2023 Fisker Ocean !! 116 Miles !! Great Value !! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VLF Force 1 V10 is a rebodied Viper priced like a Lamborghini

It would appear that Henrik Fisker is done with hybrids. His latest project, called the Force 1, packs an oversized V10 engine with no electric assist in sight and all the environmental credentials of a herd of flatulent cattle. Alongside the Karma-based, Corvette-powered Destino, the Force 1 is the second product from VLF Automotive. Fisker has taken partnership in the new firm as chief designer alongside chairman Bob Lutz and CEO Gilbert Villarreal. The company isn't saying explicitly what the Force 1 is based on, but it doesn't take a CSI team to trace its roots back to the Dodge Viper. Never mind that it's being built in Auburn Hills – the same Detroit suburb where Chrysler is headquartered – or that it was jointly developed by Fisker and professional Viper racer and dealer Ben Keating. It also happens to be powered by an 8.4-liter V10, and there aren't many of those kicking around the industry. Instead of the Viper's 645 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, the Force 1's ten-cylinder engine is optimized to deliver 745 hp and 638 lb-ft. That, according to VLF, is enough to send the coupe rocketing to 60 in 3.0 seconds flat, covering the quarter-mile in under 11 seconds on its way to a top speed of 218 miles per hour. The power is transmitted to the Pirelli PZero rubber through a six-speed manual, but VLF says it will fit it with an automatic at the customer's request. Around that massive engine and two-seat cockpit, Fisker designed a new shape that, for better or for worse, looks way more aggressive than the Viper's. The Force 1's proportions are tellingly super-snake, but the curves are replaced by some very angry-looking angles and vents. Its head- and taillights are ultra thin, and the deep-dish, split-four-spoke wheels seem to visually split the difference between the three-spoke wheels on the original Viper and the five-spoke alloys it wears today. If you doubted the Force 1's origins before, the interior ought to give it away, with its wide tunnel and familiar surfaces. Only VLF has refinished it in leather, suede, and Alcantara, all diamond stitched with contrasting thread to help position this as a more luxurious prospect than the Dodge. It even fit between the seatbacks place for two champagne bottles that we hope nobody would consider consuming before trying to handle that much power. Of course, none of this will come cheap.

Karma Revero will be unveiled, with pricing, this summer

The Karma Revero, the high-end extended-range plug-in vehicle that will be the successor to the Fisker Karma, will have a prototype unveiled and will announce its pricing this summer, the Los Angeles Times says. Karma may produce as many as 3,000 vehicles a year out of its Southern California factory. The automaker, now owned by China-based Wanxiang Group, also may pursue the direct-to-consumer distribution model used by electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, the Times says, citing Karma chief marketing officer Jim Taylor. The former Fisker Automotive's assets were acquired out of bankruptcy by Wanxiang Group in 2014 after Fisker, with its vehicles' 33-mile all-electric range, stopped making cars in 2012 and went under. The four-door Karma Revero, which is said to deliver more than 400 horsepower, will look similar to the Fisker Karma and will also likely be priced at more than $100,000. Karma is making the vehicles out of a 550,000-square-foot factory in Moreno Valley, California, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The production line at the Valmet factory in Finland where the first batch of Karmas was made was broken down into parts and shipped to California for the new plant, while about 120 finished Karmas that were never sold were eventually used for test vehicles. Karma officially changed its name from Fisker last year. Fisker, which at one time was going to build a second model called the Atlantic, was founded in 2007 by famed designer Henrik Fisker, who now helps run a coach-building company. Karma Automotive is also planning to build sales and engineering offices in Troy, Michigan, near Detroit, as the company is receiving some funding from the state of Michigan. About 150 workers will be housed at the $3.6 million facility. Related Video:

Fisker Ocean 'Force E' package designed for silent, rugged rescues

About a week ago, Fisker teased a makeover for its Ocean crossover that prepped the electric people hauler for either a backcountry rescue or "I Am Legend." Henrik Fisker has now released the finished article on Twitter, the overhaul package called "Force E," for Force Electric. It's one of the four promised packages available when the Ocean goes on sale at the end of next year, designed to serve fleets that would need "an extreme off-road package for the Fisker Ocean." Reserved for the all-wheel drive model, the equipment list assembles a brush guard and tow hooks, a touch of extra lighting in the front fascia and on the roof rack, a tool mount on the tailgate, a plug to run external power, all resting on a lifted, upgraded suspension and, in the rendering at least, truly meaty tires on beadlock wheels. Inside come "certain upgrades with more rugged and durable materials."   On the first tease, Fisker said he had a special place in mind for the spare tire "that could only be done with an EV." That special place turns out to be a round hollow in the hood, which hearkens to Series I and Series II Land Rovers. The old Rovers rode on itty-bitty skinny tires, though. We hope the Ocean front fascia contains a step to get some leverage for lifting that spare, because it'll take real strength to get that load in and out without banging it on the hood, or worse yet, the windshield. Underneath the spare, a potable water tank lives in the frunk, its refreshing elixir dispensed through a tap next to the front license plate. Seeing where this Ocean is meant to go, that tap better be removable, or that brush guard as strong as Wolverine.   This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. All Force E crossovers automatically get the California mode option that opens the sunroof and all windows at the press of a button. The Force E kit starts off on the 300-horsepower Ocean, but Fisker says a high-performance model will follow.  The company touts having received more than 22,000 expressions of interest without clarifying if that applies to hand-raisers or to depositors.