Car Auto Magazine

KTM is developing another variant of its X-BOW model called the X-BOW R for 2011. The prototype of the model is featured in the photographs published here doing some testing. Pictured above is a prototype of the new X-Bow R taken at its first test outing at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The 2011 KTM Sport Cars X-Bow R Exclusive Class will be a sportier version of the current X-BOW from the boutique Austrian automaker (KTM is mainly a motorbike and bicycle maker) which has been available since 2008.

As far as streetable open-track cars go, the KTM X-Bow is in a very exclusive class, kept company primarily by the Ariel Atom and the Lotus 2-Eleven. But KTM is reportedly planning to up the ante with a pair of new models, including a race-bred R model and a more practical T model. The R model will likely be an evolution of the GT4 car.

The T model will up the comfort and practicality factor a bit for folks looking to get more double-duty out of the X-Bows, adding a windshield to divert air over the cockpit. That will no doubt be a welcome addition for those that would like to drive the car without wearing a helmet all the time. The X-Bow T will wait until 2012 to hit the streets.

After having been on the market for approximately two years now, the 2011 KTM Sport Cars X-Bow R Exclusive Class line-up will be supplemented with the introduction of the “R” model in the upcoming year. The engine for this even more powerful version comes again from Audi – but it will be exactly the same engine used among others in the actual Audi S3.

The X-BOW R will boast a 2.0-litre TFSI engine from the Audi S3, and this motor is good for 221kW of power. All of this will fit into the 790-kilogram body which boasts an upgraded suspension which is lowered, and better handling — thanks for a new engine mount setup. The two-seater will include a road-legal Sport package and a Race kit for the track only version.

At the moment KTM Cars is working intensively on the 2011 model of its super sports cars X-BOW. The first ever small series manufactured and street legal homologated car with a carbon fibre monocoque has been sold around 500 times since its launch in 2008. Around 50 X-BOW partners throughout Europe and currently ten importers globally look after sports cars enthusiasts all over the world in order to supply the only 790 kilogram light, 240 horsepower strong extreme athlete.

Born out of the 2010 LA Auto Show’s Los Angeles Design Challenge, in which automotive designers are given free range to envision the future of transportation, the Biome is meant to blend seamlessly into the planet’s ecosystem. That means all components of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Sport Cars Biome Concept car are “grown” organically, and it emits pure oxygen and is fully compostable at the end of its service life.

The basis for the Biome Concept is a vehicle that "grows in a completely organic environment from seeds sown in a nursery." Not only that, but it's powered by a combination of the sun and a chemical bond from an imaginary liquid dubbed BioNectar4534. It's all natural, all organic and all science fiction.

"As the inventor of the motor car, we wanted to illustrate the vision of the perfect vehicle of the future, which is created and functions in complete symbiosis with nature. The Mercedes-Benz BIOME is a natural technology hybrid, and forms part of our earth's ecosystem. It grows and thrives like the leaves on a tree" according to Hubert Lee, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad.

This year the competition had called for the creation of a vision of a safe and comfortable 2+2 compact car featuring good handling and a first-class design, and weighing only 1,000 lbs (around 454 kg/kerb weight).

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz Sport Cars Biome Concept symbiosis vehicle is made from an ultralight material called BioFibre and tips the scales at just 875.5 lbs (around 394 kg). This material is significantly lighter than metal or plastic, yet more robust than steel. BioFibre is grown from proprietary DNA in the Mercedes-Benz nursery, where it collects energy from the sun and stores it in a liquid chemical bond called BioNectar4534.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz Sport Cars Biome Concept is powered by BioNectar4534, which is stored in the BioFibre material of the chassis, interior, and wheels. In addition, Mercedes-Benz has developed a technology to equip trees with special receptors which can collect the excess solar energy and turn it into BioNectar4534. This creates a direct link with nature's energy sources and acts as an incentive to cover mobility energy requirements through more trees and at the same time maintain natural resources.

The Los Angeles Design Challenge is part of the Design Los Angeles conference, taking place from 17 to 18 November 2010 as part of the Los Angeles Auto Show.