From the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder takes a first look at the 2010 Fisker Karma.
Transcript
(cars.com intro music playing) Hi, I'm Joe Wiesenfelder of Cars.com. This is a 2010 Fisker Karma. Now, a prototype of this showed up last year at the Detroit Auto Show. This is the real thing, coming at the end of 2009.
Now, listen to this, $80,000 with the tax incentive. That probably sounds pretty good, even if this were just like a Lamborghini competitor or whatever. It's actually a plug-in hybrid. Now the roof is a solar panel. Yes, curved, huge, it is standard. What it does is it keeps the battery charged, helps keep it charge while it's sitting. It doesn't really propel the car, but if it were a sunny day, every day for a week, you'd get four miles of range out of it. This is the interior, you can get seven different types, eight different exterior colors, it's an electric car. 'Cause it drives on electric power only, it doesn't need transmission, so it doesn't need a shifter. This, is actually just a hand rest, basically. with an On and Off button here. And this is how you shift, Drive, Neutral, Reverse. Cars like this don't usually have four doors. Some of them don't even have back seats. This one has four doors, and a back seat, two seats, I'm six feet tall. I actually fit in, it's amazing. It's a big car, but a... Now all four wheels are driven. It's all wheel drive, huge 22 inch wheels. Now, take a look around the back here. See this, that might not look like a, your normal exhaust outlet, because it's not. It's actually a speaker. They say it's totally quiet car 'cause it runs on battery mode. You can have it, broadcast some kinda noise, jet fighter noise, whatever you want, just so it's safer and kinda cool. Now there are two electric motors, but they're both back here. One on either side of the differential, drives all four wheels, perfectly silent, zero to 60 in 5.8 seconds. You can go up to 50 miles, before you need to turn on the generator. This isn't like most hybrids, only electric motors actually propelled the car. This gas engine, it looks like a normal one is actually, just driving a generator, when you need it or for extra power happens to be a two liter turbocharged engine from General Motors. Oh, you notice the vents here, because the engines in the front here, they have the exhaust single exhaust down low on this side. And this just lets cooling air, warm air come out. It's on both sides. So here at the same show where you get the regular Karma sedan. A new prototype that next year will be a real product. It's the Karma S the concept is called 'The Sunset'. It has two doors, a little bit smaller, smaller backseat, retractable hard top. Basically, same idea, it's a plug-in hybrid. No idea on the cost yet, but they say it'll be here in a year. <v Announcer>For additional information on this car or any other, go to Cars.com and our blog KickingTires.
