It’s been a scant 12 months since Henrik Fisker debuted the curvaceous Karma concept that bears his name, and today the former PAG design star returned to Detroit with a very similar looking production model and a business plan.

It’s been a busy year for the upstart luxury manufacturer, and in that time, a development center has been built and staffed in nearby Pontiac, Michigan, and the Karma has received an all-new interior (”with eco-friendly materials and absolutely no black plastic buttons”) that includes a new haptic touch-control system for the driver.

The aluminum spaceframe four-door is a plug-in hybrid vehicle that Fisker says will reach 60 miles-per-hour in 5.8 seconds and be able to cruise comfortably at 125 miles-per-hour. Power gets to the 22-inch wheels via a pair of 201 horsepower electric motors backed by a lithium-ion battery pack. A generator is affixed to a 260-horsepower version of General Motors’ 2.0-liter Ecotec engine to provide extended-range capability.

Fisker says his company expects to sign 40 dealers up by year’s end, and notes that he already has 22 on-board. Furthermore, Fisker says he expects production to ramp up to 15,000 units per year, and 1,300 units have already be pre-sold to early adopters. The asking price for the Karma is a reasonable-sounding $87,900, a number that has us wondering how Fisker and Co. intends to make money considering the modest volume projections and cost-intensive R&D.

[Source: Autoblog]

The Spec-V’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 merely matches the regular GT-R’s output of 478 horsepower. However, a new overboost button does allow for more mid-range turbo boost. Nissan engineers didn’t overlook the performance value of a lower curb weight. Therefore, many of the GT-R’s stock parts have been swapped out for carbon fiber units. Throw in an upgraded suspension and the GT-R Spec-V lapped the Sendai Highland Raceway two seconds faster than the series II GT-R.

The GT-R SpecV’s new exterior features include a carbon fiber rear spoiler, a carbon fiber grille, and carbon fiber brake ducts. The SpecV is available exclusively in Ultimate Black Opal (RP) body color. Inside, the SpecV’s two-seat interior offers Recaro carbon fiber bucket seats, while carbon fiber insets embellish the rear center storage box, instrument panel and other trim areas.

The aforementioned high gear boost control device momentarily increases boost of the engine’s twin turbochargers for greater torque in the intermediate-to-high speed ranges to provide stronger acceleration, while also allowing the engine to operate at a lower speed for improved fuel economy. Other modifications include a titanium-coated exhaust system and carbon-ceramic brakes that provide powerful stopping performance.

[ Source: LeftLane]

The TTS is a beautiful, great-handling and quick car that turns heads everywhere it goes. It’s priced high but well-crafted. But the TT’s size seems to work better as a convertible, especially since Audi’s S5, which is bigger and more powerful, is only a few thousand dollars away.

But buying a premium car involves a lot of emotional appeal, and on that standpoint, the TT scores high. This is a car that sells on looks alone. Available in coupe and roadster body styles, Audi’s got a nice pair of TTs in its hands.

Source: Auto123