KTM, the renowned Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, has announced its plans to move forward with a new version of its X-Bow GT4 track car. The car is based on the company’s wildly successful, lightweight roadster designed specifically for track use.
This latest race car from KTM was developed in partnership with Reiter Engineering, a company known for its ability to turn cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo into a full-fledged race car. Reiter will be in charge of the car’s construction, much like it was for the previous GT4 version of the X-Bow.
The main difference between the two is the closed cockpit rather than the open top the previous car sported. This most likely due to the fact that the new X-Bow GT4 is meant for use in different international racing series. Having a closed cabin would therefore make it eligible for championships that require this as a safety measure.
KTM hasn’t released a whole load of details, but what is known is that the X-Bow GT4 has a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four pot that’s married to a seven-speed sequential gearbox. We don’t know the power output, but the regular track toy version puts out around 300 horsepower. We can expect that number to be tuned higher for the race variant.That, combined with its incredibly light weight, make it incredibly nimble for circuit runs.
Other improvements include tweaks to the suspension as well as modifications made to the aerodynamics and ABS system.
It’s not street legal, but the new X-Bow GT4 will be sold for track use globally, and that includes making the car available here on our side of the Atlantic. With testing done, the race car can be snagged for around $152,000 dollars.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.