Fisker Karma first drive reviews

[pow]

CAR AND DRIVER

2012 Fisker Karma - First Drive Review

We finally get our hands on Fisker's gorgeous plug-in hybrid sedan.

BY DON SHERMAN

February 2011

Three years and a billion investment dollars after the Fisker Karma rolled forth as a stunning plug-in-hybrid concept, it’s finally ready to rock as a stunning production car. All in less time (and for far less money) than GM needed to produce the Chevy Volt.

The Karma’s recipe calls for sexy design stirred with a heap of sustainability. We had faith in the styling part of the concoction: While growing up in Denmark, Henrik Fisker inherited from his father a deep appreciation for American cars of the Sixties. Upon completing formal design studies, he put his rearing to excellent use. Warming up for the Karma, Fisker designed the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 and V-8 Vantage—all of which stand tall next to any Corvette or Eldorado.

As for sustainability, in the Karma it means consuming no petroleum for the first 50 miles and interior trim that bows to Mother Nature. Indeed, the very idea of sustainability permeates Fisker’s business plan, which is backed by venture capitalists and government agencies. On the heels of the low-volume, $100,000 Karma, there will be a more affordable car, the Nina, also built around earth-friendly technology. The hope is that these two plug-in hybrids will give Fisker global reach as a viable carmaking enterprise.

The Karma lays a good foundation. Up front there’s a 260-hp, GM-supplied four-cylinder engine spinning a mighty generator. Next in line is a 21-kWh, American-made lithium-ion battery pack. Twin AC motors straddling the rear axle deliver 402 horsepower to the differential. The propulsion system, the Brembo brakes, the 22-inch cast aluminum wheels, and the aluminum suspension components are supported by an aluminum space frame stitched together with 260 feet of welds and a thousand or so rivets. The Karma’s aluminum skin is finished with a solar-cell roof, a composite decklid, and plastic bumpers.

Like the Nissan Leaf, the Karma is always electrically driven; the gasoline engine powers only the generator. Slip into the elegantly tailored driver’s seat, engage “stealth” mode, and you can motor sedately to the future with little more than a hum from the powertrain. Tugging the “sport” paddle to the left of the steering wheel brings additional energy to bear. When the gasoline engine kicks in to supplement the battery pack’s wattage—to trim the 0-to-60-mph run from a claimed 7.9 seconds to 5.9, or to add 250 miles to the driving range—the extra thrust is accompanied by the whistle of a turbo spooling up, the snarl of angry exhaust gas, and a resonant boom or two. Bent on fulfilling its mission, the generator set keeps growling even when you ease off the accelerator.

The Karma’s initial surge is sufficiently potent to avoid damnation as a slug. But the physics conspire against it keeping pace with other $100K sports sedans. In spite of the joys of low-rpm electric torque, the realities of a curb weight well above 4000 pounds and only one gear ratio mean that mileage is where this car excels. Until the EPA weighs in on that subject, we can only guess that the Karma will land slightly below the Volt’s ratings of 93 equivalent mpg (MPGe) in electric driving and 35 mpg city and 40 highway with the engine running.

Handling is a subject we can address with more confidence. The Karma’s steering is endowed with real road feel and linear turn-in response. The ride is supple, and there’s minimal body roll when you fling the wheel; the low-mounted, 600-pound battery pack makes for an effective keel. Even though the rear wheels carry 53 percent of the Karma’s mass, there’s understeer awaiting those who visit the borderlands of grip. The brakes are calibrated to convert excess momentum into the maximum amount of charging energy without inflicting pedal weirdness.

Considering its low-slung and curvaceous flanks, the Karma provides surprisingly easy entry and cozy accommodations for four grown-ups. A 10.2-inch screen replaces the usual forest of tiny infotainment buttons with audible, visual, and tactile responses to touch commands. Trim is a cut or two above the $100,000 norm, thanks to fine detailing and lovely custom touches. The top EcoChic edition is an animal-free showcase of high-end textiles, faux suede, and rescued California wildfire hardwood.

Fisker claims to have 3000 deposits in the bank. Some of those who’ve plunked down the cash are doubtless atoning for past turbo-V-8 sins, but others may be less altruistic, simply drawn to the sexiest fenders ever draped over an American sedan. Whatever their motivation, they’ll get a beautiful, luxurious machine that goes easy on the guilt.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q1/2012_fisker_karma-first_drive_review

Edited February 21, 2011 by pow

[pow]

http://www.insideline.com/fisker/karma/2012/2012-fisker-karma-first-drive.html

2012 Fisker Karma First Drive

A Premium, Range-Extended EV That Could Be a Legitimate Alternative to a Porsche Panamera

By Matt Davis, European Correspondent | Published Feb 20, 2011

Back in 2007, we cautiously admired the choice by Henrik Fisker and longtime business partner Bernhard Koehler to completely change their business model. Instead of rebuilding BMW and Mercedes convertibles through Fisker Coachbuild, the partners instead dove headfirst into the eyebrow-raising Fisker Automotive, a company that would be dedicated to building electric cars of its own design.

After the usual ups and downs of an automotive startup, Fisker showed up at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show with its eye-popping Karma sedan concept. Now, three years later, we're in Southern California to drive the first pre-production examples of what will be the 2012 Fisker Karma EVer (i.e. electric vehicle extended range).

