The KTM X-Bow is easily one of the most interesting and coolest track car designs to appear in the last 15 years. But major critiques of the car have arisen regardless. Its carbon tub and frame make the car’s handling, some say, too benign and its power delivery too inert. For these hardcore drivers, the X-Bow GT and X-Bow RR need a final push to enter the true supercar level of track pace.

Enter Germany’s WIMMER RST — a racing company that will also prep you a road car. The X-Bow GT shown here with the new windshield option bumps power from the stock 285-hp up to a frankly unreal 485-horsepower, backed by over 500 pound-feet of torque.

As you might expect, that power tally is enough to make the X-Bow a true fizzing, popping and sliding racecar like the best of them.

KTM X-Bow by WIMMER

INFERNAL TRIO AS „ARMADA“ WITH 1,300 HP by WIMMER RST
 
The core business of the known for racing sports techniques WIMMER company from Solingen, Germany, is still the professional optimization of the serial data (chip tuning) and all kind of other areas relating to power improvement, like engine modifications, hand made stainless steel sports exhausting systems, chassis techniques and – simply necessary when needed – high performance braking systems. In this case it is allowed, by the way, to talk about „genuine handicraft“, because WIMMER “tailors” carefully each vehicle individually to the customer’s needs on an ultra-modern DjnoJet testing bench. Furthermore, WIMMER is competence partner of the KW company and renowned service partner for X-BOW of KTM. Concerning the last mentioned point, the WIMMER specialists have begun to work and transformed three members of the X-BOW-”family” into a really infernal trio with all in all more than 1,300 HP.
 
First of all, there is the X-BOW GT. Thanks to the extended engine tuning “made by WIMMER” with metal cat, modified turbo charger, optimized high compression pump, special air suction, special WIMMER exhaust system, a lot of internal hardware upgrades inside the engine and modified chassis components and giant Wimmer EVO 2-Carbon rear wings with adjustable flaps, the serial parameters of 285 HP (= 210 kW) and 420 Nm of max. torque have been catapulted up to diabolic 485 HP (= 357 kW) and 520 Nm of max. torque. For comparison: An indeed potent AMG 45 with an engine output of „only“ 180 HP per liter is in a way an altar boy when comparing it to the engine output of 242,5 HP made by WIMMER, and that apropos of nothing with just only 850 kgs of weight! The power to weight ratio of 1,75 kgs per HP only brings tears of joy in the eyes of even the hardest friends of engine power, along with the possible lateral acceleration of 1.5 G with onroad tires. This warrants for a spurt from 0 to 60 mph of clearly below 4 seconds with Vmax of 160 mph (255 kmph), surely enough to let the driving fun free running sometimes on track days at the very front of the first league. Moreover, the car handling has been clearly optimized even in the threshold by interventions into the aerodynamic characteristics on the downthrust. But also for everyday driving with wind shield and some softer drift suspension, the country road “bend robber” with its full carbon chassis is eye catcher par excellence. Of course, this one and other WIMMER X-BOW belong into the hands of real men with “gun license” only. Also in this case, pure driving feeling is not spoiled by ESP, ABS, traction control or even servo steering. The price for this exposition car is about 130.000 Euro.
 
The next one is the in fact for speedway engineered X-BOW R. By analogy with the GT, the WIMMER motor tuning team provides this bolide by 455 HP (= 335 kW) with 500 Nm of max. torque instead of 300 HP (= 220 kW) and 400 Nm of max. torque with Vmax of 154 mph (248 kmph) by help of the already known extensive interventions. Thus, the 785 kgs car is driven thoroughly according to its stand. Optionally available is an especially reinforced gear with sports clutch and high end differential lock. Besides the chassis modification, the vehicle has central locking, rendering the wheel change somewhat faster, and company own dynamic flaps in visible carbon fiber as supplementary equipment. Here, once more, is shown the competence of WIMMER RST even in fields of chassis tuning with wheel load measuring and an especially “tailored” to customer’s needs setup. Besides the recent technical preconditions, the professional advertisement warrants for fastest lap times. Except for the racing course, the X-BOW R is also feared on mountain passes and as “country road robber”. The exposition vehicle is available for 120.000 Euro. Depending on the driving route, here also made by WIMMER EVO 2 wings can be favorably integrated into the car conception. Likewise there are optionally available totally special optimizations going just even to custom made parts in visible carbon fiber for all car models. 
 
And finally the third family member: X-BOW RR. Here is no need to be spoiled by the choice of speedway or country road tuning, because the RR has no road approval, being thus a pure battle car with air restrictor. In the estate here shown, it brings along 370 HP (= 272 kW) worth of 110,000 Euro as WIMMER exposition car. Concerning this exemplar, everything has been optimized for the pursuit of the last decisecond under racing conditions. Optionally, there is also a special WIMMER North loop setup incl. wheel load measuring available. By the way, each one of the three variations can be equipped by power parts of the manufacturer KTM and by WIMMER own tuning parts.
 
Already existing KTM vehicles can also be optimized by WIMMER, readily and with devotion to each thinkable customer’s desire.
 
Thus, the WIMMER company has created its own small KTM family, offering something surely for everyone. For more information concerning the “infernal trio” please contact directly
 
WIMMER Rennsporttechnik Solingen GmbH
Loehdorfer Strasse 231
D-42699 Solingen
phone +49 (0)212 / 2 64 30 00
fax +49 (0)212 / 2 64 34 88
e-mail info@wimmer-rst.de
web www.wimmer-rst.de

Photos: Jordi Miranda