Guys, I hear all of your comments on whether or not the Karma is "worth" the new price (and btw, let's not make this personal - no need to insult Brian's Mitsubishi Fab!)....but my big beef with Fisker is the lack of respect and communication with US the early adopters, aka Fisker's base.
Recall:
1. The price initially was $88K base (with a cost-free choice of colors like black or silver), and delivery was scheduled for 2009
2. Fisker pushed back delivery dates, and started to hint at price increases
3. Delivery dates slipped and slipped
4. Initial guidance on pricing was released for all trim levels as well as certain "extras" like exterior paint color
5. Fisker bumped prices across the board, including for deposit holders
6. Fisker delays again delivery dates, after delivering a subpar roadshow test car
7. Fisker bumps prices and has yet to deliver a single customer car
8. Fisker says "order now, trust us, OR ELSE...we'll raise the price on you"
So what we're really talking about here is an increase from $88K to $106K ($103K + $3K for paint), or roughly 20%.
It's one thing for an established brand with deep pockets like BMW or Mercedes or Lexus to debut a new car with brand-spankin new tech and say "trust us" its something entirely different for a brand new car company with a spotty track record and poor client communication to do so
It's just not cricket. As another poster says, who bumps prices on the eve of customer deliveries??? You'd never ever imagine Apple doing such a thing - if anything, they'd reduce the price (everyone remember the original iPhone and ensuing price drop?)
Bottom line: Fisker, you have yet to prove yourself to those of us who want to love you most. What's more, these boneheaded PR blunders do little to inspire confidence in the maturity and clarity of your management team (or at least, your marketing department). Stop the juvenile behavior. Time to grow up and act right.
PS - Fab, I disagree with one of your points - raising the price doesn't mean that Fisker has confidence they can deliver products of quality at larger volumes - rather the opposite, if they are having problems delivering volume (e.g. due to need to hand paint certain colors or use manual velcro to secure the hood), then raising the price reduces overall demand (econ 101), thus requiring less production volume. It is frankly a red flag in my book.
PPS - If this is just a greed grab on Fisker's behalf, then shame on them! Fisker did not "bear all the risk" of this development project. Investors and depositors bore the risk, as did US tax payers (who funded in part, the final R&D on the Karma)