Fisker Karma

[svp6]

In my eyes, Fisker is definitely stunning, and I seriously considered it before getting my current BMW. That is until I drove it. Just like the Cadillac ELR, looks and interior materials are great, performance is very sedated, especially in electric mode. Both fail with the main target markets: people who want a sporty sedan don't get one, and people who are echo conscious but want interior/cargo space don't get those either. Very disappointing.

Contrast that to Tesla, which made me smile every time I test drove it. Interior still needs a lot of work (sit in the comparable price new S-class and Panamera) and you will immediately see what I mean. Overall though, I decided to take the plunge, will see if it was worth it. Judging by the forum owners I anticipate I will love the car.

 

[gregincal]

Funny how you didn't dare show the front of the car in either of the pictures. Kind of ruins the effect, wouldn't you say?

One of my clients fiskers

 

[Jaff]

...that's because the front end of the car incites guffaws in some, gagging in others...:wink:

 

[dsm363]

Good review of the Karma. Guess this guy is one of those 1 out of 100.

No doubt Karma will be one of the deadliest hybrids ever conceived when it ships later this Spring. But what about its looks? Ugly but deadly or just plain deadly? Me, I’m not sold on Karma’s “muscle car of the future” aesthetics, though I tend to prefer gentle curves to bold haunches on my four door saloons.

And that grille? It’s reminiscent of a Smiling Mazda, isn’t it? Which is fine if that’s your cup of tea, but to me looks sort of out of place on a hybrid muscle car. But then again, what do I know about how hybrid muscle cars are supposed to look? What do any of us know about hybrid muscle cars at all, really?

What say you on the $100k hybrid with 22″ rims and a sub-6 seconds 0-60 time? The 2012 Fisker Karma: Ugly but deadly or just plain deadly?

Ugly but Deadly? Fisker Karma - The Electric Sports Sedan | TechnoBuffalo

And Dan Neil of the WSJ who is apparently the only auto journalist to ever win a Pulitzer is also one of the 1 out of 100

As he put it, he was “too easy” on the Fisker Karma, and he now sees that it is “too heavy, too overpromised in terms of performance and efficiency, and it is just too durably weird-looking to love.”

Read more: Wall Street Journal | Digital Trends

 

[HVM]

Valmet Automotive to disassemble Fisker Karma production facilities

"The future manufacture of the Fisker Karma will not take place at Valmet Automotive’s Uusikaupunki plant."

www.valmet-automotive.com/automotive/bulletin.nsf

 

[TEG]

Yes, I think they plan to restart the production at a new facility in the USA.

 

[RobStark]

China's Wanxiang to rebrand Fisker as Elux, report says


Chinese auto parts maker Wanxiang Group will push back its planned relaunch of the defunct Fisker Karma hybrid sports car until mid-2016 and rebrand Fisker Automotive as Elux, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters on Sunday.

Wanxiang plans to price the car from around $135,000, the sources said, nearly 20 percent higher than the final price of the original Karma, which ceased production in 2012.

http://www.autonews.com/article/201...anxiang-to-rebrand-fisker-as-elux-report-says_________________________________________________________________________________


Fully loaded Tesla Model S P85D or Wanxiang Karma?

Fully loaded Mercedes S 550 PHEV or Wanxiang Karma?

 

[wycolo]

Make mine a WanKar!
--

 

[Canuck]

Funny how you didn't dare show the front of the car in either of the pictures. Kind of ruins the effect, wouldn't you say?

Funny how the company too, never wanted...

to the show the front end...

 

[RobStark]

 

[AMPUP]

Make mine a WanKar!
--

That's funny

 

[wart]

New owner Wanxiang is now offering up to $5000 worth of parts and service to existing Karma owners.
Free Fixes for Fiskers! A Sign of New Life for the Former PHEV Maker – News – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

 

[TEG]

Fisker Automotive and Technology Group Announces New Manufacturing Facility in California - MarketWatch

 

[Kandiru]

Funny how the company too, never wanted... View attachment 73110 to the show the front end...

Man oh man, here she is again:

 

[AudubonB]

Did Wanxiang not obtain the Fisker manuf'g plant in Delaware - it was almost as massive as Tesla's Fremont - or are the Chinese simply eager to throw funny money after bad?

 

[dennis]

Did Wanxiang not obtain the Fisker manuf'g plant in Delaware - it was almost as massive as Tesla's Fremont - or are the Chinese simply eager to throw funny money after bad?

The Delaware plant would be way too big/expensive to outfit for the small volumes that Fisker is likely to produce if and when they actually re-launch the Karma. Plus it is much more difficult to start up manufacturing when the plant is 3000 miles from engineering/HQ. If Fisker ever gets to larger volumes I would expect that manufacturing to be done in China.

 

[RobStark]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/03/24/fisker-delaware-plant-sold/6848573/

A Wanxiang real estate subsidiary purchased the Wilmington, Delaware plant.

Its US headquarters are in Costa Mesa CA and the bulk of sales will be in CA so they decided to put this smaller plant in CA.

 

[doug]

The Delaware plant was mostly a political move anyhow to get that ATVM money. They had to say they were going to be building a car in the US and chose the VP's state of Delaware. They were no where near being able to produce the Nina/Atlantic but had to say they would since the Karma didn't qualify.

 

[dsm363]

They never should have gotten that loan.

 

[RubberToe]

Like a Phoenix from the ashes, the Fisker Karma will be rising again:

Fisker to Open Manufacturing Plant in Moreno Valley | Los Angeles Business Journal

Both high end electric car companies will be located in California. The 150 employees and sales in 2016 seem interesting. The 150 on the low side, the 2016 on the near side.

RT