This car is payback for anyone who's ever received the notorious "Prius brake-check manoeuvre" while driving their exotic sports car on the left coast.
It boasts all the requisite supercar attributes—great gobs of power, low-slung stance and a long hood that positively radiates attitude. And yet the Fisker Karma is one luxury sports car that can be driven without enduring withering glances from hypermilers.
Between those gloriously muscular rear haunches are twin AC motors delivering 402 horsepower to the differential. To be sure, there's a 250-hp, conventional GM turbo four-cylinder under its long snout, but its function is solely to power the generator that supplements a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. For the first 80 or so kilometres, the Karma runs strictly on electric power, without emitting a single noxious molecule of carbon monoxide.
It's the brainchild of Fisker Automotive, whose claim to automotive fame was established through reworked BMW and Mercedes convertibles before deciding to build ground-up electric cars of their own design.
The company's very foundation is built on ecological sustainability, a fact that no doubt contributed to its receiving a $528.7-million loan by the US Department of energy. Most of its associates and all of its suppliers are certifiably green, and further evidence of its commitment to environmental responsibility is evident in materials used–the cabin trims are sourced from reclaimed sunken timber and luxurious but animal-free faux-suede, while the metal-flake paints sparkle with recycled material.
With its snarly "BMW Z4 meets Ferrari 599" grille, lowered stance and streamlined length, it’s easy to overlook that the Karma has an extra set of doors, and is indeed a four-door tourer. This puts it up against such other coupe-like sedans as the Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF and Mercedes Benz CLS.
Certainly, the Karma's looks are worthy of the luxury supercar title–which is to be expected, since Henrik Fisker was the designer behind the gorgeous Aston Martin DB9, the V8 Vantage and the BMW Z8 roadster. But the numbers suggest that it also can deliver the goods, rather than being just a beautiful but compromising novelty.
 |
| While there's no verified Canadian pricing as yet, it should sticker at just over $100,000. (Photo: Fisker Automotive) |
It boasts all the requisite supercar attributes—great gobs of power, low-slung stance and a long hood that positively radiates attitude. And yet the Fisker Karma is one luxury sports car that can be driven without enduring withering glances from hypermilers.
Between those gloriously muscular rear haunches are twin AC motors delivering 402 horsepower to the differential. To be sure, there's a 250-hp, conventional GM turbo four-cylinder under its long snout, but its function is solely to power the generator that supplements a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. For the first 80 or so kilometres, the Karma runs strictly on electric power, without emitting a single noxious molecule of carbon monoxide.
It's the brainchild of Fisker Automotive, whose claim to automotive fame was established through reworked BMW and Mercedes convertibles before deciding to build ground-up electric cars of their own design.
The company's very foundation is built on ecological sustainability, a fact that no doubt contributed to its receiving a $528.7-million loan by the US Department of energy. Most of its associates and all of its suppliers are certifiably green, and further evidence of its commitment to environmental responsibility is evident in materials used–the cabin trims are sourced from reclaimed sunken timber and luxurious but animal-free faux-suede, while the metal-flake paints sparkle with recycled material.
With its snarly "BMW Z4 meets Ferrari 599" grille, lowered stance and streamlined length, it’s easy to overlook that the Karma has an extra set of doors, and is indeed a four-door tourer. This puts it up against such other coupe-like sedans as the Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF and Mercedes Benz CLS.
Certainly, the Karma's looks are worthy of the luxury supercar title–which is to be expected, since Henrik Fisker was the designer behind the gorgeous Aston Martin DB9, the V8 Vantage and the BMW Z8 roadster. But the numbers suggest that it also can deliver the goods, rather than being just a beautiful but compromising novelty.
 |
| With its snarly "BMW Z4 meets Ferrari 599" grille, it’s easy to overlook that the Karma has an extra set of doors. (Photo: Fisker Automotive) |