The car behind the “pop-up jet-fighter canopy” headline is the KTM X-BOW GT-XR, a road-going super sports car related to—but distinct from—the X-BOW GTX racing car. Its roof lifts electrically to let occupants climb into the cockpit. KTM described the GT-XR and its canopy in 2022; that announcement does not establish the car’s price, production status or availability in 2026.
What the headline refers to
New Atlas published the matching headline on January 24, 2022, reporting KTM’s plan for a street-legal X-BOW derived from its GT2 racer. The road car is the KTM X-BOW GT-XR. KTM later published articles about its design and canopy engineering in 2022.
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The GT-XR is not the KTM X-BOW GTX. KTM presents the GTX as a racing car; it provides context for the GT-XR’s racing links, but its specifications should not be treated as GT-XR specifications. New Atlas’s January 2022 report and KTM’s GTX announcement identify those separate roles.
How the GT-XR canopy works
KTM calls the roof a “Jet-Fighter-Canopy.” Rather than opening a conventional side door, the canopy rises above the car to provide access to the cockpit. KTM says two electric motors drive the motion through a 3D-printed lifting arm. The company describes operation from the vehicle key, a cockpit button or exterior handles, along with soft-close operation, anti-trap protection and a manual emergency release.
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These are KTM’s descriptions of the system, not the findings of an independent operational test. In its December 2022 technical account, KTM quoted Lukas Barth, its Team Leader Product Management, saying: “Our mission was to develop a roof structure that benefits performance on the race track while remaining as functional as possible for everyday driving.”
What KTM reported about roof strength
KTM said the canopy weighs just under 50 kilograms and reported that roof-pressure tests conducted by TÜV Rheinland withstood a load of 11 tonnes. The same KTM article gives a permitted gross vehicle weight of 1,600 kilograms and characterizes the test load as about seven times that weight. These figures are attributed to KTM’s account; the article does not provide the underlying test documentation, so they should not be read as an independently verified safety rating or a general crash-performance result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the GT-XR relates to the race car
KTM says the GT-XR was designed with KISKA and shares a carbon monocoque with the racing car, while using a different outer shell. That shared structure is a connection between the road and racing models, not evidence that the cars are identical. In KTM’s design article, KISKA senior designer Wojtek Bachleda described the goal this way: “The car has to give you an impression of adventure, both when you look at it and when you’re behind the wheel.”
KTM’s design article discusses the GT-XR and KISKA’s role; the GTX announcement concerns the race car.
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KTM said in 2022 that European small-series approval made the GT-XR road-legal across Europe. That statement is specific to Europe and does not establish road legality in every country or jurisdiction worldwide.
KTM also stated in December 2022 that the GT-XR was available to order from €284,900, before country-specific taxes and import duties. That is a dated starting-price and orderability claim, not a current quote. No 2026 price, production status or inventory is established by the cited sources. Buyers should confirm current status and any applicable registration requirements directly for their country.
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