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KTM X-Bow gets 592bhp in first update under new owner
The first update to the KTM X-Bow since its sports car division changed hands adds a 592bhp Factory 600 package, an Evo aero kit, a larger infotainment screen and a Capristo exhaust option.
By Eleanor Ellington · 3 min read
The KTM X-Bow GT-XR has been updated for the first time since the sports car division of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer changed hands last year. The headline change is a more powerful version of the lightweight supercar, which now benefits from a new Factory 600 specification and an Evo aero package that draws on the GT2-class X-Bow racer.
The division, which is officially named KTM X-Bow Onroad GmbH, was sold after financial headwinds pushed KTM into a period of self-administration. It was eventually acquired by its Indian partner Bajaj. The buyer was a Belgian investment group led by rally driver Guillaume de Mévius, whose family holds a significant stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev, the parent company of brewers including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois. The ownership change therefore brings the X-Bow under the control of a group with interests well beyond motorcycles and sports cars.
The Factory 600 package is the main mechanical upgrade. It brings an uprated intake manifold, turbocharger and intercooler, which together raise the output of the Audi-sourced 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine by 99bhp to 592bhp. The gain is significant for a car whose appeal rests on performance and low weight, and it places the updated model at the top of the range in terms of outright power.
The Evo aero kit is derived from the one worn by the GT2-class X-Bow racer. It adds a more aggressive front splitter, canards and new louvres in the wings. These changes are aimed at buyers who want the track-focused character of the racing car on road-going machinery, although the kit is a visual and aerodynamic package rather than a mechanical one.
Every X-Bow now receives a 7in infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The company intends the screen to make the car more practical on public roads, giving easier access to satellite navigation and media. The change reflects a broader effort to make a car designed primarily for circuits more usable in everyday driving.
The rear-view camera is no longer fitted as standard. Instead, the X-Bow uses traditional folding side mirrors, although the camera-based system remains available as an optional extra. Buyers can also now specify an exhaust system made by the German firm Capristo, adding another option for those who want to tailor the car's sound and character.
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