Eco, Eco, Eco...

The Fisker Karma grabbed the "Eco" label early and ran with it. It's a big reason why the company was able to attract a substantial amount of private investment, not to mention a cool $529 million from the Department of Energy. Much of the latter was earmarked to fund Fisker's purchase of GM's former Delaware plant that built the Kappa-architecture roadsters and will, by the end of 2011, be building units of the lower-priced Fisker Nina.

Every single supplier and associate Fisker Automotive deals with is, in one way or many, a green-obsessed company. These include the free-range sustainable Scottish leathers used in the EcoSport to the wood trims sourced from existing sunken and fallen Michigan timber to the optional metal-flake metallic paints that get their sparkle from recycled material.

More importantly, Fisker is touting the Karma as the first pure-electric luxury car. It's powered by twin 150-kW electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. As with the Chevrolet Volt, there's a GM-built four-cylinder engine onboard to keep the Karma on the road even after the initial battery charge is done. Fisker is promising a 50-mile EV range and a 300-mile range extended capability.

Green Track Time

After a little track time with the Karma, we can report that owners who have the gumption to push their car toward a sportier drive will be rather pleased. The double-wishbone suspension with its forged aluminum arms and self-leveling rear dampers puts the Karma near the top of the sporty premium four-door class in terms of handling characteristics. Some credit also goes to the exceedingly long 124.4-inch wheelbase, wide front and rear tracks and 22-inch Fisker "Circuit Blade" wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 performance tires.

During our initial laps, we left the powertrain in the default "Stealth" or full-EV mode, which cuts the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder gasoline engine out of the equation completely. Power is limited, but Fisker says it can still go from zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds despite its nearly 2-ton curb weight (a final number isn't available yet). Top speed in Stealth mode is an energy-conserving 95 mph.

For this phase of the drive, our only gripe was that the Karma didn't feel as solid all around as its German and Japanese competitors. A Maserati Quattroporte came to mind in this difficult-to-quantify part of the argument. Wind noise and road noise, however, are very well contained overall. Some smaller wheels might help out in the ride quality department, too, but according to Fisker's engineers, a change in that direction would bring the center member of the steering mechanism a little too close to the ground. A set of 21-inch all-season tires is as small as they're willing to go.

And Then Comes Sport

It is when we arrive in Sport mode via a single pull of the left steering-wheel paddle that some good things happen. And a couple not-so-good things.

The first thing we notice is the sound of the 2.0-liter turbocharged GM Ecotec inline four-cylinder engine. The 255-horsepower, direct-injected power plant is mounted longitudinally in a front-midship position and is reasonably quiet. At least initially.

Then we dip into the throttle a little more to experience the Karma's "Sport" mode, the one that Fisker says will deliver a 0-60-mph time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. Suddenly, it sounds as if the Ecotec engine is sitting in the passenger-side footwell. They're not exactly the kind of noises we expect from a $100,000 luxury sedan.

It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, as the exhaust exits for the Ecotec engine are positioned just behind the front wheels. "We are aware of this concern," says Koehler, "and we have on order an all-new muffler to help deal with this." Fisker adds, "We envision customers spending over 80 percent of the time on average in Stealth mode around town." If the sport noise remains, though, they'd better hope people stay in Stealth for 99 percent of the time. This is not a question of a poor extended-range engine choice, but of incorporating it better.

Numbers Are There

Cracking the magic "400" at 403 hp from the two 201.5-hp JEE electric motors was of major image importance to the 2012 Fisker Karma's credibility. It all hits the road differently than internally combusted horses, as the momentum is right there under your foot immediately. Fisker also likes to point out that the Karma has 981 pound-feet of torque, a number bested only by the Bugatti Veyron.

Thankfully, the Karma also features vented Brembo brake discs — 14.6 inches in diameter up front with six-piston calipers and 14.4-inch discs in back with four-piston calipers. They stop things as if hitting a wall of wet cement, so we were able to late-brake with almost no fading by the final hotter lap. No carbon ceramics will be offered, partly since, as Fisker tells us, "they cost nearly one-sixth the price of the total car." And, as a parting bit of goodness, the tail end lets go predictably and smoothly whenever such constructive letting-go serves the line through the curve. We're now eager to get this thing fully track tested with full numbers.

The Fisker School of Design

So the Karma doesn't always sound refined. Thankfully, it always looks refined. It's more attractive than the 2008 showcar and buyers will feel suitably unique compared to the other four-door executive grand tourer sedans out there. We expect plenty of buyers to pony up the $95,900 base price for that alone.

All the exterior panels on the Karma are made of either aluminum — including the hood and outer door panels — or molded resin composite as on all four fender panels. The supersize 124.4-inch wheelbase (almost 10 inches longer than on a Porsche Panamera) is the exterior's most notable dimension and the 22-inch wheels bookend the look quite nicely. No antennas or little fins are visible since satellite and GPS receptors are concealed beneath the composite rear deck lid. The 52.4-inch height definitely helps the car's impression as a capable performer, and we never once banged our head while getting in or out of the front or back.

