Karma on North American tour

[xradman]

Fisker Karma at Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax, VA on May 21, 2010

http://img4.imageshack.us/slideshow/webp...g0417d.jpg

[xradman]

One of the coolest looking part of the car was a full suede inner roof.



However given how claustrophobic the interior is, I think I will go with the lightest color that is available.

I was surprised to see that the center screen was partially functional (you can toggle between different modes). Perfect place for an iPAD if you ask me.




You've all seen the picture of the trunk holding 2 golf bags. Unfortunately, that's all that it will hold. The car has very low storage capacity both in the trunk and in the cabin. There are map pockets in the doors and a glove compartment (which did not open in the show car), but no center storage or seat back storage. I was wondering if there was any storage space under the long hood, but according to the Fisker spokesman, there are none.

[bmess]

xradman - Thanks for sharing the pics. It was good to see a few different angles/pics of the interior particularly the suede headliner.

[Wimbledon]

Fisker Karma in Wilmington, Delaware at Union Park Jaguar:

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs....0105230352

[pakman]

. They were late getting to Fairfax, but it was worth the wait. Concur about Ray Britt, very enthusiatic about the car. His other salesman not so up to speed.

It is beautiful, walk ins were welcome.
As they brought the car into the showroom they were worried about scraping the underside even though the ramp was not that steep--- so it is low. But boy it is amazing to see it move and not hear almost anything

The car is relatively small inside and the backseats will be tight if the front ones are back ( I am 6 ft and had the driver's seat back). The battery compartment feels fine up front but I felt it intruded in the back seats ( it goes all the way back)
the car is also wide ( Ray said the same width as a BMW 7 series) and they had to watch both sides as they brought it in. That will be a problem for me, my garage is quite narrow

I found that photos from the rear did not do the car justice, it is gorgeous from behind, much much nicer than the P Panamera

They allowed us a peak into the engine compartment as they connected up the showroom power ( no pictures). Looked very orderly and well laid out

Well worth the trip

[xradman]

I concur about the back seat. I am 6 ft tall also and could not fit into the back seat as my head would hit the ceiling. IMO, the back seat is only useful for children or small adults. The other thing I noticed is that the front seats are very low (perhaps because of the low roof) making egress very difficult. The plastic housing located outside the seat bottom was broken from people sliding over and sitting on it as they were trying to get out.

[Wimbledon]

(05-25-2010 05:56 AM)xradman Wrote:  The plastic housing located outside the seat bottom was broken from people sliding over and sitting on it as they were trying to get out.

Hopefully Fisker engineers redesign that part or manufacture it with a stronger material.

I found this video on YouTube of the Karma showing by Flow Auto at the RayLen Vineyards in North Carolina.

http://www.raylenvineyards.com/

[ljbad4life]

hey, I just got back from the karma demo at Great Neck Jaguar. What a fantastic bunch of people there btw. I actually saw and heard them drive the car into the showroom floor. Yes heard it, the power steering in the Karma is loud. it could be that the car is so quiet that the power steering becomes very pronounced.

anyway, the Karma is a little smaller than expected, but certainly not smaller than a civic inside. Especially when it comes to knee room. getting in and out of the rear would be easy if it weren't for the sloping roof. The front has plenty of room and is easy to get in and out of. The seats are great, but the designers need to abolish that plastic piece on the side of the drivers seat (where the power seat buttons are).
I have a whole gallery set up here

I was surprised that the Karma did not have LED headlights besides the running lights.

The trunk is small, barely holding two golf bags, but since it's only a four seater, I don't think most buyers will be packing the karma down with bags. there are no fold down seats (obviously)

The dashboard is laid out nicely, but I still have my reservations on the gear selector that simply twists.

I got to peak at the ice generator, but I could not take any pics.

[Wimbledon]

Fisker of Orange County released this press release to announce the car's upcoming debut at UC Irvine.

Fisker Orange County / Irvine BMW contact information:

Steve Rudkin
General Sales Manager
Fisker of Orange County
949.387.8202
steve@irvinebmw.com

Shelly Auto Group / Fisker Orange County Wrote:May 27, 2010 – Irvine, Calif., - The world’s first eco-chic, eco-friendly, luxury performance car – from the visionaries at Fisker Automotive- will make its revolutionary debut in Orange County at UC Irvine on July 22, as a part of its 42 city tour of the U.S. and Canada.

Fisker Automotives North American tour is set to introduce the stylish Karma premium plug-in hybrid to local markets to support the company’s new retail network.

“Fisker is the first in the auto industry to offer environmentally friendly vehicles that don’t compromise power, luxury and function,” said General Sales Manager Steve Rudkin.

