X-Bow for the snow

Look at these pictures of the KTM X-Bow - you'd have to be a tad nuts to take one out in winter weather, surely? Not for much longer, apparently, with an onslaught of cold-climate concessions to help with taking the hardcore track tool through the snow and sleet.

Snow tyres are an obvious first addition to avoid any nasty £49k trackcar and ditch meet-and-greets, with Pirelli Sottozeros the chosen rubber. Homologated snow chains are also on the options list.

The window- and roof-less car may not be adapted to freezing temperatures much, but some specially designed clothing by Schoffel should do the trick nicely. A helmet, jacket and trouser set starts at 950 euros, with indoor and outdoor car covers available so that the X-Bow doesn't feel left out as you adorn your new gear.

Now seems the perfect time to throw loads of extra power at the X-Bow, too, with tuner MTM starting things off by bumping things up to 380bhp - a rise of 143 over the standard car. MTM is quite a dab hand at VW/Audi products, so it seems only fair that its expertise has been bestowed upon the KTM's German 2-litre TFSI engine.

No word on other performance figures (or, indeed, prices) yet but the regular X-Bow's 229lb ft and 3.9sec should rise and fall accordingly.

Happy drifting...