2010 Fisker Karma

NEWS & REVIEWS Luxury leads the way for the driver—and the environment—with the world’s first eco-chic cars created in equally eco-friendly facilities. The Karma’s dramatic proportions and sumptuous design with smile-inducing performance. And the interior lets four adults and luggage travel in comfort. With zero emissions. Zero compromise. And a cleaner conscience than ever before. The Karma uses Q-Drive plug-in hybrid technology, developed exclusively for Fisker Automotive by Quantum Technologies. A fully-charged Karma burns no fuel for the first 50 miles. Venture further and the gasoline engine turns a generator to charge the lithium ion battery. Once the 50-mile electric range has been exceeded, the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle. This balance of electric and gas range makes it entirely possible that Karma drivers who charge their car overnight and commute less than 50 miles a day will achieve an average fuel economy of 100 mpg per year. Environmentalism has never been more beautifully infused with elegance and style. Designer Henrik Fisker has taken the automotive hybrid to a new level of performance and style. With zero compromise in either category. Low, wide and coupe-like in profile, sensually sculpted surfaces mix with dramatic and powerful proportions to give the Fisker Karma a look all its own. The Karma's dynamic stance is just as much a thing of beauty as it is a result of the car's proprietary technical layout. Standard 22-inch light alloy rims at all four corners make Karma a world-leader in the wheel to body relationship. Form and function go hand in hand at Fisker. Furthermore, innovative and functional design features such as side-mounted charging indicators, state-of-the-art LED-Xenon lighting, unique external mounted speaker covers and a one-piece solar glass roof work in harmony to express the new design aesthetic that is Eco-Chic. This proprietary design allows consumers' to drive the car emission free for up to 50 miles a day provided the car is charged every evening. It's conceivable that if consumers follow this daily routine, they will only need to fuel the car but once a year. This means it will not only cut down on pollution and global warming, but on a consumer's gasoline budget as well. This Q DRIVE technology will provide a base for all future derivatives from Fisker Automotive. The Fisker Karma will offer partly self-contained climate control, as consumers will have the option to purchase a full-length solar roof that will help charge the car and provide cooling for the interior cabin while the car is parked. Additionally, Fisker Automotive will offer consumers an option to purchase a set of solar panels for their roofs or garages where they can generate electricity during the day to charge the car overnight…again cost and emission free. Statistics show that the majority of pollution from automobiles occurs on consumers' daily commute to and from work or dropping the kids off at school. Currently, more than 60% of Americans and Europeans are driving less than 50 miles on their daily commute. If this 60% of commuters would drive a plug-in hybrid like the Fisker Karma, we could see the fastest possible reduction both in oil consumption and emissions - all without sacrificing their daily driving habits. Additionally, plug-in hybrids have the potential to augment the planning of cleaner electrical power plants, ultimately producing a dramatic effect on our society and future generations. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2009 Fisker Karma

NEWS & REVIEWS Background: Fisker Automotive is set to unveil its first production automobile, a plug-in hybrid sedan that will get 100 mpg, at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Started in 2005, the company has produced two other vehicles, both of which were merely re-skinned existing automobiles. Performance: Not much is known about the actual performance its newest hybrid will be able to muster. However, the one number we have heard is impressive; 100 miles to the gallon is an incredible figure. The Fisker auto uses a centrally-placed battery that will last up to 50 miles on a single charge. Unlike other electric cars, the Fisker hybrid does have a gasoline or optional diesel engine that recharges the battery and helps extend its range to a whopping 620 miles! Exterior: Hybrids on the market today haven’t been known for their thrilling looks. This is not the case with the Fisker auto, whose exterior looks remarkably similar to the sexy Ferrari 599 GTB except with four doors. Market Impact: With a cross between stellar good looks and outstanding gas mileage, the newest offering from Fisker Automotive is set to be an amazing new automobile. With approximately 15,000 units set to be built the car shouldn’t be that hard to come by either. We will have to wait to hear more before we can give a final verdict. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2008 Fisker TRAMONTO

