2023 Fisker Ocean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Fisker-Galpin Rocket Quick Spin [w/video]

There is no shortage of fast Mustangs these days. Roush and Saleen will tune your ordinary 'Stang into something really special. Ford itself offers hot coupes like the new Shelby GT350. Don't even get me started on the endless aftermarket catalogs full of bolt-on whats-its and performance upgrades. Standing out within the huge crowd of tuned Mustangs is hard to do. But you'll definitely notice this one. "I always wanted to do a Mustang," Henrik Fisker told me as we walked toward his latest creation, the Rocket, parked outside the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, CA. The man knows a thing or two about design, after all. He penned the BMW Z8, as well as the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage. But this Rocket is, well, ugly. The rear end isn't totally terrible, and those 21-inch wheels are sort of cool, but taken as a whole, it looks like it swallowed something it doesn't like the taste of. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder – or perhaps, the creator – so we'll let Mr. Fisker explain why the car looks the way it does. See the video below for his brief design walkaround. If you can get past the looks, there's a world of performance to unleash, thanks to the boys at Galpin Auto Sports – the same folks responsible for the GTR1 I drove last year. The Mustang's 5.0-liter V8 gets a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger that improves output to 725 horsepower (the torque figure isn't available), and the car's suspension has been thoroughly reworked to help put all that grunt to the ground. It's very good, yet very familiar. Let me explain. Driving Notes Like the stock Mustang, it's really easy to drive. The car fires up with a growl, you move the shifter into first gear, and the action of engagement is as solid as it is in the normal 5.0-liter car. Both the clutch and throttle have a progressive action, so it's super easy to launch the Rocket (sorry). Once you get going, there's a ton of power to unleash. It doesn't smack you in the face right up front, though – the power delivery is smooth and linear. Easy to manage, too, thanks to that slick six-speed manual transmission. Credit Ford (and Getrag) for making a manual that's able to handle so much extra grunt. That said, the Rocket feels like your typical fast Mustang. It goes like hell in a straight line and there isn't a ton of steering feel. Galpin retuned the electronic power-assisted steering, but it's still too light considering the added power of the car.

Wanxiang wants to restart Fisker Karma production as quickly as possible

It appears that Wanxiang America's $149.2-million acquisition bid was about more than just owning the assets of Fisker Automotive. The Chinese auto parts maker is apparently serious about getting the Karma plug-in hybrid luxury vehicle back on the production line. "We will want to get the Karma back online as quickly as possible." "We will want to get the Karma back online as quickly as possible," Pin Ni, president of Wanxiang America, told The Boston Globe. More details will likely be released by Wanxiang now that US Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross has officially approved the purchase. Gross was satisfied that the purchase price includes a 20-percent stake in Fisker for creditors valued at $15 million – something that was not addressed by the original bids from Wanxiang and Hong Kong-based Hybrid Tech Holdings. Wanxiang also owns the maker of the Karma's lithium battery pack, A123 Systems. Creditors were delighted to see Wanxiang's bid, according to attorney William Baldiga, whose law firm represented creditors. "The value is six times what [Fisker] said it was worth when it filed for bankruptcy," Baldiga said, describing the negotiations as "two and a half days of yelling, screaming, bidding." In documents that Wanxiang filed with the federal court in January, Wanxiang mentioned a three-phase plan: building a hatchback version of the Fisker Atlantic (pictured above); restarting production of the Karma at Valmet in Finland, the plant where all the Karmas have so far been built; and then moving production to VL Automotive's manufacturing facility in Michigan. That means Bob Lutz, ex-General Motors vice chairman, could come back into the picture. In the first part of 2013, Lutz and Wanxiang tried to purchase Fisker. Lutz has as ownership stake in VL Automotive and wants to put small-block Corvette V8 engines into Karma bodies, calling the resulting vehicle the Destino. Wanxiang has said VL is the "soul of Fisker," so now that the company has the body, the revival can't be far behind. Featured Gallery Fisker Atlantic: New York 2012 News Source: The Boston Globe Green Plants/Manufacturing Fisker Electric PHEV a123 systems wanxiang karma

Recharge Wrap-up: Model X pinch sensor update, Karma plans first store

Tesla has improved Model X pinch sensor function in its latest over-the-air update. As we've seen, the pinch sensors already stop the falcon wing doors from completely shutting when they sense an obstruction. Now, though, the doors retract slightly after the sensors are triggered. While the pre-update doors didn't appear to do as much damage to human fingers as they do to various foodstuffs, it definitely looked uncomfortable, especially when one's hand is stuck in the partially closed door. Now, any pinch that does occur should be brief. See the updated sensors at work in the video above, and read more from Teslarati. Karma Automotive will move to Kawasaki's former headquarters in Irvine, California where it will also open its first store. The revival of the now defunct Fisker will sell its Revero plug-in hybrid through both dealerships and company-owned stores like the one planned for its new two-building campus. The property owner, Bixby, had planned to renovate the site, but now says Karma will make its own improvements. Bixby said it was seeking, "a progressive-minded tenant that would value the unique configuration," and appears to have found just that in Karma. Read more at Electrek, or from the OC Register. San Francisco is asking residents for help in expanding its subways. Using an online tool called Subway Vision, users can draw their own subway lines and stations that they'd like to see built and submit them to planners. Listening to the public is a useful tool for the city because, as Grahm Satterwhite, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's principal planner, admits, "Transportation planners may be too close to a problem to see the solution." This approach allows the subway expansions to "reflect the vision of not just a few transportation planners, but of all San Franciscans," he says. Read more from FastCo.Exist. Toyota is continuing its commitment to Yellowstone National Park with a sustainable Youth Campus for environmental education. The automaker donated $1 million to Yellowstone for the facility, which is seeking Living Building Challenge certification. It will have onsite wastewater treatment for its locally sourced water usage, and will generate all of its electricity needs from photovoltaic panels, with excess to put back into the grid. The campus will have classrooms and residences for students and staff for its youth programs.