearance of the MF 5 that would be outstanding: both a wing as well as a diffusor generate the necessary rear-suspension drive line, thus ensuring an excellent stability especially for those high-speed moments. A lot of effort went into the development of a high-performance chassis to make sure the MF 5 driver will enjoy the ride and yet will at all times be safe no matter what.”

The drive system of this super sports car comprises a 12:1 compacted V 10-cylinder front-mounted mid-engine with a cubic capacity of 5 litres boasting 507 HP which are generated by 7,750 crankshaft rotations. A maximum torque of 520 Nm ensures a powerful drive at all speeds and driving fun at its best.

GT experts will immediately notice the lower total height (- 5 cm), the slight increase in width (+ 9,6 cm), and the increase in total length by 8 cm to 4.3 m compared to the MF 4 with a correspondingly bigger track gauge of + 10 cm (front) and + 9.8 cm (rear). These details are crucial for its very low centre of gravity and hence its good roadability.

In spite of all its safety features, the vehicle’s bigger size, the engine’s high capacity, and the corresponding sequential 7-speed transmission system (in connection with a variable differential lock) account for a modest increase in weight of only 100 kg compared to the MF 4. The resulting driving performance is beyond each doubt: the acceleration time of 0 – 100 km/h is 3.9 seconds, and the power to weight ratio amounts to a sensational 2.7 kg/HP. With this value the MF 5 ranks among the top class of the sportsters league.

In order to be able to control such a powerful vehicle, both its driver as well as its fellow passenger need to be in close contact with it. The GT MF 5 therefore comes with especially designed bucket seats with an excellent lateral support, which by request may be adjusted to the driver’s and fellow passenger’s body contours. They give the necessary support, for the passengers to have a firm grasp in view of the great acceleration forces that may develop, and to be able to fully enjoy the driving performance. Special carbon seats are also available by request.

The passengers’ safety is ensured by energy absorbing car body parts, by a stiff aluminium monocoque including a side-collision protection structure, and by the serial ABS combined with a dynamic stability control system DSC.

The months following the world premiere will be reserved for fine tuning and long-term as well as endurance testing, in order to fulfil all requirements of those already highly interested in Wiesmann’s newest super sports car.

The market launch of the Wiesmann GT MF 5 fully suitable for daily use is scheduled for spring of 2008. The price of the GT MF 5 with its comprehensive equipment amounts to 178,900 € incl. VAT. Exclusive carbon parts are also available by request.

Austrian motorcycle builder KTM today released photos of a full-scale prototype of its new X-Bow (crossbow) roadster. The 1500-pound car has a four-cylinder Audi engine offering 220 horsepower in the base model, and a potential 300 horsepower in a more expensive variant. A choice of either a six-speed manual or DSG gearbox will be given. KTM says the base X-Bow will hit 62 mph in 3.9 seconds.

The X-Bow has no windshield, and instead will come with specially designed helmets, intended to offer shelter from the elements rather than full crash protection.

After its debut in Geneva, 100 units will be manufactured in-house by Italian racing car specialists Dallara and sold by KTM. The price for the basic version will be around 40,000 euros.

If all goes well, KTM plans further small series productions of the car. This production will take place in Austria and begin in 2008. KTM is working on the basis of a projected 500 units per year. The decision concerning production will be made at the end of April 2007.

One of our excellent spy photographers caught the higher production version of the KTM X-Bow on the Nürburgring earlier today performing some handling tests. Australian motorcycle manufacturer KTM will again sell the street-ready track car starting February 2008.

The X-Bow will come out with an Audi 2.0 litre four-banger engine churning out 240 horsepower. While that may not sound like a massive amount of power, the fact needs to be put in context.

KTM's motorcycle-on-four-wheels weighs a mere 721 kilograms (1589 pounds). This means the X-Bow has a power-to-weight ratio of .151 (333 bhp per tonne), and goes 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. What's more is that this car may even get a more powerful engine taken from an Audi S3, bursting with 300 brake horsepower, making the power-to-weight ratio .189 (416 bhp per tonne).

The car will be street-legal in Finland (thanks to intense lobbying from WorldCarFans), as well as other countries, including Austria, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugual, and Switzerland. Sorry Americans; looks like you guys might be out of luck.

Base price of the KTM X-Bow is $65,000. First deliveries are expected in spring 2008.

Related entries:

KTM X-BOW Unveiled in Geneva
KTM X-Bow to Make UK Debut
KTM reveals completed X-Bow prototype
KTM to present production ready version of X-Bow at Geneva

KTM’s first car, the X-Bow has been unveiled during a press conference at the Geneva Motorshow. The presentation received great attention and has been performed by Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM Power Sports AG and Gerald Kiska, Head of Kiska Design. In the course of the presentation, Stefan Pierer declared the targets and visions of the company’s first car: KTM aims for a small series production of around 500 units per year, which should take place in Austria.

