VIDEO: Fisker Karma shows its mojo
Click above to watch video after the jump
A year ago, less a day, we showed you the first clip of the Fisker Karma in motion. More footage was shot that afternoon, but it's inexplicably taken this long for it to find its way onto the internet. What we have here is 52 seconds of exuberant, pedal-down slalom carving and skidpad circling in the Fisker Karma. The driver makes the tires squawk so much that you forget all about the unfortunate pop tune dubbed into the clip.
While not as polished as Fisker's recently-aired commercial, it does give a more accurate hint of how the luxo-sport hybrid-electric might handle. That is to say with a bit of understeer, though its wide stance does help keep the car from revealing its considerable weight. So ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts and hit the jump for some wheel-squealing Karma action. Scroll down a bit further to revisit the aforementioned commercial spot as well.
Gallery: Fisker Karma
Gallery: Detroit 2009: Fisker Karma S
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jsams4131 9:36AM (5/16/2009)
I know its electric and you could definately see the negative effects of heavy batteries→ it lunged into turns... but seriously why does every company have to advertise their upcoming vehicle offerings by crappily drifting it around? I can respect thats its an amazing electric coupe but seriously its wasn't even breaking loose . I can't really stand it anymore..not everyone wants to drift and its almost become the staple next to the "whose got the better 'ring time" d*ck swinging competition.
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adam1drift 9:53AM (5/16/2009)
I agree! stop with it already!
tankd0g 10:39AM (5/16/2009)
I can't decide if the car handles like a barge or if the driver just sucks but body roll isn't that bad. The thing does seem abnormally long so it's not exactly going to be nimble but it's probably quite comfortable. There's not an aura of douche-bagery around this company, so I actually want to see this one do well.
ryan 12:38PM (5/16/2009)
I'm pretty sure that was a figure 8 test and not someone trying to drift.
letstakeawalk 12:49PM (5/16/2009)
I really doubt they were trying to drift the Karma. More likely, they were doing some chassis/suspension set-up testing on a pre-production test car.
Tankdog is correct, the Karma is a large car, and it's handling reflects that fact.
196.33" overall length
124.4" wheelbase
78.1" overall width
66.9" average track
The wheelbase is about the same as a Mercedes S class or a BMW 750Li, and the track is a little wider than both. The Karma is a luxury sedan, not a high-po sports sedan.
http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/images/uploads/Karma%20Production%20Specification%2012%202%2008%20(1).pdf
PJ 3:55PM (5/16/2009)
In your basic slalom and skidpad workout--which is what's depicted in the above video--the goal is to minimize slip angles, rather than "drifting" to show them off.
Bear in mind, when forming opinions about the Karma's handling, that this is a wide car with a very long wheelbase on what looks to be a teeny slalom course and skidpad. Crank in the wheel angles needed to get something big through such tight turns, and almost anything will understeer.
So, is the Karma really on track for 2010? I don't want to put too much weight on a promotional video, but it's encouraging that Fisker already seems to be in the fine-tuning portion of the development process. I'll be amazed if they pull it off.
Polarstar 10:40AM (5/16/2009)
And while we're at it stop with the background music.
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Kitko 12:07PM (5/16/2009)
I believe it's British band Republica.
Minny 10:53AM (5/17/2009)
Car warranty always expired...each and every year. But those calls are annoying. I have a G1 phone and I recorded those numbers and have them send directly to my voicemail, instead of having them ring.
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Marc-O 3:32AM (5/18/2009)
Wrong post ?
zard 11:30AM (5/16/2009)
That high pitch electric noise gives me headache
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blackstripe77 11:41AM (5/16/2009)
UNDERSTEEEEEER.
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letstakeawalk 12:19PM (5/16/2009)
Surely you mean "accelerator pedal"? While there is an ICE on board, it is not controlled by the right pedal; that pedal is connected to the electric motors which provide the propulsion for the Karma.
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CarlosMC 1:00PM (5/16/2009)
Hope they don't drive it anywhere but on perfectly smooth surfaces with those low profile tires...
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Stuka 1:09PM (5/16/2009)
I always find it harder to get excited at watching electric cars because they lack the exhaust note that I love so much :P
But I do really like this car.
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D Fisk 1:20PM (5/16/2009)
The tire squeel is fake. That car wasn't pushed hard enough to squeel like that. If the squeel is from the car the the tire set-up sucks and they need to get a different tire.
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jcar302 2:49PM (5/16/2009)
Ya, my thoughts were sorta along those lines.
Just seems like they had crappy tires.
Patrick 4:10PM (5/16/2009)
The car handles like a pig. Lots of squealing and it couldn't do the emergency lane change without knocking over cones. The car looked slow to react, or the driver wasn't yanking on the wheel very fast.
AJJB 1:55PM (5/16/2009)
I can see Henrik Fisker dancing like nobody's watching to the tune of the first video, thinking to be "totally hip". Please marketing people stop trying to relate and give us (even non-existent) engine sounds.
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patrick clement 2:11PM (5/16/2009)
This electric overrated golf cart, has all the fun of watching grass grow, and that goes for other "green" technology that is hiped and ramed down the public throats. This is ok as a choice for those folks who are more of the voltheads, and are not motorheads ,I will take a v8 any day and use my battery to start the thing and not run it.
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