One of the buzz-iest cars at the show is the Fisker Karma, a plug-in hybrid luxury Grand Touring four-door four-seater expected to go into production in the fall of 2009, with a price around $80,000 US.
That is - or should be - $80,000 CDN too, but don't bet on it.
The electric motor will shove the car from rest to 100 km/h in six seconds, and a top end around 200 km/h. Range on the lithium ion battery will be about 80 km on an overnight charge from household current. Go beyond that and a four cylinder gasoline engine kicks in to top up the battery.
The so-called Q-Drive propulsion hardware comes from Quantum Technology. According to Vic Doolan, former president of BMW Canada and now a board member of Fisker, it was developed in part with the US Department of Defence for military vehicles which can be dropped behind enemy lines. "A vehicle with this technology runs silent," he noted.
Ultimate stealth.
Fisker is perhaps best-known to Wheels readers from the gorgeous blue Mercedes-Benz SL-based Tramonto which was the hit of the Wheels booth at last year's Toronto Show.
(In the photo, that' s designer and company president Henrik Fisker standing behind the Karma.)
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