556 HP for VL Productions Destino, Gas-Enhanced Fisker Karma

Previous Vice Chairman of General Motors, Bob Lutz, has united with Gilbert Villarreal to construct and sell the VL Productions Destino, which is actually a Fisker Karma without the electricity.

Fisker’s huge list of problems has lead to its bankruptcy, but the American brand had one thing going for it: the Karma was a nice looking vehicle. It was a shame that it was constructed in a cheap style and its electric powertrain had more problems than we can imagine, but the Karma’s exterior was catchy and sported a supercar fashion. That’s the main reason VL Productions will use it as a base for its Destino.

VL has received 20 Karma “gliders,” models that are missing batteries and an electric powertrain prior to Fisker’s bankruptcy. The Destino, which will cost approximately $185,000, will be enhanced by the 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 engine equipped in the Cadillac CTS-V with 556 hp. According to Lutz, VL has 100 orders for the Destino so far, mostly from the Middle East. Current Karma buyers have also asked VL to gauge the cost to transform their cars to gasoline enhanced with the Cadillac’s V8.

VL currently rates the conversion to run $85,000 to $90,000. Destino sales are going to start in the 3rd quarter of this year, but that’s contingent on the brand meeting its own quality standards, plus governmental safety and emissions limits.