We were telling you recently about the Fisker Karma showing up in fake camo stickers as part of a PR campaign. This being the 21st century and all, video, as well as the still photos, was taken and now is available on YouTube. Said video is equipped with sound and has the Karma accelerating to the tune of something akin to twin turbines. Having heard previously that an actual running prototype of the car wouldn't be seen until closer to the sunset of 2008, we have to wonder what it is making all that racket powering this machine. Is it the rumored VW engine or an electric drivetrain? It doesn't exactly sound like the cross between a "Formula 1 car and a jet plane" that Monsieur Fisker spoke of during it's unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show. Perhaps it's just a simulation of a jet via speakers. Not being able to decide ourselves we leave it to you, the treasured reader, to let us know in your comments after viewing the video on the other side of the jump.

Come rain, come shine... come lawsuits, Fisker appears determined not to let anything get in the way of a late 2009 launch for its upcoming Karma electric sedan. Along with the spy shots over on Autocar, the first indication of what on-board powerplant will charge the batteries is mentioned: a Volkswagen 1.4 liter. No mention is made of which 1.4 liter engine is being considered for the Karma, but we'd imagine it'll be a basic engine without forced induction of any sort if we had to wager an early guess. There is also no mention of whether or not the photographed sedan was using battery power or dino power. Regardless, seeing the Fisker Karma undergoing testing in California gives a bit of a the "warm fuzzies" to those who are in anticipation of the vehicle, which, as its second place finish in our list of the Top 20 most exciting green cars proves, definitely includes AutoblogGreen.

UPDATE: For what it's worth these photos were not captured by a photographer hiding in the bushes. They were apparently actually put out by Fisker's Beverly Hills PR agency Rogers & Cowan. We still don't know anything about the mechanicals of the car in question, only that Fisker is trying to generate some buzz.

[Source: Autocar, Autoweek]

Someone over at Fisker Automotive has been having fun with Photoshop. In the company's gallery of images for the Karma we see the sleek and "sexy" hybrid in a dark blue on some sort of rocky seashore. Very nice. There are also some actual close-up photos of the Karma taken by photographer Robert Kerian. The images are, I think, to accompany the Karma's debut in the April 2008 edition of the Robb Report Collection (pr after the break). The Robb Report is that glossy fantasy magazine that lusts after luxury items, so I guess this makes the Karma now officially drool-worthy. There's no new information about this 100 mpge PHEV, but at least we have something new to drool on look at. Check things out over at the Fisker Automotive website or in the gallery below.

Henrik Fisker is not slowing down. Following a positive reception to his Karma plug-in hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show, Fisker showed off the first picture of a two-door, four-seat convertible at the J.D. Power Roundtable in San Francisco today, according to Automotive News (subs req'd). That little picture is not all we know about this car, as Fisker said it will use the same PHEV powertrain as the Karma and will be available at around the same time (i.e., late 2009). If you've got an Automotive News subscription, you can see a larger version of the image above on the AN site.

While the Karma has four-doors, there is a lot of styling carryover between the two vehicles (based on this one image). The wheels, grille, and body shape all look similar. The two obvious differences are the missing top and reduced number of doors. What do you see? (you can compare the shot above with a large 3/4 shot of the Karma here.

Related:

• Detroit 2008: Fisker Karma live reveal

[Source: Automotive News]

Now that we've seen the Fisker Karma, we're glad to know more about the company behind this $80,000 plug-in hybrid. As part to the Karma's unveiling, Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, the company that is part of the joint venture behind Fisker Automotive, announced that the funding group Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers gave a second round of funding to Fisker. How much? Well, it's a "multi-million dollar investment [that] builds on the initial capital funding from Palo Alto Investors." More details than that were not divulged by Quantum.

KPCB's managing partner, Ray Lane, said in a statement (pasted after the jump) that, "We believe that Fisker Automotive's groundbreaking, forward-thinking design stands to pave the way for a greener and more efficient transportation future." You can believe these things in a serious way when you've got millions of dollars to back up your belief.

Related:

• Detroit 2008: Fisker Karma live reveal

[Source: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc.]

The look of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid that was unveiled in Detroit today is not a surprise. We saw a sneak peek of it all the way back in October. It was on the last day of October, but still. The difference is that now we got to oooh and aaah over this expensive and sleek (and I'm tempted to say shark-like, because that's what it reminded me of) PHEV hybrid in person after the curtain dropped this afternoon. I stood in the polite scrum and shot y'all some pictures of the Karma, just in case you can't find $80,000 to buy a Karma, the first vehicle from Fisker Automotive, Inc. in a few years. The company says it hopes to sell 15,000 Karmas a year when these go on sale towards the end of 2009.

The Karma has impressive performance numbers, with a 0-60 time of under six seconds and a top speed of more than 125 mph. The vehicle is moved by something called the Q Drive, which will be found in all future Fisker Karma derivatives, and has two driving modes: Stealth Drive (a nice name for electric only) and Sport Drive (which uses both parts of the hybrid drivetrain). Should you plug the Karma in at night, you can get 50 miles of EV-only driving. Unlike most high-end sports cars in the green realm (the Tesla Roadster, for example), the Karma has four doors. Like all of the others, this will remain tantalizingly out of reach for most of us. Still, one more player in this realm never hurts.

Video on the way after the jump.

Related:

• More details on Fisker's upcoming hybrid
• Henrik Fisker goes green with ECO-CHIC plug-in vehicle