Karma Chameleon

Convinced that green vehicles should be more than wimpy, warmed-over versions of their gas-powered counterparts, Fisker Automotive set out to design a head-turning option to alternative fuel mainstays. The 2012 Fisker Karma’s design embraces its advanced plug-in hybrid electric technology, creating an object of desire as much as a groundbreaking, premium automobile.

“The general theme for the design is beauty and passion – elements that are lacking from today’s cars,” says Henrik Fisker, Co-founder, CEO and Executive Design Director of the California-based company that bears his name. “The Karma makes a statement about how good-looking an alternative vehicle could be, and essentially redefines luxury.”

The Karma cuts a dramatic profile – more evocative of a supercar than a four-door, four-seat sedan – with its long hood, short rear deck, low roofline, and wide stance anchored by 22-inch wheels and tires. A continuously formed glass solar panel roof, the world’s largest on an automobile, harnesses additional energy from the sun and lends a cool eco-aesthetic. Exclusively offered Diamond Dust exterior paint gets its glimmer from crushed recycled glass and highlights the car’s sculptural form.

The spacious interior incorporates conventional hallmarks of luxury sedans, rendering them through innovative solutions aligned with the car’s environmentally conscious attitude. For example, inlaid wood trim is fashioned of naturally fallen trees recovered from forest fires and lake bottoms, and sumptuous leather is processed using a 100 percent sustainable manufacturing strategy. The battery pack nestled between, rather than underneath, the passengers allows for a lower rear seating position and maximizes the interior package for first-class, private jet-style comfort.