KTM to Debut X-BOW Race Cars for the FIA GT4 Championship

In collaboration the German-based motor racing specialist, Reiter Engineering which has operated Lamborghini racing teams in the FIA GT1, GT2 and GT3, KTM has prepared two racing versions of the X-BOW sportscar to compete in this year’s FIA GT4 European Cup in the newly-created ‘Sport Lights’ class. The opening race at Silverstone on April 20, 2008 will mark the X-BOW’s competition debut prior to the start of series production of the sportscar this summer.

According to KTM, the decision to place the racing premiere of X-Bow in the hands of Reiter, rather than enter the championship under a factory-run operation, was taken to allow KTM to use the GT4 entry as a pilot project to ‘drive’ development of future customer motor sport applications as well as the production model. –Continued

Italian Loris Bicocchi, who will be one of two drivers competing in the Reiter team has been heavily involved in the development of the KTM X-Bow as test driver. Bicocchi will be joined by German driver Catharina Felser whose racing experience includes Formula Ford and Formula 3 series.

Compared with the series production model, the changes made to the GT4 racing X-Bow are primarily related to additional safety equipment demanded by the FIA regulations. These include the rollover bars that are made of steel instead of aluminium; additional layers of zylon fibre are fastened to the flanks of the monocoque to prevent the penetration of sharp objects; the exhaust system has a racing silencer; the wheel covers are extended; there is added protection between the front and rear wheels; and the chassis is tuned to the specific requirements of racing.