Fisker Karma features cutting-edge plug-in hybrid technology, penned as Q DRIVE, developed by Quantum Technologies, which consists of a small gasoline engine that turns the generator and charges the lithium ion battery pack, powering the electric motor and turning the rear wheels.
Fisker Karma will also offer partly self-contained climate control.

Consumers will have an 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.

“It’s technologically innovative with a modern, sophisticated and luxurious finish,” said General Sales Manager Steve Rudkin. “It’s about feeling good and doing good for the environment”.

Fisker Karma is set to be welcomed in high style at UC Irvine with a private party befitting such an extraordinary achievement. Live entertainment and mouth-watering hors d’oeuvres will set the stage at the private showing. The event will be from 10am-3pm on Thursday, July 22.

As a proud member of the Shelly Automotive Group and one of the largest Fisker centers on the West Coast, Fisker of Orange County loyally serves Orange County - including Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Balboa, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Corona Del Mar, Coto de Caza, Cypress, Dana Point, Dove Canyon, Foothill Ranch, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, La Habra, La Palma, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Monarch Beach, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Orange, Placentia, Portola Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Trabuco Canyon, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.

Fisker of Orange County also proudly serves Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego County, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley. For more information about Fisker of Orange County, visit the dealership at 9881 Research Drive in Irvine, Calif., or online at http://www.fiskeroforangecounty.com

[Wimbledon]

Fisker Karma at Saturn of Clarkston / Fisker of Michigan.

Video footage of the car being unloaded off the truck and driven into the showroom:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100603/...ury-hybrid

Detroit News Wrote:Clarkston -- The curvy beauty that hogged the Saturn of Clarkston lobby Wednesday isn't available, technically, but it still drew a crowd.

The Fisker Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid electric car, made a pit stop in Michigan as part of a nationwide tour.

The arrival of the highly anticipated Karma marked a new beginning for a Saturn dealership starved for vehicles to sell since GM announced last year that it would terminate the brand.

While the electric and hybrid market is not expected to top 20 percent within this decade, the growing field is giving hope and life to dealers who lost franchises amid the bankruptcies of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

The Saturn Clarkston franchise, among the first to open in 1990, expires Oct. 31. It will be reborn as Fisker of Michigan with exclusive sales rights in the state. The business has survived the wind-down period by selling certified used GM vehicles and servicing loyal customers' vehicles.

The Fisker opportunity "helped settle the team down somewhat," dealer Thomas Delke said Wednesday while sitting in the shadow of a smoke gray Karma.

"It is very stressful not knowing if Oct. 31 would be the end. Now we know that's not the case."

The Karma's arrival around noon Wednesday drew about 30 people to Delke's dealership.

Among them were a few engineers who worked on the Karma when it was under development in Pontiac.
Battery offers 50-mile range

Initially, there will be 45 Fisker dealerships in the United States.

The base model Karma, to be launched early next year, will sell for about $82,000 after a $7,500 tax credit. A more luxurious model will carry a price tag in excess of $90,000.

Fisker touts the Karma as the world's first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

It will have a 50-mile range, thanks to a lithium-ion battery pack. Once the battery is drained, a four-cylinder gasoline engine powers the vehicle for an additional 250 miles.

Delke's dealership has pre-sold 16 Karmas. Nationwide, orders have hit 1,900.

The Karma will share the market with several other pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. Hybrid and electric sales, which are less than 3 percent, may make up 20-25 percent of the new car market by 2020, analysts say.

The Karma will be built in Finland with initial annual volume of 15,000. But Fisker has plans to eventually build vehicles, including a midprice sedan, in the United States.

Car collector Chuck Schneider of Lake Orion put down a $1,000 deposit almost two years ago, inspired by the Karma's styling.

"For 80 grand, it's a pretty unique piece. If you're going to pay 70 grand for a Corvette, this is a lot more unique, more dramatic styling," said Schneider, 69, who retired from Ford Motor Co.'s sales and marketing department in 1999.

He was hooked after seeing the Karma at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

Despite the deposit, Schneider isn't sure whether he will buy the Karma or wait until a convertible model is available in a year or so.

"It's sort of a lucky strike that it's fuel-efficient," he said. "The fuel efficiency is certainly nice for the environment and so forth, but you're not going to spend 80 grand if you're worried about how much the price of gas is."

Entrepreneur Richard Simtob also put down $1,000 for a Karma, lured by the car's design and the opportunity to be among the first to drive one.

The 40-year-old Farmington Hills resident, a former co-owner of Wireless Toyz and a co-owner of the soup company Zoup!, got his first cell phone 22 years ago and was among the first to drive the Mazda Miata when he was 19.

"I do like to be a forerunner in everything I do," he said.

rsnell@detnews.com (313) 222-2028