Amongst others, the implementation of this type of production depends on the reactions to the car’s first appearance at the Geneva Motorshow. A final decision about the production, which could be started in mid-2008 will be made until the end of April, Stefan Pierer said. The pilot-series of 100 units, which will be built in Italy by Dallara from autumn 2007 remains unaffected by these plans.

The KTM X-Bow in Detail

• KTM’s first automobile

• Racing technology for the road

• Light and safe carbon fibre monocoque

• Spectacular design

• Four-cylinder TFSI from Audi

• Puristic, unfiltered driving experience

• Supersport performance

• Outstanding power-output values

• Production of a 100-unit pilot series begins at the end of 2007

• A decision about producing a small series will be made until April 2007

An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-Bow is not merely a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, it’s also a new citation in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of the concept: for their first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners such as Audi and Dallara. The result is a street-homologated sports car with racing technology, like an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque. Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 162 kW (220 hp) Audi TFSI engine, the performance values of the KTM X-Bow outstrip those of super-sport cars with more than twice the power: with a deadweight of approx. 700 kilos, the KTM X-Bow accelerates to 100 kph in just 3.9 seconds.

But the X-Bow isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and today’s standard comfort features, the X-Bow offers an unfiltered adventure – aided by its standalone wheels in the style of monoposto racing cars, transparent technology and the car’s reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. The sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. With all these unique features, driving the KTM X-Bow becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when riding a motorcycle.

The Next Step into the Future

For the Upper Austrian motorcycle manufacturer – Europe’s second largest – the decision to expand its line of business into the automobile market was of great strategic significance. It was made possible by the company’s extraordinarily dynamic growth over the past 15 years. Since 1992, KTM vehicle sales have risen an average of 21% each year, while the volume of sales even climbed to 25% each year. Today, KTM is the world’s leading brand in the offroad segment and in recent years has successively expanded its model portfolio into the street sector. “Moving into the automotive sector is the logical continuation of this strategy. With the X-Bow, KTM can now offer the classic KTM driving experience to all those who don’t have a motorcycle licence,” says Stefan Pierer, CEO of the listed KTM Power Sports AG, explaining this investment in the company’s future.

Carbon Fibre Monocoque: Racing Know-How from Dallara

Carbon fibre monocoques have been the Formula 1’s safety net for years. On the road, this technology was formerly reserved for the elitist, supersports cars in the highest price classes. KTM would now like to be the first to offer this solution in a much more affordable environment.

KTM has thereby been able to call upon the expertise of its development partner, Dallara. These specialists from Varano (near Parma) in Northern Italy have long been acclaimed as carbon technology experts, from the conception to the production of components made of this light, yet rigid material. The monocoque developed for the KTM X-Bow is not only extremely robust it is also safe, thanks to an integrated crashbox. And yet it weighs only about 70 kilos and is therefore a crucial factor in the vehicle’s spectacular performance.

The Engine: TFSI Technology from Audi

KTM was able to gain Audi AG as its partner in developing the drive unit. The four-cylinder TFSI engine represents the X-Bow’s construction principles in an ingenious way: by featuring lightweight, high-performance and intelligent technologies.

The engine’s outstanding attribute is its gasoline direct injection technology, FSI. In this case, it’s combined with an exhaust turbocharger plus an intercooler. Thanks to FSI, the engine can utilize fuel better than one with ordinary intake manifold injection and it even gets by on less fuel in the frequently used partial load range.

The injection takes place at a pressure level between 30 and 110 bar, valves in the intake system direct the inflowing air into a cylindrical movement. A continuously variable intake camshaft ensures optimal cylinder charging at any speed. Two balancer shafts compensate the second order inertia forces and so guarantee superior, low-vibration operation.

The KTM X-Bow’s long-stroking, four-valve engine delivers a powerful performance: 300 newton-metres of torque peaks at a level between 2200 and 4000 rpm. The peak performance of 162 kW (220 hp) is achieved at 5900 rpm. Even more powerful engine variations in the 300-horsepower range are planned at a later date.

The drive unit package is complemented by a manual 6-gear transmission, which is also made by VW and can be equipped with a limited-slip differential if so desired. An optional S tronic transmission will also be offered. The drive comes from the rear wheels.

The Chassis: Direct and Competent

The X-Bow’s driving dynamics profit not only from the car’s low centre of gravity but also from its superior chassis, which also draws on racing technology for its basic principles. Suspended on double triangular wishbone axles, the wheels feature suspension and damping elements by WP Suspension, with a pushrod arrangement up front.

The Italian brake manufacturer Brembo can also be proud of its reputation for excellence. KTM is also expanding this partnership (which began in the motorcycle sector) into the automobile realm. The X-Bow’s powerful braking system consists of 305 mm discs at the front and 262 mm discs at the rear. The interaction of the vehicle’s light weight, ideal balance, low centre of gravity and a 17-/18-inch tyre mix results in spectacular braking performance: when the brakes are warm, the KTM X-Bow needs only 33.1 metres to decelerate from 100 kph to a standstill.

