Fisker Automotive was a venture by Henrik Fisker Bernhard Koehler that aimed to produce the first luxury plug-in range-extender sedan. Their efforts resulted in the short-lived Fisker Automotive Karma, which was manufactured for just two years, in Finland by Valmet Automotive. With under 2,500 produced, the Karma is quite a rare automotive curio, and we’ve got one of these in our inventory right now. It’s a Georgia-based 2012 Fisker Automotive Karma Eco Standard with just 11,799 miles on its wheels. If you’re seeking something rare and quirky, why not give it a try?

Exterior and Interior

Henrik Fisker himself designed the Karma, which is a full-size luxury car coming in at nearly 196 inches, although it doesn’t look that long due to its lithe and powerful styling. This 2012 Fisker Automotive Karma Eco Standard wears a black paintjob with the Eclipse exterior package, and rolls on shiny five-spoke Circuit Blade aluminum wheels. Face on, you are glared at by its Bi-Xenon headlamps. It’s also got a solar panel roof that’s claimed to help extend its range by a modest amount. The interior of this 2012 Fisker Automotive Karma Eco Standard is in Black Onyx, and seats four occupants, with a high centre tunnel separating the rear seating. As a luxury product, you’ve got plenty of tech, including dual-zone climate control, heated front seats that are six-way power adjustable with memory and lumbar as well, a 10.2-inch multifunction touchscreen that would have been positively large for 2012, premium seating and interior surfaces, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel mounted phone and audio controls and interior LED lighting. You also get an auto-dimming rear view mirror with Homelink and the requisite safety features.

Engine

The 2012 Fisker Automotive Karma Eco Standard is a plug-in range extender, which means that it’s got a 2.0L turbocharged direct-injection GM Ecotec four-cylinder engine rated at 260hp, however none of that directly reaches the wheels. Instead, the engine powers a generator to help charge the 20.1kWh 336-volt battery, as well as send energy directly to the twin motors that drive the wheels. Each axle is powered by a 201hp 480lb-ft electric motor with single-speed reduction and limited-slip differential, for a system total of 402hp and 960lb-ft. This enables the Karma to sprint from zero to sixty in under six seconds when Sport mode is selected, belying its 5,300lb kerb weight. Top speed is electronically limited to 125mph. Braking is accomplished via Brembo disc brakes on all wheels, supplemented by regenerative braking.