Thursday, January 31, 2013

Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower

Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower Former GM Vice President “Maximum” Bob Lutz has brought us some wild cars over the years. But his latest effort, built in collaboration with boutique carmaker VL Automotive, may be his wildest. Called the Destino, the custom vehicle is a four-door sports car that combines the best of both worlds with the Fisker Karma’s curvaceous body and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's power.

Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower

Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower
Destino-front-view
Destino-rear-view
Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower
Destino-interior-view-cockpit-area

 Ultimate Remix V-8-Powered Destino Has Fisker Looks, Corvette ZR1 Firepower

First shown at this week’s 2013 Detroit auto show, the Destino features slightly different styling modifications to set it apart from the always-grinning Karma. The Destino sits atop a 124.4-inch wheelbase and is 202.8 inches long. After reengineering the chassis, VL Automotive was able to rip out the Karma’s range-extended electric drivetrain in favor of the ZR1's earth-shaking 638-hp, 604-lb-ft supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V-8. That power is sent to the wheels via a manual or automatic transmission, though specifics have not been revealed.
Normally, the Karma is powered by a GM-sourced, turbocharged 260-hp 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder, which supplies juice to the two electric motors driving the rear wheels. Electricity is stored in a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and the Karma can travel under electric power for an estimated average of 32 miles, at which point the I-4 gas engine kicks in and extends range by another 250 miles.
The Destino is said to compete with the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide, and will be delivered on a first-come, first-served basis. Prototypes are being tested, and the Destino is scheduled to go on sale later this year.
Do you like the Karma better with a conventional powertrain? Tell us in the comments below.