Posted on 05/15/2008 12:48:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
We love our green sports cars here at Inhabitat, and we have plenty of room on our favorites list for more than one. While we’ve been raving for the last two years about the Tesla Roadster, the Fisker Karma has been doing the one thing Tesla has yet to do: bring a hybrid sports car to market. Created by noted car designer Henrik Fisker, the ultra cool Karma is a sleek, power packed eco-luxury ride.
The Karma’s performance specs rev out at 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, and a top speed of 125 mph. At $80,000 USD, The car is a plug-in hybrid based on technology of Quantum Technologies. The Q DRIVE consists of a small gasoline engine which in turn charges the lithium battery packs in the car. According to Fisker, if charged properly, the hybrid would need to use no more than a fuel tank per year, quite a claim!
Now before you think that the Fisker is just a concept vehicle, Wired managed to get some pics of the Fisker Karma in action. Here’s hoping that soon we can have two really cool sports cars that show that being green can be done at maximum speed.
That looks like a pregnant Citroen DS19.
Looks vaguely familiar............
see my post#21
Yep. Most manufacturers have hybrids, these people just built a hybrid sports car. Of course, the Tesla isn't original either. It's based on the Lotus Elise chassis, but Lotus already made an electric Elise back in '98. The main Tesla contributions are using lithium ion batteries and carbon fiber to save weight, and a more advanced motor.
50 miles then you need gas. No thanks.
LOL!!!......When I was in the Marine Corps, back in the 70’s, someone on base had one of those type cars. We called it “The Mars Car”.......
Interestingly enough, I recently drove my 2008 Hummer for a 600 mile trip. The mileage? 15.3. And, no, i did not drive slowly or coast down hills.
The new engine coupled with a six speed auto tranny makes a nice difference.
My old Dodge Ram only got 13 mpg on the same trip.
You could buy a 10 mpg Hummer for $35,000 and have the interest on the remaining $45,000 pay for all the gas you could ever use for the rest of your life...
5 posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:55:41 PM by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
I did the math. At 3% interest, you could only drive 3,500 miles per year on the money you would earn by investing the $45,000.
The interst on the 45K is still subsidising the cost of your fuel, making the hummer the better deal by far.
Citroen made some funky cars. That said, their suspension system was rather novel.
You can buy a $20K Chevy, and use the $60K you save to pay for your fuel entirely for a while, or to subsidise the cost of your fuel for the life of the car.
The front-end looks like it’s wearing chrome lipstick. It’s gay....
But you can go those 50 miles really fast!..............
The Fisker looks like a Maserati front end, a Corvette middle, and a Dodge Charger back end grafted together.
John Ringo fans of the Dragons series books are laughing their butts off.
Man - that’s one ugly vehicle!!
If it doesn’t have a booming V8, I won’t own it (motorcycles excepted!)
I like battery powered hand tools and TV remotes.
I thought it looked like the rear end of a Couger (Mustang twin)......
Is 640bhp enough?
http://www.worldcarfans.com/2060724.006/pml-builds-640hp-electric-mini
and an electric generator in case the battery starts getting low.
I don’t want nothing that I have to fall into and then climb out of. I want to be able to see past the car in front of me also.
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