Interior finish and materials quality are exceptional for this class and there is no cabin more ecologically conceived as this. The steering wheel is a tad overdone, though the thickness of the wheel itself is just right.

Central to the cabin's controls is the standard 10.2-inch interface created with Visteon called the Fisker Command Center. All audio and climate controls are housed in the system, as are all general system tools and diagnostics. The touchscreen functionality appears fairly straightforward, although our interaction with it was limited.

But Will It Catch On?

Surprisingly enough, the 2012 Fisker Karma is in an admirable state of readiness just 37 months out from its concept debut. There are key NVH issues to deal with, but everything else is market-ready. "Most of our other-brand shoppers," says Fisker, "are coming from Mercedes. They really enjoy the feeling in Stealth mode around town especially."

There is clearly a niche of wealthy early adopters out there who want this car, given the 3,000-plus pre-orders for the Karma. We can see people cross-shopping the Fisker with a $95,000 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid, or the base Panamera at $74,400 and 4S at $94,700.

Then again Henrik Fisker says, "Many of these customers will have these other cars already in their garage and simply wish to add something unique and at the leading edge of green innovation." He could be right, but if Fisker doesn't muzzle that exhaust note, those customers will surely wonder if being that far ahead of the curve is worth it.

[balthazar]

What a gush piece !!

[Intrepidation]

Are you complaining that they're gushing about an American car?

Anyway, it still is a very striking vehicle. Easily the sexiest sedan in production. Sure it has a lot of investment backing, but to think that a startup company is pulling this off is pretty inspiring. Who says creativity gets you nowhere?

[balthazar]

I don't think it's necc to bash other American cars in gushing about this one. Irrelevancy that undermines the piece's objectivity.

Interior has some different, interesting bits (but what's going on with the front doors- from the inside & from the glass outside, they look really short. Weird.) but I don't care for a number of the outside elements. Esp at the price.

As to that ridiculous $100K; not many of these are going to be sold, period. I wish the Co well, tho.- hope they can survive.

[Intrepidation]

People buy 100k Panameras and they look like a whale rear ended a 911. This has looks, performance, and that "green sustainability" thing going for it. I think they'll do fine.

I like how the companies it works with are also environmentally responsible to back up its image,a nd how the battery is made in Massachusetts, not Korea or somewhere.

[SAmadei]

As to that ridiculous $100K; not many of these are going to be sold, period. I wish the Co well, tho.- hope they can survive.

I hope so, as well. When I recover financially, the Fisker is going to be very much on my short list... especially if they get the coupe going.

I'm just a sucker for an American-made big coupe with a split grill.

[ocnblu]

Has a lot of kit car, or not fully-realized design elements. Also sounds like it has some engineering problems.

[ZL-1]

Love the red one, wvwn though I don't like the grille design that much.

[§carlet §wordfish]

If I had $100,000 to spend on a car, I would buy this without a second thought.

[Drew Dowdell]

Finally... someone brings back the push button transmission selector.

[ZL-1]

Finally... someone brings back the push button transmission selector.

Neat looking, isn't it?

[balthazar]

^ I missed that before. I would prefer a more linear layout of the buttons, but that's definitely neat.

[pow]

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/reviews/1102_2012_fisker_karma/index.html

... The Fisker Karma is saddled with none of these problems. It’s a $97,000 car with a $97,000 window sticker. The technology is merely a bonus -- the Karma would be desirable if it had a conventional V-8 under the hood. In terms of style and elegance, it’s easily the equal of the new Jaguar XJ -- another of the Automobile of the Year finalists. Combining the best -- and seemingly contradictory -- attributes of two AOY finalists is a clear recipe for automotive greatness. Now let’s examine the ingredients in detail.

THE CHASSIS

The Karma is constructed using an extruded aluminum space frame with mostly -- the trunklid is composite -- aluminum body panels, aluminum control arms and subframes. Its 124.4-inch wheelbase is within a quarter inch of the long-wheelbase Mercedes S-class, but the Karma is almost ten inches shorter. More importantly, it’s 4.4 inches wider and 5.6 inches shorter, giving a low, wide stance that trounces even the Maserati Quattroporte’s.

Filling the enormous wheel wells are standard twenty-two inch wheels -- an industry first. 235/25-WR22 front and 285/35-WR22 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires are wrapped around the cast aluminum wheels (which are 8.5 inches wide in front, 9.5 in rear). Despite the small tire-to-fender gap, Fisker promises that the suspension has 3.1 inches of usable jounce travel in front, 3.5 inches in the rear. Sachs Nivomat self-leveling rear shocks keep that travel available, and also eliminate the need for level compensation on the bixenon headlights. (All other exterior lighting is provided by LED.)

Filling the enormous wheels are, of course, enormous brakes. Up front, 14.6-inch floating rotors are straddled by six-piston Brembo monoblock calipers. Peering out from the two-tone spokes of the rear wheels are 14.4” rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers. (The smallest wheel that will fit on the Karma is a 21-incher.)

