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WIMMER RS KTM X-BOW: WEIGHT WATCHERS

With an engine derived from the Audi S3 but less than half the overall mass, the KTM X-Bow can become a rather insane proposition when tinkered with as this Wimmer RS KTM X-Bow duo will now demonstrate…

Feature taken from Performance VW. Words: Sam Preston Photos: Jordi Miranda

While we’re all familiar with Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s philosophy of ‘simply adding lightness’ to improve the way a sports car drives, it’s a mantra that could undoubtedly be implemented a little more generously in the modern automotive world we currently live in.

Take the latest Audi S3, for example – a fantastic all-round fast car, no doubt about it. In fact, we’d struggle to think of anything that could offer B-road destroying capabilities mixed with heated seat-adorned luxury out of the box in quite the same effortless manner.

But whether you like it or not, with a kerb weight that tops 1.5 tonnes when a slightly tubby driver is plonked behind the wheel, the S3 isn’t exactly what you’d call… lean, especially when compared to the much more svelte vehicles we grew up with a few decades back.

And this got us here at PVW Towers thinking… if that celebrated and incredibly tuneable 2.0-litre TFSI engine is as damn good as it is in this rather lardy setup, just how epic could it be if it was placed in a car that’d been put on a much stricter diet plan? The answer, as it turns out, was waiting for us in the particularly scenic North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany…

Welcome to the wonderful world of Wimmer Rennsporttechnik [RS]. Developing bespoke performance hardware and software solutions for its dedicated customer base across Europe and beyond since 1990, there’s not many moving objects that this acclaimed firm can’t make go faster.

“You name it, we’ve worked on it,” says Wimmer’s PR boss, Gesine Dageförde, as she proudly walks us around the impressive HQ. “We get owners of boats, sports cars, and everything in-between through our doors. No two ECUs are the same and it’s our bespoke approach that means we’ve built up such a large number of returning customers over the years.”

How does all of this relate to KTM’s arachnid-esque lightweight roadster, though? “We started working on the Audi-derived engines in the X-Bow for a few customers, once they realised they were of a quite different spec to those found in Audis and required specialist knowledge to get the most out of them,” Gesine explains. “This was during the early days of the model, and KTM approached us on numerous occasions asking if we’d consider being an official dealer once they saw just how profound our technical knowledge and experience was.”

Soon becoming the very first approved KTM X-Bow dealer/tuner in Germany, it didn’t take long for Wimmer RS to become the go-to place for owners of this curious small-production machine for hundreds of miles around. But even then, no-one could’ve predicted just how far they could push the formula in years to come…

It’s about time we introduced the two menacing cars you see before you, we reckon. Representing the cutting edge of what Wimmer RS has managed to achieve after working on over 300 X-Bows in the past few years, they’re certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Both sporting the firm’s comprehensive ‘Stage 5’ state of tune, each beast’s power output is ramped up from the factory 300bhp to over 480bhp, with 520Nm of torque to back it up. These bonkers figures come courtesy of forged pistons and a re-worked head with more aggressive camshafts also applied to that VAG-group lump sat out back, complete with a more efficient turbocharger and all the other fuelling and cooling goodies we’re used to seeing adorned to fast S3s and the like.

As well as its bespoke ECU calibrations (which are unsurprisingly applied with the purchase of this kit), Wimmer RS is also equally as renowned for its custom exhaust systems, which are made full use of here too. The result of all this work? The 0-62mph sprint is cut down to under 3 seconds, with 124mph reached in less than 10 – not numbers you could even dream of from a similarly-powered Audi S3!

It’s not just sheer grunt that’s been enhanced, though, with just as much attention poured into ensuring the highly-strung chassis and handling departments are made equally as formidable. Trick adjustable on-board coilovers are set up to perfection in-house to each customer’s specific road or track-biased needs, whilst those super-cool Taneisya forged alloys from Japan ensure even more unsprung kilos are reduced from each corner.

