KTM describes the X-Bow GTX & GT2 as "ultimate track weapons."

Most passionate gearheads know a thing or two about KTM, an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle, and sports car manufacturer formed in 1992. This famous company was actually around since 1934 but was officially formed 50 and some years later. Today, KTM is super famous for its off-road motorcycles and stands as the first choice of adventurers.

However, KTM expanded over the years to accommodate street motorcycle production and, thus, gained global reach and became the leading manufacturer in the field. In 2008, the company also started making sports cars under the name KTM Sportcar GmbH. Namely, it was the KTM X-BOW that reached the public that year, and it was sold in 1,300 units in 40 countries across the world.

KTM aims to be an exclusive car manufacturer, so massive production was never at the table. It also focused on racing and achieved quite a success over the years. Following triumphs on the track, the KTM introduced two brand-new racing models in 2020. The KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 arrived as beautiful concept cars with exceptional power, thrilling the fans in all parts of the world.

Today, we'll take a closer look at the KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 Concept Cars and talk about the exciting news that recently came from the Australian brand. Keep reading to find out more.

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The 2008 KTM X-BOW (read crossbow) is a roofless and mid-engined sports car launched for both the road and the track. It was developed with the help of Kiska Design, Audi, and Dallara, taking the best parts from each of the prominent brands. Therefore, the X-BOW ended up with a turbocharged four-cylinder Audi engine and a carbon fiber body, both of which are admirable.

Essentially, the KTM X-BOW is an ultra-light sports car that offers exceptional performance and transfers its base styling to the 2020 concept models. The KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 Cars were built on the same idea, only upgraded even more to be "ultimate track weapons," as KTM likes to call them.

Both models focus on the balanced (or super-reduced) weight, high performance, excellent aerodynamics, and improved safety. High-end technology is at the center of their existence, along with superior design. The KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 are as sporty as a race car can get, with radical yet minimalistic styling that takes the breath away.

When it comes to the specifics and the difference compared to the first X-BOW, the new GTX & GT2 come with a five-cylinder Audi engine, an electric gear shifter with a sequential gearbox, a hydraulic deal-circuit brake system, the carbon monocoque with integrated GT roll cage, and more. Oh, they also have roofs.

The GTX & GT2 produce about 530 horsepower and weigh only 1,048 kilograms, which is just outrageous. It's no wonder why so many people were excited about these concept cars coming out. KTM shared in 2020 that 25 units were already available for delivery that year, but sadly, only as racing models. RELATED: KTM Targets Racers With The New 2023 300 S

As you can see from the photos of the KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 added above, we're talking about an aggressive and beautiful concept everyone would love to take for a ride across the city. But as we know, KTM focuses on the races the most — or it used to be that way.

It seems that KTM finally heard excited customers and made a step towards road-car production. On 2 February this year, the Australian brand shared its plan to make a road-going version of the X-BOW GT2 and showed a photo of its testing on the track (see the photo above).

Apparently, KTM aims to use the learnings from the motorsport arena and the experiences from multiple race victories the GT2 achieved for building a sports car for the road. It seems that the X-BOW GTX and the X-BOW GT4 will continue their racing careers, and the new GT2 will take a different path.

This entire plan is still under development, as KTM needs to perform a lot of testing and upgrades to make a solid road car. However, the brand claims the lightweight construction and the five-cylinder turbo engine from Audi will remain, only with some updated protection for the passengers.

We expect the new KTM X-BOW GT2 will produce around 600 horsepower and have a rear-wheel drive. But, of course, we need more details from the brand itself to be 100% sure. KTM said more information about the design and the release should come out soon, but we suppose the brand looks differently at it than we do.

Whoever likes the KTM X-BOW GTX & GT2 concept car designs probably can't wait for the road-going version to come out. So, eager fans (and potential customers) wouldn't agree that a year or two is "soon" enough. Hopefully, it won't take so long. We'll keep you updated on the KTM developments and news about the promising GT2 sports car.

Suzana Mijatović is a Literary Critic secretly in love with all things automotive. You'll find her either reading Dostoevsky or under the hood, changing the transmission fluid and oil filters. She has a long experience in writing about car parts and automotive products, from brakes to seat cushions. Suzana is also an amateur poet and photographer.