Speed-sensitive steering assistance is provided by an electrohydraulic system that runs on the car’s 12-volt system. This low-voltage system powers the on-board accessories, lighting, and infotainment system, and stores power in a conventional lead-acid battery. The roof of the Karma has solar panels that feed the system with up to 120 watts of power on sunny days. While this electricity never powers the wheels directly, it can reduce the amount of low-voltage power pulled from the high-voltage system, and could, in theory, add up to 200 miles of additional range per year. Cool, yes, but it’s mostly there to make a statement, we suspect.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE MODE (STEALTH MODE)

The Karma’s primary power source, as an electric vehicle, is a 360-volt, 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that runs down the center of the car. The pack itself weighs 600 lb, and is kept cool by the air conditioning system (one-fifth of the system’s 10-kW capacity is dedicated to battery cooling). An on-board 3.3-kW charger can charge the pack in approximately six hours using household 220V, 15-amp service. The battery’s maximum output is 160 kW.

Powering the rear wheels are twin 150-kW electric motors, which are double-isolated from the chassis. The motors are positioned to the front and rear of a clutch-type limited-slip differential at a fixed 4.10:1 ratio, and together produce peak torque of 981 lb-ft. Because of the fixed gear ratio, that’s not directly comparable to a gasoline engine’s rating: at full throttle, the peak torque available at the rear wheels of a V-8 Porsche Panamera S is 7780 lb-ft in first gear; the Karma’s peak is about half that, or 4022 lb-ft.

In all-electric mode, the battery’s 160 kW is enough to propel the Karma to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 95 mph, according to Fisker. And provided you’re not trying repeated hole-shots, the 20-kWh battery is good for about 50 miles of driving.

HYBRID MODE (SPORT MODE)

Astute readers and tech geeks will notice that the electric motors’ capability is far higher than the power the battery pack can provide. That’s where the gas engine comes in.

Mounted longitudinally under the hood, behind the front axle line, is a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder -- the same General Motors EcoTEC engine that vibrated our teeth out in the now-gone Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line. The engine exhales through ports at the base of the front fenders, and is rated at 260 hp (194 kW), just as it was in the GM sports cars. There is no transmission attached to the four-banger; it used only to turn a 170-kW generator.

When Sport Mode is engaged (by pulling a paddle behind the 9-o’clock position on the steering wheel), the Karma’s powertrain control unit runs the gas engine to generate electricity for the motors. Additionally (and this is a functional difference compared to the Chevolet Volt), the engine is also run to charge the lithium-ion battery to a minimum of 50 percent state-of-charge (SOC.) If the battery’s SOC is over approximately 80 percent, as it was when we drove the Karma, the engine will switch off when the Karma comes to a stop.

At full throttle in sport mode, the combined power output of the gas engine/generator and the battery are enough to fully power the two electric motors. That’s a total of 300kW (or 403 hp) of motive force -- enough, says Fisker, to sling the Karma to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 125 mph.

TOTAL RANGE

Once the battery’s estimated 50-mile range is exhausted, the Karma switches over to gas power. Fisker says the Karma’s 9.5-gallon fuel tank is good for another 250 miles of cruising. That estimate calculates to about 26 mpg -- reasonable considering the inefficiencies in using gasoline to produce electricity rather than power the rear wheels directly. Obviously, that range will decrease dramatically if Sport Mode is engaged and the engine is used to charge the battery as well as propel the Karma.

INTERIOR ACCOUTREMENTS

With all that tech talk, it’s easy to forget that Fisker is run by a designer. (CEO Henrik Fisker made his name by designing knock-out cars like the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.) A quick look-see around the interior, however, confirms who’s in charge. The Karma’s cabin looks like a concept car’s -- except that, in this case, the production car’s interior is even more futuristic and more beautiful than the concept’s.

There are no physical gauges and practically no buttons. On the center console, there are P/R/N/D selector buttons and window switches. On the dash, there’s a big starter button, and three buttons nestled in a small piece of wood trim -- one to lock the doors, one to open the glovebox, and one to engage the hazard lights. That’s it. The virtual instrument panel consists only of three LCD panels, staggered at different depths. The center stack contains a large, 10.2-inch touchscreen interface with haptic feedback -- another industry first. There are a few GM-sourced controls (the turn signals, power mirror controls, and steering-wheel buttons are the most obvious), but they’ll sneak in below the radar for most customers, as they’re beautifully integrated into the whole design.

The touch screen controls most secondary and tertiary functions like navigation, climate control, and entertainment. The software is exclusive to Fisker, and contains (as you’d expect) gorgeous renderings of the car where necessary. At 720x480, the screen’s resolution won’t impress anyone with an iPad -- or even a 7-series BMW (its similarly sized screen is 1280x480). And despite the usability drawbacks inherent to touchscreen devices, consistency in button location was clearly a goal. Commonly used buttons and displays (like radio volume and time) are placed in a frame on the top, left side, and bottom of the screen that remains static no matter what mode the system is in. Smart.

Two drawbacks we found in our very limited time with the system: like many systems, the Karma’s iPod/USB integration doesn’t feature the album/artist/song hierarchy that Apple brilliantly engineered. Secondly, the navigation map appears in a stylized box on-screen and cannot be expanded to the full size of the screen -- or even close, for that matter.