Whilst both cars featured here have boasted similar specs up until this point, it’s when it comes to the matter of shifting cogs that a fork in the road emerges. You’re probably most familiar with seeing X-Bows with that raw six-speed manual gearbox that was supplied with all models made for the first few years, but it’s interesting to see that the carbon-coloured ‘GT’ version (identified by the inclusion of a windscreen) has some sumptuous anodised flaps behind its dinky steering wheel, signifying it’s one of the newer breed of DSG-equipped cars now produced too.

This really helps get that extra RWD power down more effectively, Wimmer’s Gesine tells us, but don’t go thinking that it instantly makes it a complete breeze to drive… “We can no longer insure potential customers to take test drives in our high-power models,” she laughs. “You really need to gradually build up to driving these things fast, or you’ll be in for a shock. That said, they’re incredibly grippy and rewarding in a trained pair of hands.”

A driver’s car that demands respect is certainly a welcoming proposition in 2019, where Haldex AWD and stability aids aplenty have made it easier and safer than ever to drive our steeds at ten-tenths with very little practice required

Another service that Wimmer RS can offer and is effectively demonstrated with this duo of bold brutes is through the endless way you can personally style your X-Bow to suit your own tastes. Take the manual, ‘R’-spec’d example (signified by its lack of windscreen meaning it’s the most focused, neck-snapping road-legal version KTM produces). Like the carbon fibre car, it features Wimmer’s ‘Aerodynamic Package 2’, that uses angular splitters and wings to instantly add a tonne more aggression to the overall aesthetic.

The carbon-clad car takes things to the next level as far as road cars go, though, with what appears to be practically every one of the external body panels replaced for exposed carbon fibre affairs. When combined with that monocoque tub made from the same weaved material that acts as a focal point for every X-Bow out there, it really does make for a more eye-catching proposition than perhaps anything else you could possible buy with four wheels and a number plate.

KTM might sell around 200,000 motorcycles worldwide each year, but it’s somewhat disappointing to learn that less than 1500 X-Bows have been produced in the car’s decade-long lifetime. Offering an infinitely more memorable and breath-snatching experience than the hatchback it draws its engine from, maybe it’s time for us to all let our hair down a little more often…

Tech Spec: Wimmer RS KTM X-Bow (Carbon Fibre car)

Engine:

2.0-litre TFSI Audi engine, Wimmer RS ‘Stage 5’ tuning package (comprising forged pistons, ported head with high-flow camshafts, larger turbocharger, sports air filter, Wimmer RS sports exhaust system with 100 Zeller sports cat, upgraded in-tank fuel pump, upgraded high pressure fuel pump, additional transmission oil cooler, racing water pump and bespoke Wimmer RS ECU calibration), DSG twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox with uprated clutch packs

Chassis:

17” (front) and 18” (rear) Taneisya forged lightweight alloy wheels in black, 215/45/17 (front) and 235/35/18 (rear) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, Wimmer wheel spacers (rear), three-way adjustable coilovers, Brembo 4-pot front brake calipers with grooved discs

Exterior:

KTM/Wimmer RS Aerodynamic Package 2 (comprising various carbon fibre air flaps), exposed carbon fibre front splitter, RR front and rear bonnet panels, GT-style rear spoiler and engine cover

Interior:

Factory exposed carbon monocoque interior

Tech Spec: Wimmer RS KTM X-Bow (Orange car)

Engine:

2.0-litre TFSI Audi engine, Wimmer RS ‘Stage 5’ tuning package (comprising forged pistons, ported head with high-flow camshafts, larger turbocharger, sports air filter, Wimmer RS sports exhaust system with 100 Zeller sports cat, upgraded in-tank fuel pump, upgraded high pressure fuel pump, additional transmission oil cooler, racing water pump and bespoke Wimmer RS ECU calibration), six-speed manual gearbox with uprated clutch

Chassis:

17” (front) and 18” (rear) Taneisya forged lightweight alloy wheels in black, 215/45/17 (front) and 235/35/18 (rear) Toyo Proxes R888 semi-slick tyres, Wimmer wheel spacers (rear), three-way adjustable coilovers, Brembo 4-pot front brake calipers with grooved discs

