2012 Fisker Karma on 2040-cars

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Galpin Auto Sports and Fisker turn the Mustang into a Rocket in LA [w/video]

Galpin Auto Sport and Henrik Fisker made big promises about the Rocket before its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, calling it the "ultimate American muscle car." Now that this 725-horsepower carbon-fiber Ford Mustang has officially been revealed, we've now got a chance to see if their vision backs up all the bluster. The Rocket is based off the latest 2015 Mustang, but the entire exterior design has been substantially reworked by Fisker. "This is a project born out of passion, it's a dream come true, to have the opportunity to 'touch' a Mustang and apply my design ideas to it," he says in the model's announcement. The biggest changes come up front, where Fisker has added a gaping hexagonal grille with a polished bar running and two nearly hidden driving lights at the top corners. Long nostrils run down each side of the hood, taking their inspiration from the 1968 Shelby GT500. The Rocket's design also emphasizes its scalloped sides, which run back to functional ducts at the rear to cool the Brembo Grand Turismo brakes. When checking out the Rocket from the rear, it's easy to spot the wider fenders that are beautifully blended into the integrated spoiler. The interior has been left mostly alone beyond some eye-grabbing red leather and carbon-fiber trim. Under the hood, Galpin spokesperson Nathan Hoyt has confirmed to Autoblog that the Rocket employs a 5.0-liter V8 with a Whipple supercharger which can be called to attention with a six-speed manual gearbox. It took only a few months for the vehicle to go from conception to reality. Fisker showed Galpin President Beau Boeckmann early sketches at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the two parties went from there. "When Henrik showed me his ideas, I got chills - it's literally the most beautiful Mustang I have ever seen," says Boeckmann in the company's release. Production is set to begin in December, with deliveries starting in early 2015. There's no set production total in mind for now, but Hoyt tells Autoblog that the price will be "just over $100,000." Scroll down to read all of the details about Fisker and Galpin's Rocket.

Fisker brings new Ronin, Alaska, Pear, and Ocean Force E to 'Product Vision Day'

With the Fisker Ocean reaching customers and a so-far successful first wave of media drives, company CEO Henrik Fisker took the stage in Huntington Beach, California last night to go over the products that are part of Fisker, Inc's second chapter. These are the Pear city car, which Fisker expects to be the company's best-seller; the Ronin four-door convertible flagship, produced in limited numbers; the Alaska pickup, built on an extended version of the Ocean's platform; and the Force E off-road package for the Ocean, available as a factory option or a dealer-installed kit after purchase. The CTO was also there to discuss the new Blade processing platform that will make all of the company's in-car tech dreams come true and debut with the Pear. We'll start with the Pear. It's built on a new SLV1 platform, an acronym Fisker said stood for "simple, versatile, and volume." We're not sure what the L is for, perhaps light, based on the claim the Pear uses 35% fewer parts than an equivalent city car. Engineers achieved this with measures like producing a single symmetrical armrest piece that fits all four doors. Parked on stage next to an Ocean, the Pear is clearly smaller, but it doesn't look at all small. We'll need to see it in the open with other objects for reference to understand the sizing. There were neat design elements like the giant windshield, the concave hatch glass attached at the top to the spoiler, a flash glass panel arcing over the roof at the rear three-quarter, and a taillight that formed an oval around the backlight. The hero car also had a roof full of solar panels.  The way the CEO talked about Pear features, the target audience of urban dwellers moves in packs that need places to store lots of stuff and maybe sleep. "Everything in the dash is about storage," he said, revealing an instrument panel with a central screen surrounded by recesses, some of the recesses topped by rubber straps that secure goods. He didn't demonstrate the front trunk, which he called the front boot in UK English, then shortened to "froot." He did demonstrate the Houdini trunk. When an owner wants to load the rear bay, the hatch glass disappears into the lower metal portion of the hatch, then that lower potion slides down into the bumper. A neat piece that doesn't need room in a tight parking spot, takes a lot longer than opening a hatch, though.

Fisker Ocean will start at $379 per month under subscription service

As promised, Fisker on Wednesday opened the order books for its forthcoming Ocean battery-electric SUV and announced pricing and other details ahead of its launch in 2022. Also as promised, the eco-luxury ‘ute will come in well below what Volvo is charging under its Care by Volvo subscription program. Fisker will make the Ocean available primarily through a monthly lease that starts at $379 per month through its mobile app, which is now live for iOS and Android platforms. That compares to $700 per month to get into Care by Volvo with the XC40, and mileage limits are twice those of the latter, at 30,000 miles per year, compared to 15,000 for Volvo. That makes good on founder Henrik FiskerÂ’s promises to be cheaper and more generous on mileage than its competitor. However, youÂ’ll need to put down $2,999 to trigger that price level, compared to just $500 to get started under Care by Volvo. And unlike its benchmarked competitor, insurance is not included, though Fisker says it expects customers will be able to access affordable quotes through its mobile app “due to a unique and proprietary low cost of service and maintenance model.” Similar to some other subscription services, the Fisker lease program eschews long-term contracts in favor of giving customers flexibility to return the vehicle any time, even after as little as a month. It also covers maintenance and service, with pickup and return of the vehicle included. Check out AutoblogÂ’s Complete Guide to Car Subscriptions. Fisker says there will be five option packages for the Ocean, available closer to the end of the year, that are designed to reduce the complexity of option configurators. Fisker will also set up what itÂ’s calling “experience centers” in shopping districts and airports where customers will be able to see the vehicles and spec packages. Starting in 2021, customers will also be able to schedule test drives through the mobile app. The company released some new details, including a “California Mode” — presumably a retractable sunroof feature — that will be standard on all trim grades above the base version, four-wheel drive versions with electric motors front and rear, and the promise of a five-star safety rating. Reservations cost $250 and are fully refundable.