Once upon a time there was a car called the Fisker Karma, and it was the future. When it first hit the market in early 2008, electric vehicles seemed a distant dream – battery technology just couldn’t pack enough power to give real cars adequate range or power. Plug-in hybrids seemed like an excellent bridge between today’s internal combustion engine and electrically powered tomorrow, however – and with gasoline prices rising faster than the still-operating space shuttle, the time seemed right to find ways to pump up the automotive industry Fuel consumption.
Enter Henrik Fisker. As a designer who had written iconic cars like the Aston Martin DB9 and the BMW Z8, he had set up (now, with a little help from business partners and investors) to develop Fisker Coachbuild, from the BMW 6 Series Coupés and Mercedes- Benz SL-Class Cabriolets become tailor-made vehicles with new lines from the pen of the design master.
The market for remanufactured $ 200,000 versions of $ 70,000 cars may not have been what they were hoping for. That, in turn, quickly gave way to Fisker Automobiles, a stand-alone automaker that quickly launched its first product at the 2008 North American International Auto Show: an incredibly slim, plug-in hybrid luxury sedan called the Fisker Karma, which features a range-extending four-cylinder with a 20 , 1 kWh battery and two rear-mounted electric motors combined to generate 403 hp.
In the years that followed, the future looked bright for Fisker Automobiles. The company received more than half a billion dollars in loan from the US government; none other than Joe Biden appeared to help the company acquire the former General Motors assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware. The first cars hit the road in July 2011, following generally positive feedback from critics.
Then the positive karma of karma reversed its polarity. Problems with its battery supplier A123 Systems forced not one but two recalls before A123 electrocuted like a trout, Fisker stayed up and dry, and production was suspended for five months. The FBI shut down after less than 40 percent of the original loan was withdrawn, citing problems with loan terms. Superstorm Sandy killed more than 300 cars in Newark Harbor; 16 of them burned to a crisp after the flooded seawater shorted a car’s battery and the flames spread. In March 2013, Henrik Fisker – who has since been promoted from CEO to Executive Chairman in favor of a revolving door of industry managers – went entirely to Scarface in Half Baked and left the company he founded less than six years ago.
However, as it turned out, the Fisker Karma was also the car too beautiful to die for. When Fisker (the man) left Fisker (the company), the latter quickly collapsed and filed for bankruptcy in late 2013; a Chinese auto parts maker named Wanxiang Group rushed to buy up the remains, but since Fisker (the man) had gone bankrupt and split up with the rights to Fisker (the brand), Wanxiang changed the model name of the car to his brand instead and renamed the Fisker Karma Karma Revero.
When it first arrived in the US in 2016, the Revero wasn’t all that different from the Fisker version that preceded it; the styling has been subtly adjusted to reflect the zeitgeist of the new electric car (i.e. it got a Tesla Model S-style “grille”) and the technology has been updated here and there. (Also, legendary auto manager Bob Lutz started a small company to turn the Karma into a Corvette ZR1-powered hot rod, but that’s neither here nor there.)
Bigger changes would come for the 2020 model year when the Karma Revero GT showed up with the BMW i3’s turbocharged three-cylinder engine, which replaced the old GM Turbo 4 from Pontiac Solstice GXP that the car had previously used as a range extender; In combination with a larger battery and new electric motors, the power has been increased to 536 horses and the all-electric range to 80 miles.
Which brings us here, after 2021, when the Karma has returned once again as Karma GS-6. Mechanically it is the same as the Revero GT, but the biggest difference is the price; While this car started at $ 135,000, the GS-6 starts at $ 85,700, the equivalent of an entry-level Tesla Model S or a bare-bones Porsche Taycan.
Uh, did you read that above?
But seriously, you are often asked that along with “What is it?” and “who does it?” Henrik Fisker is not lazy; The design of the GS-6 is just as eye-catching today as it was almost a decade and a half ago when it was first launched.
The appearance in the first place. The proportions of the GS-6 give it a distinctive presence, similar to … well, the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9. The front end is admittedly a matter of personal taste – I can’t see a slight resemblance to a feeding whale shark – but it’s definitely distinctive, as is the rear view – and the profile looks like what you imagined sports sedans to be a kid.
