New Car: 2010 Fisker Karma

Look at recent economic history, and karma begins to make sense. Here's the cycle: increased oil demand; record crude prices; record gas prices; consumer panic; a slew of new vehicles poised to solve our oil dependency dilemma. It could be argued that this series of actions were led by karma. Translated from Sanskrit, the word "karma" means "work, action, the law of cause and effect."
Then Fisker introduced its own take on Karma.
Irvine-based Fisker Automotive offers its four-door Karma electric hybrid as a premium-oriented, environmentally friendly sports sedan. On styling alone, the $87,900 Karma seems a steal. It looks like an Italian GT design study; the headlights are pure Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, while the rest could double for a Maserati GranTurismo or an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, depending on the angle. The proportions fall in line too; the Karma is 1.4-in. longer and 1.0-in. taller than the GranTurismo, and is wider than the 599 by 0.9-in.
Unlike a car like the 599, however, with its ferocious V-12 and flat-plane crank, the Karma will be feature a turbocharged 2.0L engine sourced from General Motors. The Ecotec four-banger produces 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque -- an insulting figure to modern Maranello standards.
But the engine doesn't send its power directly to the wheels. Instead, much like the E-REV system on GM's coming Volt, it merely serves to charge the lithium-ion battery pack of the Karma's electric drivetrain, one with two electric motors that Fisker says produces a peak output 408 horsepower and an incredulous 959 ft-lb. of torque. Now that's more like it.
Fisker calls the powertrain "Q-Drive" -- and it seems to harbor a distinct two-mode split personality. In friendly, eco-conscious "Stealth" mode, the Karma moves under electric-only power and can travel 50 miles without using the engine. To conserve energy, acceleration and top speed are limited (the latter to 95 mph). When shenanigans are desired, the driver can select "Sport" mode for the full array of power. Here, the Karma can accelerate from zero to 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 mph. All this while the car behaves like a normal hybrid vehicle complete with regenerative braking, and engine start/stop technology. Fisker estimates the total range at 300 miles.
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