One lap only: Fisker Karma takes on Laguna Seca in public driving debut [w/VIDEO]
Fisker Karma takes to the track at Laguna Seca - Click above for a high-res image gallery
The world driving debut of the Fisker Karma happened at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. Our compadres at Autoblog were snapping photos of the glut of luxury cars all weekend long, but almost missed the Karma. How could you miss a car like this? Well, it drove around the corner so silent they didn't hear it coming and then is only made one lap. The original plan was to sent the Karma around twice. Still, quick shutter release fingers mean we have a few images of the drive to share with you. Check out the Karma on the track in the gallery below along with a shot of the car at Concorso Italiano over the weekend then hit the jump for the sights and sounds of a luxurious Laguna Seca lap from behind the wheel.
UPDATE: The Karma hit 100 mph and used no gas during the lap.
Gallery: Fisker Karma at Laguna Seca
Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Doug 1:50PM (8/17/2009)
Such a limited debut this late doesn't inspire confidence.
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Nick P. 2:10PM (8/17/2009)
Late? So far, Fisker has met every deadline and are on track to deliver the first cars next summer.
The car will be crash-tested soon and I assume that they are still fine-tuning everything. Hopefully, they can sell enough of them to be successful. I remember Henrick Fisker mentioning 5000 cars as their break-even point.
So far, they are managing expectation way better than GM and with less drama than Tesla:
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/aug2009/bw20090813_397576.htm
This is very comforting to those who gave deposits.
Doug 2:30PM (8/17/2009)
Fair enough. I'm just left unimpressed. I do, however, wish them the best of luck and hope the car is successful.
Snowdog 3:12PM (8/17/2009)
Consider: that the Volt concept was being shown before the Fisker Automotive company was even announced as a car company. The Fisker Automotive company only came into being in 2007.
I would say the Karma has come from nowhere to leapfrog the Volt in less time, with less money. I am impressed.
why not the LS2LS7? 10:26PM (8/17/2009)
Snowdog:
The Fisker hasn't shipped either yet. Don't go counting any chickens until it does.
jake 8:47PM (8/18/2009)
At least we finally see it running at some decent speeds. It's better than nothing. Hopefully they do crash testing and have customer drives soon.
Throwback 2:11PM (8/17/2009)
Two observations. The driver lifted dramatically going down the corkscrew (handling issue?) He also looked like he was having no fun, they could have done a better video.
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Sebastian 2:25PM (8/17/2009)
That is one quiet lap.
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walter 2:44PM (8/17/2009)
They aren't pushing the car at all, seems a bit odd, you would think that this would have been a performance run, but it was more like a first time drive. And if you remember the Ad they aired it was driving in that too. It's seems to be the Car isn't close to ready and this was a bit of a PR move. I do know that on that cork screw you can power your way out of it, and he never did.
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Nick P. 3:00PM (8/17/2009)
Sorry for being a Fisker apologist, but there's a rule in software development when running a demo product in front of an important client: ** stick to the script **. Basically, don't try anything funny until the car is fully-tested. Obviously, it's not and that's why they are keeping it safe.
Can you imagine the amount of bad press after news of a Karma being towed off a race track? Yikes!
This is the reason they are not "having fun": they just want everything to go well and go back to the lab to continue improving the car.
Steve 3:06PM (8/17/2009)
They need to explain all the noises going on, show the dash instruments, why wasn't it shown while driving on the track? there were stills only...i wonder if the car leans so much the video would show the bad lean. This could be a Tesla for all we know.
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foci 3:38PM (8/17/2009)
Yes you can power through the corkscrew if you are confident you will not wreck the car. I can not think of any employee willing to damage a pre-production vehicle like this.
I can understand lifting off of the throttle. Especially if that is the only running test mule that has been built. As it was stated earlier there was a script to stick too.
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Nozferat 6:04PM (8/17/2009)
This car looks hideous...especially from the side...it looks ridiculously long.
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Nick 1:33AM (8/18/2009)
Anyone calling this car ugly should have his head checked
Nozferat 5:40PM (8/18/2009)
To each his own...looks hideously disproportionate.
josh 6:57PM (8/17/2009)
That was balls slow. And I agree about it looking a bit mutant. They've gone overboard on the curves and it ends up looking tumorous.
Not going to get my $80,000+ anytime soon. And not because I don't have $80k : )
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demosthenes 10:17PM (8/17/2009)
The guy driving it looked like he belongs behind the wheel of a minivan.
As for the looks, I think the car looks great. The criticism seems unfounded in my opinion. At least there are options for various tastes out there now...
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ufgrat 11:38PM (8/17/2009)
Completely different sounding car compared with the Chevy Volt. I suppose it comes down to whether you prefer to hear the motor whine or not-- On the one hand, it certainly reinforces the belief that something is happening, on the other hand, there's something to be said for really smooth quiet acceleration as well.
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Silly Pickle 7:55AM (8/18/2009)
Listening to that thing go around the track I just couldn't help thinking about a 24 hr of Laguna Seca (or Le Mans or whatever)...the tea and crumpets crowd and tree huggers lining the stands, quietly enjoying their picnics, playing with their cockapoodle cross puppies, nary a sound in the air...4 laps...come in for a 4 hr recharge...4 laps...recharge...wow...24 laps in 24 hrs. Lots of nap time for both driver and spectator. Should be relaxing and safe...where's the thrill, the sounds...it's a pretty car, just crying out for a V-8. Hmph...maybe Jags That Run will make a swap kit - throw an Aston V-8 or an LS engine in it and now we're talking. Sounds as good as it looks.
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gorr 11:53AM (8/18/2009)
This car is too heavy, costly and under-powered. They even have difficulties making more then one lap at 25 mph. The battery will overheat when the car is parked under the sun, when it will move forward or rearward or in recharging mode or recharging fast at home. The ice engine and generator combo is too heavy and innadapted and inneficient. So mainly a very bad electric car concept. This is an horror like the volt as an engineering pieces, LOL. All the engineering skills and knowledge have been negated and skip away to maintain the suffocating business of the richs, petrol, ice engines, limp batteries, coal electricity, etc.
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