Exterior:

KTM/Wimmer RS Aerodynamic Package 2 (comprising various carbon fibre air flaps), carbon fibre front splitter, RR front and rear bonnet panels, GT-style rear spoiler and engine cover

Interior:

Factory exposed carbon monocoque interior

Source

January 21, 2021
100 years ago: Rolls-Royce rolls along assembly line in Massachusetts

On January 17, 1921, a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost rolled off an assembly line, but it wasn’t in Derby, England. Instead, that car and 2,945 that followed were assembled in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

“These Rolls-Royce ‘Springfield’ Motor cars benefited from the creativity of US coachbuilders including Brewster, Willoughby, Merimac and Hollbrook, and brought us some wonderful early commissions,” the British automaker noted in a news release celebrating the centennial of its American production effort.

From that start in 1921 and until the Springfield workshop closed in 1931 because of the Depression, 2,946 Rolls-Royce vehicles were assembled in New England. Among them were 1,703 Silver Ghosts, which joined the ‘Springfield Phantom’ in 1925.

Springfield assembly plant supervisory staff poses with the first US-constructed Silver Ghost

Owners of the Springfield Rolls-Royces include President Woodrow Wilson, the Guggenheim and Bloomindale families, “and perhaps the most famous,” Rolls-Royce notes, “fictional Socialite Jay Gatsby with his 1922 Silver Ghost.”

After World War I, Charles Stewart Rolls’ partner Charles Johnson (Henry Royce lived until 1933, but was in ill-health after 1912), saw that the US market was in better condition than the British economy and saw assembly in the US as a way to avoid duties that made the cars even more expensive for American customers. So in 1919, Rolls-Royce purchased the American Wire Wheel Co. factory building in Massachusetts.

The Springfield assembly plant

Cars ready for delivery in 1922

Building cars in America didn’t make them all that much less expensive. Prices ranged from $12,930 to $15,880, making the Springfield cars the most expensive of American-made vehicles.

The first 25 cars were produced entirely of imported parts, but afterward, the coachwork for the Springfield-built cars was produced in the US. Various American coachbuilders provided bodies. Rolls opened its own body-building workshop in 1923 and in 1926 acquired Brewster, a leading American coachbuilding firm whose work was popular with Rolls’ customers.

This article, written by Larry Edsall, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.

Source

January 20, 2021
HONDA S2000 REVISITED

VTEC, 9000rpm and an open-top. It might be winter but NOW is the time to buy the Honda S2000. That being said, what’s it actually like?

No matter what I say in this piece, the one thing you need to take away from this is that this nutter revs to 9krpm. When we talk engines, the F20C has to be up there with one of the best ever made. For over 10 years it held the record for the highest power output-per-litre for a naturally aspirated engine… right up until some chaps from Maranello built the 458 Italia.

When you’re in the mood, there are few engines that will impress you as much as a VTEC motor. OK, you’ve got to rev the nuts off ‘em to get anywhere, and in doing so you make a song and a dance everywhere you go, but that’s the joy of the Honda S2000. Besides, it’s one of the strongest blocks out there, so adding in some forced induction will ramp up the torque.

For a car that was styled in the ‘90s, the Honda S2000 has held up its end of the bargain in the looks department. It still looks contemporary, appealing and intriguing all at the same time. That elongated bonnet adds to the allure of this car. It also means that they could mount the engine as far back as physically possible to help with weight distribution. That also helps front-end turn in to make it razor sharp… but more of that later in a minute.

Inside, the Honda S2000 has started to look a little dated. The one positive from that is that ‘90s Japanese interiors focused on the driver. The entire dashboard and switches are pointed towards the pilot. It’s a driver-focused car after all, so why wouldn’t you want the switches pointing your way? Unfortunately that design has been forgotten over recent years, with infotainment screens pointing straight towards the rear, rather than towards the person most likely to operate them.

Where the interior is let down though is the stereo. This is a 2009 model, yet we still use the original radio without auxiliary or Bluetooth connectivity? Strange. And just makes things a little 1999.

