FISKER KARMA

FISKER KARMA

As a 5,300-pound, full-size, four-door sedan, Fisker Karma is an unusual supercar: it is fuel efficient and “the first true electric luxury vehicle with extended range” capable of 112 miles per gallon of gas. Karma made its debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. Fisker uses cheap, lightweight sheet molding compound body panels to decrease weight and increase fuel efficiency.

Karma is a hybrid powered by a four-cylinder, 2,000-cc, 260-horsepower turbocharged engine and by two 120-kilowatt electric motors charged by lithium ion batteries. The front-mounted four-cylinder gas engine generates electricity for the drive motors and the batteries. The electric motors are the sole forces directly driving the wheels. Karma has the top speed of 125-mph and reaches 60 mph in 6.3 seconds – those are ambitious claims for a car weighing more than two and a half tons.

The cars are manufactured in Finland. The first deliveries occurred in the USA in July 2011, and about 1,800 units went to North America and Europe by December 2012. Production suspended in November 2012 with about 2,450 Karmas built. Fisker Automotive filed for bankruptcy in November 2013. Successor owners say they plan to resume Karma production by the end of 2014 or early 2015.

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FALCON F7

FALCON F7

Five years ago, engineer and car enthusiast Jeff Lemke decided to build his personal supercar and commenced work on the Falcon F7 project. Falcon Motorsports completed the project just in time to present a production version at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

F7 has a gas-welded aluminum chassis with a reinforced carbon-fiber floor pan, carbon-fiber body panels, and an eight-cylinder, 7,000-cc General Motors LS7 engine behind the seats tuned up to 620 horsepower. Like most small automotive enterprises, Falcon Motorsports has yet to develop its own engine, transmission, or suspension, instead of using Chevrolet Corvette Z06 components under license. At 2,800 pounds, the carbon fiber F7 is not a lightweight, but with its 1:4.5 power to weight ratio it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds. Falcon Motorsports claims the top speed of 190 to 200 mph.

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DODGE VIPER GTS

DODGE VIPER GTS

The 2013 Viper GTS, formerly the SRT GTS, reclaimed its original name as an American sports car classic. The Viper’s aluminum, ten-cylinder, 8,400-cc, 640-horsepower engine and six-speed manual transmission can accelerate the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Five generations of the Viper have been in production since 1992 except for a brief 2007 hiatus.

The Viper GTS adjustable suspension, advanced electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, projector headlights with light-emitting diode daytime running lights, turn signals, and taillights are standard safety features.

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DODGE CHALLENGER SRT8 392

DODGE CHALLENGER SRT8 392

Dodge introduced the third generation of Challenger in 2008 and gave it the SRT8 392 engine in 2011. “SRT” stands for “Street & Racing Technology,” Chrysler’s high-performance division, “392” for displacement in cubic inches. The SRT8 392 graces the Challenger platform with an eight-cylinder, 6,400-cc, 470-horsepower Chrysler Hemi® engine  named after its hemispherically-shaped combustion chamber. The five-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions complement the car’s big Brembo brakes, stiff suspension, and steering that gives drivers a good feel for road conditions. An eight-speed automatic transmission replaces the five-speed for the 2015 model year. The Challenger SRT8 accelerates to 60 mph from a parked start in under 4.5 seconds.

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CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1

CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1

The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful model of America’s most famous sports car ever. An adaptively responsive suspension, a complex multi-stage traction control system, an aluminum and carbon fiber body composition for light weight, and the eight-cylinder, 6,200-cc engine tuned to put out 638 horsepower allow the coupe to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.8 seconds to a top speed beyond 200 mph.

ZR1 has a six-speed manual transmission with an upgraded flywheel nearly 10 ounces lighter than those in previous models. The Magnetic Selective Ride Control adjusts shock-absorber damping according to either tour or sport mode automatically adjusted to driving conditions and dynamics for best handling.

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