VLF Destino: new Fisker Karma at Detroit 2016
VLF Automotive launches rebodied Fisker Karma at the Detroit Motor Show, with 6.2-litre V8
Newly-formed US firm VLF Automotive has made waves at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show with this: the Destino. Its a $229,000 luxury saloon with a 629bhp 6.2-litre supercharged V8.
If the Destino looks familiar, that's because its a restyled and re-engineered version of the ill-fated Fisker Karma. Fisker has had an extremely turbulent 5 years, with financial worries, production delays, eventual bankrupcy, a new owner and a name change.
During all this, a small company called VL Automotive bought the rights to use the Karma platform, ripped out the complex hybrid engineering and shoehorned-in a good old-fashioned V8 engine. Now Henrik Fisker, previously CEO of Fisker Automotive, has joined VL to form VLF Automotive.
Confused? We don't blame you. But the important thing is that the whole process has resulted in the VLF Destino and it's poised to take on some of the priciest saloons and four-door coupes on the market. The supercharged V8, sourced from a Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, is capable of 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 200mph. That's impressive considering the Destino weighs nearly two-tonnes.
VLF plans to offer the Destino as a production car later this year, but it will be limited to 100-units a year built at a factory in Michigan. The firm is reportedly considering other powertrains, too.
What do you think of VLF Automotive's take on the Karma?