Software can always be updated, however -- the hard points of the Karma leave nothing to desire. Every material, including and especially the understated diamond-stitched Ultrasuede trim, would be at home in a Bentley or Rolls-Royce. Jewelry is limited to a small piece of wood trim atop the center console. You don’t need jewelry when everything else is so beautiful.

The seats -- four buckets -- are supremely comfortable and supportive. You sit low in the Karma -- or at least it feels that way, since the tall center console divides each seat into its own cocoon. In the rear, headroom is a bit right and the big rear haunches mean that shoulder room is less than you’d expect in a car this size. Legroom is more than adequate for a six-footer, though a short and significantly angled lower seat cushion might become bothersome on a long trip. The rear door openings are narrow, necessitating a bit of gymnastics to get in and out, but all of these are small sacrifices to styling on a car that will likely only occasionally carry four passengers. And hey, the back seat is far more habitable than the equally gorgeous but far more expensive Aston Martin Rapide.

Up front, there are no sacrifices to room. The view out front and to the side is great -- with a commanding view of the highly sculpted, low hood. A rear view camera comes with the navigation system on all but the entry trim level, and given the size and shape of the rear window, it’s a worthwhile investment. In traffic, very large side mirrors, however, make the best of the view behind.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

Unfortunately, our brief drive in the Karma was limited to the race track. This was unfortunate only because we wanted to see how the sedan coped with bumps, other cars, and heavy traffic situations. As it turns out, the Karma is quite a monster on track.

The pre-production car we drove didn’t have functioning stability control, so there were no nannies to intervene when we pushed this EV to the limit. The Karma’s wide, low stance is a perfect recipe for flat handling, and it delivered that in spades. When we got back from the track, we noticed that the Fisker had occasionally picked up an inside rear wheel during cornering shots -- shots that looked otherwise completely anti-climactic due to the absence of body roll. Brake dive, too, is notably absent -- thank the Karma’s low center of gravity (at 18.9 inches high, according to Fisker, it’s about the same as a Ford GT) and the weight distribution which, at 53% front, 47% rear, is what Ferrari considers ideal.

Though Fisker is still working on the final calibration of the electrohydraulic steering, at-the-limit steering feel is limited to a bit of kickback. Still, the rack is suitably quick -- and incidentally, the Karma has an impressively tight turning radius. Cornering grip is, for lack of another word, tremendous. The Karma settles into mild understeer at the limit, as you’d expect, but responds to tail-out tricks like power oversteer, mid-corner lifts, and brutal turn-in. Despite the enormous wheels (and 35-series tires), midcorner bumps are soaked up without drama.

The Brembo brakes have tremendous initial bite, and didn’t show the faintest signs of stress after a few hard laps. Of course, like all electric vehicles that blend regenerative braking into the pedal, there’s a loss of linearity and brake feel. The Karma is no exception, and our limited time with the car revealed the need for some additional fine tuning -- which, we’re assured, will be completed before customer deliveries begin.

Like all electric vehicles, the Karma is quickest at low speeds. Even in pure EV mode (which, if you’ll remember, can only supply only just over half of the motor’s capacity), the Karma squirts off the line with authority. The difference between Stealth (EV) and Sport (Hybrid) mode isn’t as pronounced as you’d think, especially as there’s a lag between sudden accelerator application and the gas engine reaching its full power output.

At full tilt in Sport mode, there’s a spaceship-like scream coming from both powertrains. The dominant sound is the turbo whistle, which builds to a crescendo as the four-cylinder reaches its maximum speed. It’s an otherworldly sound when mated to the whine of the electric motors in back and the angry growl of a four-cylinder at full-tilt -- and if you let off the accelerator quickly, you’re treated to the intoxicating sound of the blow-off valve as the turbo’s frenetic scream retreats into the background.

THE VIBROMONSTER UNDER THE HOOD

If the Karma is notably Jaguar XJ-esque in its shocking on-track prowess, there’s one big difference between it and the V-8-powered sedan: powertrain refinement. The GM-sourced four-cylinder was rude, crude, rough and loud even in the sporty Solstice/Sky twins, and sadly, its soundtrack is especially out of place in a luxury car.

Fisker’s requirements for an internal combustion engine (260 horsepower from 2.0 liters of displacement or less) were met by very few engines in the world. Unquestionably, the best of them is Volkswagen’s 2.0T. Unfortunately, it seems Volkswagen wasn’t willing to sell Fisker its smooth, refined direct-injection mill. That’s a shame.

The prototype that we drove hadn’t yet received the latest updates to control the NVH, so we’re hoping the production cars are somewhat quieter and more refined. Then again, when running in pure EV mode, the Karma is near-silent. Near silent for the first 50 miles a day (as long as you’re not looking for the full 403 hp) goes a long way towards making up for a gritty soundtrack thereafter.

In fact, the story alone of how this small company beat the odds -- and the Big, err… Only Three -- in bringing this Sci-Fi-powered concept car to market makes up for a multitude of sins. That the Karma commits so few of them in the first place -- and especially because it avoids the typical sin of EV pricing -- is just a bonus. If left with a $100,000 budget and the choice to buy a four-seat luxury car, the Karma is your chance at buying the future instead of living in the past. And that’s a really significant story indeed.

