KTM X-Bow vs Rivian R1T

What's the difference?

I know what you're thinking: "How is this thing legal?" And to be honest, somewhere between a rock flung from the tyre of a passing car colliding with my forehead like it had been fired from a pistol, and the pouring rain lashing my exposed face like a damp cat-o'-nine-tails, I'd begun wondering the same thing.

The answer is barely. The product of a years-long fight to overcome our import rules, this madhouse KTM X-Bow R is now finally free to roam Australian roads and racetracks - though, with sales capped at 25 per year to comply with the Specialist Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme.

The price? A slightly eye-watering $169,990. That's quite a lot, and places the X-Bow R miles above its closest lightweight, carbon fibre-tubbed competitor, the Alfa Romeo 4C ($89,000).

But then, the KTM X-Bow R is unlike anything else on the road today. Part super bike, part open-wheeler and all mobile madness, the 'Crossbow' is fast, furious and completely insane.

Expect no doors, no windscreen, no roof. On-board entertainment is limited to the turbo whistling behind your head, the car's standard safety list is as barren as the interior and the climate control is dependent on the temperature of the wind that's smashing into your exposed face.

And we couldn't wait to take it for a spin.

Tesla started from nothing to become one of the most recognisable brands across the automotive industry in less than two decades. Rivian is hoping to do the same.

If you haven't heard of Rivian that's okay, it's currently only available in the US market. It shares a lot in common with Tesla, though - a charismatic founder and CEO, a focus on electric vehicles and plenty of hype around the brand.

To find out if the hype is justified, CarsGuide.com.au was able to organise an exclusive preview drive of the brand's R1T electric pick-up in Los Angeles recently. The R1T is one of two models Rivian has entered the market with, the other is the R1S large SUV.

This is a far cry from company founder RJ Scaringe's original vision, the R1 - a mid-engined hybrid coupe sports car. Instead, Scaringe switched focus to the pick-up and SUV markets, which provided a much larger audience and helped attract investment from the Ford Motor Company and Amazon to get the company up and running on an industrial scale.

Rivian is still a few years from making it to Australia, but make no mistake, the company has been committed to global expansion for years. As far back as April 2019 a company representative told CarsGuide it believes there's a good opportunity for the R1T and R1S to find an audience in Australia.

So, with that in mind, we drove the R1T to find out if it has what it takes to make its mark with Australian ute buyers.