The Aerodynamics: Exceptional Contact Pressure

The primary development goal for the KTM X-Bow was not attaining extreme final velocities, but in optimising the driving dynamics. The sports car is thereby aided by an ingenious aerodynamics arrangement, the result of many hours in Dallara’s wind tunnel. The most vital element in this area is the underbody, which is equipped with a prominent diffusor at the rear. To make this diffusor work even more effectively, the linking points for the rear suspension were set as high as possible. This enables the KTM X-Bow to achieve a phenomenal downforce of about 200 kilograms at a speed of 200 km/h – about three times more than most other supersport cars.

In combination with the high-performance chassis, this fantastic downforce makes extreme curve speeds possible. The transversal acceleration of 1.23 g that can thus be attained noticeably surpasses the usual values achieved by street homologated sports cars.

The aerodynamic concept was a great challenge for the designer as well. It meant that sufficient air had to be channelled into the inlets located in the sides, behind the passengers. The radiator is also located at the rear of the vehicle, to avoid having to install longer, heavier cooling hoses. This mission was accomplished by using special air baffles, which are installed horizontally on the sides of the car so the passengers can also use them as boarding aids.

Safety: Racing Technology

The crucial component protecting the driver and the passenger is the solid, carbon fibre monocoque – safety technology straight from Formula 1. This structure is supplemented by a crashbox in the nose of the vehicle. The silencer, which is built into the rear of the car, was also designed to act as a crashbox; it absorbs the force of an impact to the rear of the vehicle.

The driver and passenger are also protected by four-point safety belts, which were inspired by the racing world. If so desired, this unit can be equipped with a fifth securing point. The two roll bars are clearly visible. They not only appear to be solid, they are skilfully integrated into the monocoque’s structure.

Design: Floating Elements

Gerald Kiska’s design studio can take credit for the shape of the vehicle. Coming from Salzburg, he has worked closely with KTM for the past 15 years and is entrusted not only with the design of the motorcycles, but also with the appearance of the company itself.

For the concept of the KTM brand’s first automobile, Kiska incorporated many characteristics that are more closely associated with motorcycles than cars. Every part fulfils a function, the technology remains transparent, the form is noticeably simple. The few, orange-coloured body panels are “floating elements”, like those of motorcycles, and suggest lightness and simplicity.

The deliberate reduction in all things even includes the lights: simple headlamps, embedded indicators flush with the car’s contours and round lights at the rear forego superficial, showy effects. Instead, the carbon structure also takes on design duties, meaning that components which are frequently hidden in cars, such as the silencer, suddenly serve an aesthetic purpose in addition to their usual functions.

The Equipment: Puristic and Functional

As a result of its clear concept, the KTM X-Bow can do without a lot of elements that ordinarily add complexity and extra weight. So the narrow wind deflector makes an elaborate heating system and windscreen wipers unnecessary; doors are also not included in the design, due to the vehicle’s low profile and the extra-low side profile.

You’ll also look for a standard instrument panel in vain. The driver can find all the information needed for driving on the hub of the steering wheel.

The seats are further examples of the X-Bow’s intelligent and simple construction: the shells for the driver’s and passenger’s seats are already integrated into the carbon fibre construction of the monocoque. An overlay provides solid comfort. In order to provide the best ergonomics for drivers of various heights, the X-Bow has manually adjustable pedals.

The KTM X-Bow doesn’t have a luggage compartment. But it does feature an innovative, mobile storage box for the car documents. The equipment required by law, such as the warning triangle, first aid kit and a tyre-fit system, are kept in storage compartments beside the passenger’s foot well. A cover is stowed in this same location; it protects the interior of the car when it’s parked. Two helmets can be fixed in the passenger’s legroom.

Extras: for the Automobile and the Driver

Supplementary equipment – like kits to increase the engine’s performance or an aerodynamics package – give the sporty potential of the KTM X-Bow an even greater boost.

Another segment of the accessories programme aims in the opposite direction: together with Dainese, the renowned Italian specialist for motorcycle apparel, a new line of clothing and helmets is being developed especially for the KTM X-Bow. These intelligent components are designed to assume functions that are normally performed by the car: weather protection, climate control and – thanks to integrated technology – even infotainment functions such as sound and mobile telephony.

The Vision: Producing a Small Series Beginning in 2008

Depending upon the reactions to the vehicle presentation in Geneva, KTM is considering extending the pilot series of the X-Bow into small-series production. This small-series production would take place in Austria beginning in 2008 and entail an annual production of between 500 and 1000 vehicles. Parallel to this small-series production, an efficient distribution structure would also be established. The plan includes a network of around 15 to 20 partners throughout Europe, who not only have experience in motorsports, but also a connection to the Volkswagen enterprise.

A decision will be made concerning the small-series production of the KTM X-Bow by the end of April 2007.

Related entries:

KTM X-Bow to Make UK Debut
2008 KTM X-Bow Spied On The Ring
KTM reveals completed X-Bow prototype
KTM to present production ready version of X-Bow at Geneva