Fisker to deliver the first Karma to Leonardo DiCaprio
By Andrew, 13 Jul, 2011. 0 Comments
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Delivery of the first Fisker Karma, the radical range-extended four-door performance car, is set for later this month. So far, the company has received 3,000 pre-orders. Henrik Fisker, a former designer for Aston Martin, developed the Mercedes CLS-sized Karma. It was based on the bespoke aluminum spaceframe chassis. The powertrain includes a mid-mounted battery pack and twin rear-mounted electric motors. And when the electric power runs out, a 260bhp 2.0-litre turbo four acts as a generator. There are several high-profile buyers for this vehicle.
The first production car will be delivered to actor Leonardo di Caprio while other customers include Al Gore and Colin Powell. The Valmet plant in Finland currently has a production rate of five cars a week but starting November, this will increase to 300 cars a week. In Fisker’s estimation, the car is sold out until early 2012. This car costs $100,000 but has a price tag of about £95,000 in the UK after taxes. Fisker said that half of its sales are by early-adopting car enthusiasts while the other half is by total non-car enthusiasts who want to buy this “totally new” car.
He said that these customers realize that the infrastructure for electric cars isn’t there yet and so the company is offering a “stylish, stress-free alternative with no range compromises." Later on, the Karma will be produced in saloon, convertible and shooting-brake models. Fisker will display the shooting-brake version at the Frankfurt motor show in September. In 2013, Fisker will introduce a smaller, four-door range-extended car that will rival the BMW 3-series. This vehicle is presently known as Project Nina. It will be available in three bodystyles and it has a starting price of $50,000. But unlike the Karma, it will be sold in both left and right-hand drive.
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