[pow]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/21/2012-fisker-karma-first-drive-review-road-test/

Just the driving impressions part, because I'm sure you've read enough about the engineering, design, etc.

There we were, still in Pomona, yes, and we had polished off two spirited Stealth laps, grabbing the overly stylized steering wheel through several tight curves. We already were blown away by the dynamics of the all-new very stiff Karma chassis. Shall we risk a shower of disbelief from commentators by saying the Karma is the best handling large premium car in this entire segment? Why, yes, we shall. The steering itself could always be more communicative for us, but here it is still among the best of the biggies. The gaping wheelbase of the all-aluminum chassis and large wheels attached had us wondering however could this be, but it was so.

...

We were even shorting curves over the rumble strips and sliding the tail around slightly whenever needed. Certainly, the big Goodyear Eagle 1 tires helped a bunch – 255/35 WR22 (99W) front, 285/35 WR22 (102W) rear – as did the ironclad vented Brembo performance brakes that stopped us consistently all day. We were hauling butt and racing around in a battery-energized car and not complaining about the cornering dynamics! Ka-loo ka-lay, wake the entire village!

...

We'll risk another pronouncement that leaves us open to thrown darts of criticism. As good as Audi's MMI and BMW's latest iDrive interfaces may be, they have a real competitor in the first-generation Visteon-Fisker Command Center. The touchscreen is terrific work and handles its several clever menus and graphics intuitively and attractively. If it only gets better from here, Fisker may be in the onboard computer functionality and interface business before long.

Oh, but wait, there's one big, sad note to report besides the one about there being no right-hand-drive cars for people who still drive on the wrong side of the road (all 70-plus countries of you). It has to do with Sport mode as it is inserted with a pull of the left steering wheel shift paddle. If we are switching to Sport while at a stop or at low speeds prior to accelerating, it functions well enough. The Ecotec ignites and the cabin gets a pretty decent new atmosphere with bass and baritone notes, though the notes should still be lower so as to hide the fact that it's a four-cylinder mill at our feet.

...

But then when we squish the throttle pedal to try and experience all the promised added oomph of Sport, the range-extending engine chimes in sonically wayyyyyy too much and with an unpleasant sound to boot. See, the exhaust pipes exit right at the back of the molded composite front fender panels mounted way down low, and there are the corresponding nicely designed heat extractors, too. This is aesthetically beautiful, to be sure, but functionally and packaging-wise, it's a real headache, quite literally. With the 6,300-rpm max revs of the 2.0T motor revving at will under throttle, the sound becomes completely uncharacteristic of a $100,000 four-door anything. This, friends, must be addressed. Fisker COO Koehler assured us that "we are aware of what you say and a new muffler has been ordered that should solve the issue." We hope so.

The bottom line is that the Fisker Karma is a rolling dream machine for anyone who wants something very different that works and drives exceptionally well for any company's first go at it all. If Fisker Automotive in SoCal and Valmet in Finland can just eliminate any hint of this anomalous Sport racket, the car can and should be an unqualified hit. There are 3,000-plus pre-orders of intent and deliveries are due to begin in late May of this year. Full-scale production of 1,500 units per month should be reached in October, they say, and in 2012, volume should already be at its 15,000/year maximum, a total comprised of three Karma body variants – the sedan, the convertible two-door Karma S, and a third model to be revealed at this September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

[pow]

IMO, this is the most concept-looking production car out there. It helps it was designed from the ground-up to be a Fisker Karma, so it has none of the compromises typically associated with a mass-produced production vehicle built on a shared platform. The pure-electric Tesla Model S is more conventional looking, and it will be shipped a full year after the Karma.

[Nick]

I think this car is gorgeous. It is beautifully crafted inside and out, and I feel it is a steal at 100k.

[Intrepidation]

IMO, this is the most concept-looking production car out there. It helps it was designed from the ground-up to be a Fisker Karma, so it has none of the compromises typically associated with a mass-produced production vehicle built on a shared platform. The pure-electric Tesla Model S is more conventional looking, and it will be shipped a full year after the Karma.

If anything it looks even more like a concept than the actual concept did, what with the massive (yet looks perfectly at home) 22" wheels.

The interior is gorgeous. Balthazar should be happy that the steering wheel is certainly not your typical design. Love the gauges and how one two tone models the second tone of the seats blend with the center console.

I love how its a zero compromise car. It seems all it needs is for the Ecotec to quiet down and its good to go.

[Robert Hall]

Love the styling...love the proportions...and it's not another FWD eco-turd. Blows the Panamera away in terms of styling. Love the two-tone interior, though it could use more wood.

[eldiablobanshee]

would be nice if this had enough success to convince Cadillac to make their halo car a Converj that could go fast or an electric Cien.

[Drew Dowdell]

Waaaait a mullet!!

Those are GM steering wheel buttons just on swapped sides!

[balthazar]

Steering wheel is unique- that's for sure. Wonder what it's like in quick maneuvering, in that so much of the inner rim is blocked.

2-tone seats / console is really striking. Interior is pretty nice- this should be the benchmark for $75K interiors.

Why can't mercedees or BMW design something this nice ??

[Intrepidation]

It is truly impressive the level of detail this car has. This puts most luxury cars in its price bracket to shame. I mean look at the detailing:

It is a fantastic car, this.

