Why Fisker is in Trouble

Fisker is in serious trouble and it's not because it's namesake, Henrik Fisker left the company or because Justin Bieber is it's unofficial spokesperson. 

 

The problem stems from the car itself.  Yes, the outside is beautiful.  No surprise considering Henrik Fisker designed the Aston Martin DB2 and BMW Z8.  But the beauty is only skin deep.  Underneath it's essentially a custom-bodied Chevrolet Volt, with an interior made from recycled terry-cloth and velour from the 1980's Star Trek movie franchise. 

 In full disclosure, I have not driven the Karma.  I have not sat in the Karma.  The closest I could get to a Karma was at a recent auto show, where pressed my nose to the driver side window.  And it is from this limited perspective that I came away with three thoughts:

1. Why would anyone buy a Karma when they could buy a Volt and either pocket the other sixty grand and change, or buy a weekend toy?  If I had that kind of money, I'd take the Volt and a 80's Ferrari Testarossa or Lotus Esprit. 
2. The Esprit would be cool.  Similar interior to the Karma with equally eye catching looks and similar odds of burning up or melting down on the road. 
3. If you really want an eye catching car that flaunts your environmental creds, why wouldn't you buy a Tesla Model S? 

If I were to sum up my impression of the Fisker Karma in one sentence, it would be this:  The Fisker Karma is the 21st Century's Stutz Blackhawk.