What is also special is that it is a plug-in hybrid. That was rare when it was launched because it made it one of the more environmentally friendly vehicles in its class; It’s rare today because pretty much everyone else has already switched to all-electric vehicles. While Teslas and Taycans and Mach-Es and so on can reach or exceed the range of the GS-6 even without gas, the Karma retains the greatest advantage that gasoline has over electrons for long trips: it only takes five minutes to drive 200- plus miles of range.
Finally, there is its rarity. While the car may have been around for a decade, at no point have it been more than a few thousand on the road, meaning few people had a chance to see one – and even if they did, its spinning names mean that those who have seen one in the past may not know what it is. Hence there is a lot of interest; With the GS-6, I got more random questions and impressive responses than with the Ferrari 812 GTS.
Distinctive and luxurious. The leather interior feels exactly what you’d expect from a high-end vehicle, and while the fit and finish may not quite match what you’d find in a mass-sized luxury car, it certainly never feels cheap. At $ 130,000, I could be offended; at almost half that price, it’s much easier to digest.
Additionally, the Karma’s distinctive infotainment system and dashboard layout is a refreshing change in a world of increasingly shared, highly commodified automotive technology. The user interface is rich in colorful, angular graphics that come from a science fiction film, but never get into the realm of form-over-function. It’s intuitive yet original and surprisingly enjoyable. (And hey, if you really don’t like it, the GS-6 packs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.)
However, space is not the GS-6’s forte. Although it has a wheelbase almost as long as an S-Class, the huge battery, which powers up like a lithium-ion wedge in the middle of the cabin, pushes the occupants to the side, and the classic proportions of the long hood push the cabin far down at the back, and the elegant roofline pushes the ceiling far down. The front seats are reasonably roomy, but the two rear seats are practically nothing more than parcel shelves.
It’s not a sports sedan if you are wondering that. Like some PHEVs, the GS-6 is a hefty ride and weighs a little north of 5,000 pounds before anyone even climbs on board. Still, the centrally-mounted battery helps keep the weight balanced, and the overall weight is low enough to keep the center of gravity low enough that turning feels nimble and immediate.
By today’s absurd standards, 536 hp is a middle class for a car of this size, shape and market positioning. But sending everything to the rear wheels alone – especially via two electric motors – means traction control must remain vigilant to keep the wheels from spinning out of line. However, once you start rolling, that instant response makes overtaking a blast.
But it’s just as fun – albeit in a different way – trying to keep as much distance from the battery as possible and driving conservatively to see the range meter go down as slowly as possible. That’s the surprising added value of EVs and PHEVs: With the gamifying range, it encourages you to drive more efficiently … at least until the allure of all that torque becomes too much.
Well, Karma certainly wants people to consider it a Model S competitor; After all, Elon Musk’s first sedan was the car positioned as the direct enemy of the Fisker Karma when both were new in the early aughts and the Model S only covered 200-260 miles on one charge.
However, Tesla has evolved faster than turtles doused in radioactive mud over the past 10 years, while the development of the GS-6 appears practically crocodile in comparison. Anyone looking for cutting edge technology, ridiculous acceleration, breakthrough reach, or brand appeal – four of the top reasons people choose Tesla – are unlikely to be excited about a PHEV from a little-known company. (The upcoming all-electric GSe-6, which will offer a claimed 300-mile range, might attract these folks better, but Tesla has already lowered the bar that far, even if it will seem a bit behind the times when it does arrives.)
However, this karma is likely to attract buyers who want something that will stand out from the crowd. In small villages like Beverly Hills and Southampton, having something glamorous in your driveway is often important for the sake of looks – and the GS-6 turns heads like no other car in its price range. The fact that it can cope with the vast majority of daily trips without petrol and still makes long car journeys with minimal stopovers superfluous? Well, that’s just sauce.
Base price: $ 85,700
Powertrain: Turbocharged 1.5-liter in-line triple + 24.6 kWh battery + two electric motors; One-speed gearbox; Rear wheel drive
Horsepower: 536
EPA Fuel Economy (gas + electric): 62 mpg-e combined
EPA Fuel Economy (gas only): 22 mpg combined
Seats: Four, but not as good as you’d think
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