[Croc]

It is truly impressive the level of detail this car has. This puts most luxury cars in its price bracket to shame. I mean look at the detailing:

Not really. When was the last time you looked at the $100k luxury market?

It's good, to be sure, but only in the sense that an American manufacturer has finally matched the imports in terms of detailing...at least since Cadillac was actually a world standard.

[ocnblu]

The doors look tiny. The outside door handles are awkwardly low. It looks hard to get in and out of. Two chunks of long-dead wood on the interior? Are you kidding me? Looking straight on at the dash, with the placement of the vents, reminds me of an Audi TT.

Potential buyers are taking a hell of a risk, plunking down that amount of money on a car company this young. Where is Fisker going to be in 10 years? Five years?

[balthazar]

s-class is $100K and no where near this expressive or unique. In fact it's downright pedestrian in comparison to the Fiskar.

[Satty]

Potential buyers are taking a hell of a risk, plunking down that amount of money on a car company this young. Where is Fisker going to be in 10 years? Five years?

Please just admit your problem is with the powertrain. If this had a 9-bajllion horsepower V8 you would be gushing over it.

In pics, at least, the car is fantastic, it looks great inside and out. It's not a bad time to be able to afford a hundred thousand dollar car.

[Intrepidation]

Not really. When was the last time you looked at the $100k luxury market?

It's good, to be sure, but only in the sense that an American manufacturer has finally matched the imports in terms of detailing...at least since Cadillac was actually a world standard.

Well, let's see. An Aston Martin Rapide will set you back $199,950 to start, has basically the same interior the DB9 has had since 2004. Is full of build quality issues, cheap switchgear, Volvo bits, an of course horrendous ergonomics.

A BMW 7 Series has an interior the looks like the 5 Series...that looks like the 3-Series...that looks like very other BMW over the last 20 years.

The Mercedes S-Class can massage your butt in 40 different ways but the interior design is hardly stunning.

The Audi A8 interior looks pretty much the same as the old one's interior did. In fact I had to double check to make sure this was the new one.

The Rolls Royce Ghost was designed by a man who used rounded off Lego blocks as his inspiration.

In fact the only interiors that do anything at all for me is the Continental Flying Spur's, which is very nice but hardly bespoke...what with much of the switchgear and electronics taken from the VW parts bin.

The Maserati Quattroport which looks nice enough, but the black plastic and sea of buttons doesn't look befitting of a luxury sedan starting at nearly $122,000

The Jaguar XJ's, which is pretty conservative but nicely detailed.

And the Porsche Panamera's interior which I actually like a lot.

But unfortunately is the interior of a car that looks like a van rear ended a 911.

So I think this:

...more than favorably compares. Even if it doesn't have all the bells and whistles Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have, it looks properly luxurious with plenty of tech, and the materials which make it up are unique to all of its competitors.

Of course interior preference is a matter of taste, but most of what I just posted are pretty sedate looking in comparison.

[regfootball]

i agree a little with the previous kit car comment. i think the interior on this thing needed a little more work with some of the generic and flat shapes and the location of some of the elements but overall it has some nice details too.////

[Satty]

That interior is generic? Really? In what way?

[balthazar]

^ BMW not remotely matching the wood grain on that console door is just 1 glaring reason these are NOT $100K interiors, IMO.

For cripes' sake- if that's real wood- what did they do with the piece they cut out to make the hole??

One can pick at every one of the above interiors, and audis continue to be way overrated.

[regfootball]

generic maybe is the wrong word (cliche' might be more apropos), but its definitely unfinished from a design and execution standpoint. the flat lower portion of the dash, looks rather unimaginative. there is sort of a korean luxury car look in the gauges and steering wheel area. not to mention the dumb GM SWAC switches. No interesting lines to connect the whole thing other than some stitching and attempts to jazz up the leather. dashtop is quite unimaginative, right down to the 'coulda predicted the shape of it in my dream' airbag cover. they really didn't make any effort to integrate the airbag cover in this expensive of a car just goes to show how unfinished it is.......it's a kit car solution. And really why not just get the Jaguar if you want a Jaguar interior?

Not sure why anyone would get this over a real Porsche.

Edited February 22, 2011 by regfootball

[regfootball]

just followed through to a higher level than that kit car.

[Drew Dowdell]

generic maybe is the wrong word (cliche' might be more apropos), but its definitely unfinished from a design and execution standpoint. the flat lower portion of the dash, looks rather unimaginative. there is sort of a korean luxury car look in the gauges and steering wheel area. not to mention the dumb GM SWAC switches. No interesting lines to connect the whole thing other than some stitching and attempts to jazz up the leather. dashtop is quite unimaginative, right down to the 'coulda predicted the shape of it in my dream' airbag cover. they really didn't make any effort to integrate the airbag cover in this expensive of a car just goes to show how unfinished it is.......it's a kit car solution. And really why not just get the Jaguar if you want a Jaguar interior?

Not sure why anyone would get this over a real Porsche.

the.... flat... lower portion... of the dash.... looks ..... unimaginative?

wtf?

Are you mad that the bottom of the cupholder doesn't have some swirly design in it too?

