Fisker Automotive founder Henrik Fisker is no dummy. Before he was in the hybrid car game he was supplying the world with sleek coupes and convertibles like the Tramonto and Latigo. So when his company put out the production Karma sedan at the Detroit Auto Show, Fisker also lobbed off two doors and the roof to create the Karma S concept car.
The Karma S shares its aluminum spaceframe architecture and Q-Drive powertrain with the Fisker Karma sedan. So just like the sedan, the convertible can run up to 50 miles on using its lithium-ion battery pack to power the combined 403 hp of the two electric motors. Beyond the battery-packs range a 260 hp 2.0-liter GM Ecotec engine will generate the electricity.
The design provides for a compact folding hardtop that doesn’t interfere too much with the car’s design lines. No word yet on how much added wright comes with losing the Karma’s top, but that will become clear when/if this car makes its planned 2011 production deadline.
Press release after the jump.
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Welcome to the Chevrolet Volt on steroids. It was only last year that Fisker first showed off its concept for the Karma, and now its back in Detroit to show off its production form.
Appearing in almost the same clothes as last year, the production Karma is being marketed as an eco-friendly luxury sedan. It’s a plug-in hybrid that uses a lithium-ion battery pack to power two 200+ hp electric motors for about 50 miles. Once the juice runs out of the batteries, a GM-sourced 2.0-liter gas engine making 260 hp generates the electricity needed to power the sedan. Fisker says the Karma makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than 6 seconds and can hit a top speed of more than 125 mph.
The hybrid Karma has the height of a Porsche 911, length of a Mercedes Benz CLS and the width of a BMW 7-Series. Those may be sexy benchmarks but odd dimensions. Either way, it seems to work on this car because Fisker gave the Karma a distinctively sleek, wind-cheating body. The whole package is one of the most aggressive-looking electric vehicles out there. This is undoubtedly helped but the short height of the car combined with its 22-inch wheels.
Fisker says its already received 1000 orders for the new Karma. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2009. Price will start from $87,900.
Press release after the jump.
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Fisker Automotive, Inc., a green American premium sports car company, today unveiled its first production car, the Fisker Karma, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The first of its kind four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan will have a starting price of $80,000. Initial deliveries of the Karma will commence in the 4th quarter of 2009 with annual production projected to reach 15,000 cars. The first 99 cars off the assembly line will be individually numbered and signed by Henrik Fisker and will be produced in the color and trim of the show car seen at NAIAS.
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Uncompromising. Distinctive. Compelling. The BMW 6 Series 650Ci Coupe provides the base vehicle architecture for the FISKER LATIGO CS. Signature FISKER cues bring a new gravitas and balance to the luxury sports coupe - it is understated elegance at its best.
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THE FISKER COACHBUILD 2006 TRAMONTO IS A SCULPTED STATEMENT OF EXOTIC OPEN-AIR MOTORING. Beneath the skin, the engineering excellence of what its base architecture once was - a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG - remains. The vast array of Mercedes-Benz’ finest technological innovations, from the powerretractable hardtop to Active Body Control (ABC), remains untouched, as do safety systems, including crumple zones and airbags.
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