[Dutch]

There they are, the first reviews by automotive journalists:

- Motortrend.com:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1102_2012_fisker_karma_drive/index.html

- Caranddriver.com:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q1/2012_fisker_karma-first_drive_review

- Roadandtrack.com:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/impressions/driven-2011-fisker-karma-ever

 

[Wimbledon]

Autocar also drove the Karma!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Fisker-Karma-Range-extender/255538/

 

[Dutch]

Here's Edmunds Inside Line:

http://www.insideline.com/fisker/karma/2012/2012-fisker-karma-first-drive.html

and Automobilemag.com:

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/reviews/1102_2012_fisker_karma/index.html

 

[Wimbledon]

and Automobilemag.com:

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/reviews/1102_2012_fisker_karma/index.html

The video on Automobile's page is very interesting - nice to see some different rolling footage and hear the Karma.

 

[Soflauthor]

There they are, the first reviews by automotive journalists:

- Motortrend.com:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1102_2012_fisker_karma_drive/index.html

- Caranddriver.com:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q1/2012_fisker_karma-first_drive_review

- Roadandtrack.com:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/impressions/driven-2011-fisker-karma-ever

Thx for the links, Dutch. They appear to be quite positive, overall.

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised that the reviews weren't a little snarky, given that the automotive media has not be generally positive about EVs.

Got an email from Fisker this am. Production will begin on March 21. Deliveries commence in May. I project getting my car in July, given that I'm # 737.

 

[Wimbledon]

Autoblog:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/21/2012-fisker-karma-first-drive-review-road-test/

 

[kabalah70]

Yep, seems the muffler is the only big down point of many of the reviews, which they say is being rectified before the customer deliveries.

 

[Dutch]

You were right though about the delivery date, being a bit later than expected. The reason can be found in this Fisker-mail:

''To ensure quality is paramount, we will have a slow ramp-up. The first cars produced will be retailer demonstrators that will allow you to experience the Fisker Karma drive characteristics. [...] Depending on when your deposit was received, you will be receiving your Fisker Karma between May and October this year. Your Fisker Automotive retailer will be able to give you a delivery date by the end of April as we finalize individual production slots.''

I still think, reading these reviews, that it is worth the wait.

 

[Wimbledon]

Autoweek

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110222/CARREVIEWS/110229983

Some information not mentioned in the other reviews:

Fisker's men admitted after I asked them about the quoted 403 hp that our test mule was only producing about 320 hp. It's a matter of further development, they said.

 

[brian]

Autoweek

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110222/CARREVIEWS/110229983

Some information not mentioned in the other reviews:

Fisker's men admitted after I asked them about the quoted 403 hp that our test mule was only producing about 320 hp. It's a matter of further development, they said.

Yeah, I saw that too. Seems the pre-production cars they were driving were missing several features (like traction control), which is a little odd. I thought they pushed 200 production cars off the assembly line for testing. Wouldn't those cars have all of the features and be "done"? Sounds like they're still working on the car even tho it goes into production in 1 month. Apparently they've got new mufflers on order as well since the current ones sound pretty bad according to the reviews.

-Brian

 

[Dutch]

Here are some new videos from LA Car Guy on Youtube.

In the first three movies, if you raise the volume to max, you can hear the Tron-sound which has to warn pedestrians (it's the tone on the background, a deep, eery, SF-sound. It does actually sound a bit like in the movie Tron).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvirt0b_f74

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrODN099c8g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF_hOR0cXS8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nBs8im5As8

 

[Bandi]

wow ! what an amazing sound!

 

[jeroen]

The AutoBild (German's largest car magazine) of this week also has a nice, positive 'review' of the Karma.
iPad edition is live now and the printed
edition should be in stores tomorrow....

 

[Wimbledon]

The AutoBild (German's largest car magazine) of this week also has a nice, positive 'review' of the Karma.
iPad edition is live now and the printed
edition should be in stores tomorrow....

Thank you for letting us know -- part of the article is now up on Autobild's website as well:

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/fisker-karma-erster-fahrbericht-1564254.html

Here is an English translation by Google translate:

The first test drive in Karma - and Fisker AUTO BILD is even possible on the race track. There, he can compete with the Panamera, Quattroporte, or CLS, the electric coupe convinced with good handling and comfort.