What is imaginative about the flat lower portion of any of the dashboards that DF posted? Look at the passenger side of the dash on the S-class.... what is that? an '01 Malibu?!?

[Croc]

So I think this:

...more than favorably compares. Even if it doesn't have all the bells and whistles Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have, it looks properly luxurious with plenty of tech, and the materials which make it up are unique to all of its competitors.

Of course interior preference is a matter of taste, but most of what I just posted are pretty sedate looking in comparison.

I never said it didn't compare favorably--it does. What I disagreed with you on was your assertion that the level of detailing is so high that it puts most of its class to shame--it doesn't.

I'm not sure what the tangent about dash designs was all about--those types of photos certainly don't showcase fine detailing like feature closeups. And I saw what looked like a lot of potentially fine details in the other interiors. Is the Karma a more interesting, avant-garde interior than most of the others? Absolutely--but I wasn't debating that.

That said, I want to see more color combinations before I can decide whether or not I like the two-toned seat concept--right now I'm leaning toward "weird."

[Intrepidation]

Well there's a total of 6 color combinations, I like Monsoon Tritone and Black Sand Monotone myself.

http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/#!/configure/interior:color=Shadow&model=EcoSport&intcolor=Black Sand Monotone

[Intrepidation]

generic maybe is the wrong word (cliche' might be more apropos), but its definitely unfinished from a design and execution standpoint. the flat lower portion of the dash, looks rather unimaginative. there is sort of a korean luxury car look in the gauges and steering wheel area. not to mention the dumb GM SWAC switches. No interesting lines to connect the whole thing other than some stitching and attempts to jazz up the leather. dashtop is quite unimaginative, right down to the 'coulda predicted the shape of it in my dream' airbag cover. they really didn't make any effort to integrate the airbag cover in this expensive of a car just goes to show how unfinished it is.......it's a kit car solution. And really why not just get the Jaguar if you want a Jaguar interior?

Not sure why anyone would get this over a real Porsche.

Your posts cause brain hemorrhaging I swear.

Because a "real Porsche" is a 911 and that's an end of it.

The Porsche sedan looks like a hunchback. Anyone with a remote sense of taste wouldn't want to pay money for a car as ugly as the Panamera.

You and smk should get together and build your own car. Since its so easy and all. I bet it would be a cross between a swiss army knife with a stereo and heat massagers and a Juke.

[Satty]

Well there's a total of 6 color combinations, I like Monsoon Tritone and Black Sand Monotone myself.

http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/#!/configure/interior:color=Shadow&model=EcoSport&intcolor=Monsoon Tritone

No quadtone? No babe seal skin seats and ivory switchgear with blood diamond inlays? Worst. Car. Ever.

[Drew Dowdell]

Looking at these interiors, only the Fisker, the Jaguar, and the Porsche look compelling enough to get me to consider spending $50,000 more than a n STS.

From a visual design perspective, none of them are much more imaginative than the first RWD STS.

[Croc]

Well there's a total of 6 color combinations, I like Monsoon Tritone and Black Sand Monotone myself.

http://www.fiskeraut...&intcolor=Black Sand Monotone

Site doesn't load any photos for me.

[Drew Dowdell]

Not sure why anyone would get this over a real Porsche.

After driving a Volt for a few days.... I can tell you.

[regfootball]

the.... flat... lower portion... of the dash.... looks ..... unimaginative?

wtf?

Are you mad that the bottom of the cupholder doesn't have some swirly design in it too?

What is imaginative about the flat lower portion of any of the dashboards that DF posted? Look at the passenger side of the dash on the S-class.... what is that? an '01 Malibu?!?

this from someone who obsessed about a small gap in the equinox dashboard.

After driving a Volt for a few days.... I can tell you.

panamera hybrid

[regfootball]

the.... flat... lower portion... of the dash.... looks ..... unimaginative?

wtf?

Are you mad that the bottom of the cupholder doesn't have some swirly design in it too?

What is imaginative about the flat lower portion of any of the dashboards that DF posted? Look at the passenger side of the dash on the S-class.... what is that? an '01 Malibu?!?

look at the INSANE lavish amount of detail on the passenger side door......WOW

[Intrepidation]

Because the door panel on this $245,000 Rolls Royce is so much more lavish.

Please. The only thing its more of is square.

[Satty]

Just think, there are millions of useful members of society who are working right now instead of arguing about door panels on the internet.

[regfootball]

Has a lot of kit car, or not fully-realized design elements. Also sounds like it has some engineering problems.

once more, with feeling. although i will cut them a little slack on the engineering items.

[William Maley]

Just think, there are millions of useful members of society who are working right now instead of arguing about door panels on the internet.

Yeah, Pretty Much..

[Drew Dowdell]

this from someone who obsessed about a small gap in the equinox dashboard.

First: It was the Terrain.

Second: It was a comment about inconsistent quality between two models from the same production line from the same manufacturer. Perfectly valid to talk about given GM's history there.

Third: It had nothing to do with styling.

[ZL-1]

Just think, there are millions of useful members of society who are working right now instead of arguing about door panels on the internet.

you win this thread

[Satty]

you win this thread

I'm just glad I slid that comment in before 5 otherwise I'd feel like a dick