2009 KTM X-Bow GT4

As with the standard production vehicle, KTM relied heavily on the extensive experience of Dallara in developing the X-BOW GT4. The racing car was tested for the first time as early as February 2008. The official debut followed in March, along with the compulsory FIA crash test, which was passed at the first attempt. In April, the X-BOW competed in its first official race – the legendary ‘Tourist Trophy’ at Silverstone – not only winning the Super Sport category, but also gaining a place in the top five overall, first time out. Long before the first series X-BOW road cars left the production line, KTM had already registered success on the track. The company could rightly claim that the X-BOW was born on the racetrack and, of course, it adopted important insights from this motorsport involvement into the standard production model. After the successful curtain-raiser at Silverstone, the good results kept coming. The first podium finish followed only a few weeks later with a third in the GT4 overall placings. In the final race of the 2008 season at Nogaro, the X-BOW also earned its first pole position – ahead
of all other (more powerful) GT4 vehicles. Victory in the Super Sport class had already long been assured; the first three places were taken by three KTM drivers (Christopher Haase, Dennis Retera and Catharina Felser).