NEWS & REVIEWS In high-glitz luxury hot spots, like Beverly Hills and Palm Beach, Mercedes SLs are about as rare a sight as paparazzi at a Lindsay Lohan court appearance. Well-heeled owners love the SL’s quality, reliability, and performance, but hate the fact that there’s always a line of them parked outside Dolce & Gabbana on Rodeo Drive. To the rescue comes Irvine, California-based Fisker Coachbuild, who will take an SL—any SL, from a low-rent SL550 to full-on SL65 AMG—and wrap it in a stunning, all-new carbon-fiber body. And if those curvy, voluptuous lines and thrusting nose look just a little like an Aston Martin DB9, there’s a reason: Henrik Fisker, the man behind the company, used to be chief designer at Aston. In addition to replacing the body, Fisker also slathers acres of handbag-quality leather throughout the Latigo’s cabin. The result is up there with Bentley and Rolls. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2008 Fisker LATIGO CS V10

NEWS & REVIEWS When a 500-bhp BMW M6 becomes just a bit too ordinaire in the Yankees’ parking lot, what’s an overpaid ballplayer supposed to do? Put in a call to Fisker Coachbuild, maybe? Fisker specializes in taking BMW’s 6 Series and clothing them in its own carbon-fiber bodywork, uprating the motors, and swathing the cabins in more leather than a Gucci store. While Fisker can convert any model from the base V-8 6-Series coupe on up, almost all the orders, so far, are for the top dog, the $300-grand V-10-powered M6 with a performance package that ups the capacity to 5.6 liters and the power to 655 bhp. It’s exclusivity that’s key here. With Latigo production limited to 150, you’re unlikely to see another outside the Krispy Kreme. Fisker claims this is the fastest four-seat coupe in the world, and we wouldn’t argue. With zero-to-60 in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph, this thing smokes. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2008 Fisker LATIGO

NEWS & REVIEWS PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2007 Fisker LATIGO

NEWS & REVIEWS While the Tramonto uses Benz’s SL as its donor car, Fisker Coachbuild’s second offering, the Latigo has a BMW 6-Series coupe hiding beneath its voluptuous body. More restrained-looking than the Tramonto, the Latigo is aimed at someone wanting a lessflashy, more understated, gentleman’s coupe. You can take your pick from the “starter” 650i-based Tramonto, or go for the full-house M6-based version with its thundering V-10, cranking out a nice round 500 hp. Both come with a new carbon-fiber body and that trademark Fisker snout, which was supposedly inspired by the sharp-end view of an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. The all-new interior is a sea of carbon fiber and handbag-quality leather. And as with all Fiskers, what the owner wants, the owner gets. For a price, naturally. And that includes performance packages giving up to 610 bhp. Expect to pay around $219,000 for a base M6-based Tramonto, closer to $255,000 nicely loaded. Next up, a Latigo convertible. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2006 Fisker TRAMONTO

NEWS & REVIEWS In wealth-endowed hot spots like Beverly Hills and Palm Beach, there are times when it seems every other car on the road is a Mercedes SL. So what do you do when you love your SL, but would prefer that it came with a different, more exclusive wrapper? You call up Fisker Coachbuild, in Newport Beach, California, and they’ll custom build you a Tramonto. Based on the Merc SL55 AMG, this stunning two seater features an all-new carbon-fiber body, designed by Henrik Fisker, who created the voluptuous curves of the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8 sports cars. While you can stick with the SL55’s 5.5-liter 493-bhp supercharged V-8, Fisker offers an upgrade to a Kleemann-tuned 610-bhp version that gives zero-to-60-mph sprinting in a mere 3.5 seconds. Just 150 Tramontos will be built, period, ensuring there’s a good chance you won’t see another on Rodeo Drive or Worth Avenue. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2006 Fisker LATIGO CS

NEWS & REVIEWS PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge