Green is new black in Detroit
Thursday, 17 Jan 2008 16:16
Fisker Karma
Green themes have dominated this week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, with each company flaunting their green credentials.
But green doesn't necessarily have to be lean – as some leading manufacturers have sought to reduce the carbon output of their vehicles without sacrificing their performance.
Among the high-performance coupe action on the show floor was Fisker Automotive’s Karma plug-in hybrid sports car.
The vehicle is a challenge to the vision of hybrids as dull-but-worthy commuter boxes – protecting the environment at the expense of luxury.
The Karma is capable of 0-60mph in just 5.8 seconds and has a top speed of 125mph.
Yet the company's chief executive, Henrik Fisker, claims the car is greener than a Toyota Prius, saying.
Fisker - who designed both the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9 - said the car was "an environmentally friendly car without compromise" and that it would make ‘green’ seem sexy.
The Lexus LF-A Roadster has also been attracting attention.
A soft-top version of the coupe shown 12 months ago, the car is capable of generating 500bhp from a front-mounted five-litre V10 – although is it not quite as clean as the Fisker.
A less expensive, but no less important coupe on display at the show is the Cadillac CTS Coupe.
The vehicle was a surprise unveiling at the show, with Cadillac hoping its two-door angular-style and 3.6-litre V6-engined might just be the car to kick-start flagging UK sales.