13 Jan 09 11:04
Fisker Automotive has shown its Karma S 'Sunset' concept, a drop-top version of the Karma plug-in hybrid coupe.
Like the coupe, it's a four-seater, and it shares the same aluminium spaceframe structure; its power-operated hard top slides away neatly into the boot.
The Karma powertrain, developed for Fisker by Quantum Technologies, combines a pair of electric motors with a direct-injection, 260bhp 2.0-litre GM Ecotec petrol engine to give a total power output of 403bhp.
It's capable of 50 miles in electric-only mode, and while Fisker has not yet revealed performance figures, its 0-60mph time is likely to be around the six-second mark and its top speed over 120mph.
Fisker has also shown the production version of the Karma coupe, with an all-new interior and improved dashboard - free of all black plastics, the company stresses.
Main man Henrik Fisker says 22 dealers have signed up to sell the Karma and Karma S, and he hopes to have 40 by the end of the year. He has taken orders for 1,300 cars already, and hopes to be making 15,000 a year in the near future. Prices for the Karma start from $87,900 (£58,600).
Check out the rest of our Detroit Motor Show coverage.
