It's based on the firm's successful GT2 racer.
The name KTM is typically associated with motorcycles, particularly those with an adventure focus. The brand has competed with these two-wheelers in events like the Dakar, helping cement its legacy amongst enthusiasts as one of the best for hardcore off-roading, but when it comes to the company's road cars, nothing but the smoothest asphalt will allow you to take a drive. The Austrian automaker gained notoriety amongst fans of hardcore track toys with its windscreen-free X-Bow, but back in 2018, the company teased a GT4 racer with a proper roof. The X-Bow GT2 followed in 2020 as another track-only special, but now a roadgoing version is being developed.
The GT2 car celebrated its racing debut last year and has already racked up a number of race wins and even a championship title in the GT2 European Series. That motorsport expertise will now be applied to a new road car, “with engineers and technicians refining the design of the roadgoing version […] in an extensive research and development process.”
This will focus on “lightweight construction” through the use of optimized components and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer bodywork. Just like a McLaren, the car will boast a carbon monocoque as a safety cell with a reinforced canopy further bolstering occupant protection.
As in the competition car, the Audi RS3 donates its 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine to the cause of blinding acceleration. It will be mounted in the rear of the car and connected to a seven-speed direct-shift transmission that will power the rear wheels with the aid of a limited-slip differential. KTM has not revealed anything further, but in the race car, this engine has been tuned to develop 530 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, so if similar performance is to be achieved with the road car, it will be an absolute rocket. Sadly, KTM has not told us when the vehicle will launch or if it will be available in the US, but more details will trickle out of Austria as development continues. Watch this space.
Keyword: KTM Teases Audi RS3-Powered Monster For The Road