By Georg Kacher

Henrik Fisker has courage: He built the first luxury sedan in the world with electric drive and Range Extender - and presented to the carriage of all things on the track in Fontana, California. Here is the promised range of 483 km but waste! "Yes," admits the former employed by BMW and Aston Martin Dane, "but it is clear after three rounds that electric mobility is not synonymous with giving up." On the race track instead of the promised 403 horsepower is only 320 horses in the paddock. Have full power until the last prototype, Valmet in Finland produced from March 2011. Therefore, the two steering wheel paddles to control the continuously variable transmission is not exceptional, but left the choice of Stealth (austerity) and sports, right, the intensity of energy recovery during braking.
All press release on the survey: the Geneva special

With just over five meters of the Karma is right for the trendy four-door coupe.
In Sport mode moves the Holy entirely of aluminum-made karma in six seconds from 0 to 100 km / h, top speed is 201 km / For one and a half minutes per overboost even 229 in it. Nevertheless, called Fisker an average fuel consumption of 3.5 liters per 100 km. "Most customers fill up more than three times a year." Because the 20 kWh and is payable lithium-ion batteries in electric mode for 80 miles, the car commutes everyday use of outlet to outlet. Charging takes up to eight hours. On the slopes can compete easily with the Karma Panamera, Quattroporte, or CLS. The hydraulic steering with 2.7 turns responds sensitively, the aluminum chassis controlled road holding and handling well as comfort, which benefits from specially designed 22-inch wheels with higher sides. Under load, even the tail is horizontal, the ESP-vote is not yet entirely complete ...

More information about the Fisker Karma is the top of the image gallery. Read the full article in CAR PICTURE 8 / 2011 - from 25 February at the kiosk!

 

[jeroen]

Topgear reviews the Fisker Karma

Meet the Fisker Karma

Standing in the early morning California sunshine talking to Henrik Fisker, you'd think this was just another informal chat about his latest project. We've had plenty of those over the years, first when he was head of BMW Designworks and designer of the Z8, then design chief at Aston Martin and later as the head of Ford's Advance Design Studio. He is his normal open, friendly self, and there is no trace of stress or anxiety. This is odd, as surely there must be a few concerns on this, the first day anyone outside of the company has driven his billion-dollar baby, the extended-range electric Fisker Karma.

Words: Pat Devereux
Photography: Anton Watts

Read the full story on Fisker’s Karma in the new issue of TopGear magazine, on sale now.


http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/fisker-karma-2011-02-24?imageNo=0

 

[brian]

Another new interesting review: http://www.racer.com/first-drive-fisker-karma/article/197619

The most interesting part of this was "Fisker engineers are confident the car can exceed 80mpg" and "Regeneration, engineers say, contributes six to eight miles to the car's electric range of 40-50 miles."

Sounds like the original 100mpg / 50 miles electric may not quite have been true. Does that mean that on the highway where you never brake you only get ~35 miles on a charge?

-Brian

 

[Dutch]

If the regeneration adds 6 to 8 miles, it doesn't have to mean you lose those 6 to 8 miles range on the highway (or that you need those extra miles). Regeneration just compensates for some of the energy lost during acceleration in city traffic. On the highway you don't accelerate that much (the speed is more or less steady), so you may not need those extra 6 to 8 miles to get to a range of 40 to 50 miles.

But that's all speculation from my side. I could live with a range of 45, but 35 would be disappointing. In a normal car you almost never get the mileage that the manufacturer promised, hopefully Fisker is going to prove to be the exception. I am curious what was behind the reduction of the battery from the initial 22 kWh capacity to 20 kWh (of which 16 kWh are used, as the battery never goes lower than 20% charge).

 

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

I would not say that it "never goes lower than 20%" ... rather, 20% is where the engine kicks in, even in Stealth. Run it down to that point, then switch to Sport, and the computer will likely allow you to take it down to about 10% (while running the engine near or at full bore trying to bring the charge over 20%).

All this is based solely on what I have read and how I would program the system, of course. You have to remember that one is balancing multiple items: km/kWh, performance, motor temperature, battery state of charge, battery temperature, charge/discharge rates, battery lifetime, and so on. It would be ideal if they have hardware giving temperature readings from various points feeding back into the software, because then you could optimize these quite well, otherwise you have to guess based on recent usage.

I would love to have access to both the hardware and the software source, and a chance to play with it all. Obviously once I have one (whenever that occurs!) I get the former, but the latter is more difficult. I am sure there are also thousands of pages of regulation, most of it badly outdated, about certification for software for automobiles, such that Fisker themselves would not want people reprogramming their vehicles for legal liability reasons. So it's all going to be unauthorized hacks that void warranties and such, if you use third-party (or self-written) software.

 

[Wimbledon]

I would love to have access to both the hardware and the software source, and a chance to play with it all. Obviously once I have one (whenever that occurs!) I get the former, but the latter is more difficult. I am sure there are also thousands of pages of regulation, most of it badly outdated, about certification for software for automobiles, such that Fisker themselves would not want people reprogramming their vehicles for legal liability reasons. So it's all going to be unauthorized hacks that void warranties and such, if you use third-party (or self-written) software.

In Geneva this year, Saab previewed their new multimedia platform which will encourage third-party software apps. With rigorous enough testing and app certification, I think this is a great idea with so many opportunities. Such a setup would well-complement the Karma's other innovative technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BOd9oX1p4s

 

[Wimbledon]

Helen Wie of Fisker Automotive uploaded a full copy of the BBC Top Gear review to Scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49547353/Top-Gear-review