There is another downside. At 70mph, the wind noise, even with the roof up, is horrendous. Without auxiliary, on long journeys I used headphones (the terrible ones you get with the iPhone) and even on full volume I was struggling to hear the music over the wind noise. I spent about 20 minutes on the road trying to work out whether the roof was open slightly or a window was down. It’s actually that bad. There is a solution though, there’s a GT hard top, available. OK dine, you’ll want the top down in the summer, but over winter it could be a welcome addition.

The seating position is quite simply, sublime. You sit nice and low, meaning your legs can stretch out towards the pedals, rather than all cramped up. There’s a good level of adjustment too and headroom isn’t really an issue.

Honda S2000: The Drive

There are few cars that make you think about what you’re doing quite as much as the S2K. On AD08Rs in the wet, the snap oversteer is exciting and a little unnerving. On your way to work before the coffee has had a chance to filter through your body, suddenly sliding isn’t how you want to start your day. After a quick trip back home to change you know what, you then chuck it in, pin the throttle and have some fun. It’s not a difficult car to slide or control when you’re in the mood for it. But you better be in the mood when you go for a drive, if you’re too generous on the throttle in any corner you’ll enter snap oversteer.

While 240bhp isn’t the be-all to shout home about these days, it feels strong here. Rev it past 6k rpm and you slide past VTEC. It’s fairly aggressive in its application here, and you really feel it change cam and pull strongly. But oddly, the second pull, past 7500/8000rpm is arguably more satisfying, you almost feel it want to rip your teeth out. This is intensified by the scream being emitted from both engine and exhaust. It’s a satisfying noise that would only be improved with a full exhaust swap.

After a week or so, you’ll be saying exactly what I said, it needs a helping hand. Some supercharging wouldn’t go amiss here… In truth you get tired of having to bang it off the limiter in every gear to get somewhere. Some torque wouldn’t be unwelcome either.

When you’ve had chance to warm the tyres up you can really start to enjoy the thrills of the S2k. If anyone has visited the East cost of the UK around the Cromer region, you’ll know that the coastal route, at the right time of the day with limited traffic is a sublime piece of road. Couple this with the roof down, head phones in, and nothing but seamless corners with minimal traffic, it’ll easily be one of the drives of your life. It’s only made better by clinging on to gears in the S2k. This is when that engine makes sense, you can keep it right in the heights of its power band by switching between 2nd-4th. Thanks to the enormous front end grip, you can be generous with entry speed too; it feels darty, precise and agile.

You never really want to stop bashing it to be honest. Once you slow down and enter back into reality you almost thank it for its pleasure, but immediately want to wring its neck again. Thankfully the F20C is a strong unit that doesn’t mind a touch of abuse.

Verdict

You may have guessed at this point that I’d fallen in love with the S2k’s character, so much so that I was convinced it would be the car I’d buy next. It’s a car that you could live with day-to-day and not be frustrated. Yeah, the cabin gets a bit boomy at speed and you constantly have to be changing gear to get the best, but it has character, and that’s something which is escaping from newer cars.

It’s a car that’s similar to an Elise in its focus, albeit not quite as razor sharp. And that’s no bad thing. It’s far easier to live with, and comfier, not to mention easier to get in and out of. The engine is far superior too. Its snappy nature can be fixed with some modifications, or you can simply keep it and drift about everywhere.

Values

NOW is the time to buy one. I can’t shout about that loudly enough. Prices are at the bottom and they won’t be lowering, in fact, they’re already starting to rise. This is a proper sports car that is gaining modern classic status very quickly. And plenty of car magazines are doing a good job of boosting values by raving about how good they are. Shit, I’ve just done exactly that, I do apologise.

Early cars are the cheapest at around £5-£10k, while later cars, with updated damping rates, are £10k upwards. The car you’re looking at here is an Edition 100 model, which will see you pay over £20k. OK, yes it’s more of a collectors car this one, so values will always reflect that. But, in truth, you’d be wasting your money if you opted for a special edition model right now. Stick to a regular S2K, modify it, and you’ll never be disappointed!

Source

January 20, 2021