The all new, hybrid Karma GS-6
In a world where the sight of Ferraris, lamborghinis and Porsches is no longer something that you’ll likely only catch sight of when you visit Monte-Carlo or Dubai, but where Lamborghini models or the freshest iteration of the Porsche 911 can be commonly seen in most cities in North America, some of us who can afford such luxury may choose to look at more unique options. The Karma G6-S is a car for those of us who appreciate driving something more unique, less mainstream and now, more environmentally friendly than the supercars of yesteryear.
If at first glance the GS-6’s features and profile seem a little familiar, that’s because they are. Automaker Karma, founded in 2014 has re-imagined the Fisker Karma which came into its own as a stunning, fun to drive alternative to the bigger, more well-known super car brands. To my eyes, it blends a bit of Aston Martin elegance with Porsche brawn, but don’t be fooled, the G6-S is a hybrid supercar running on a 28kw battery which powers two motors. On full stealth mode (batteries only) the car has a range of 100 km, while in normal mode, a BMW sourced 1.5-liter turbo-charged 3-cylinder engine kicks in to not only recharge the batteries, but to add additional torque individually to either of the two electric motors driving the rear tires, delivering acceleration times of 4.5 seconds from 0-60mph.
The interior of the vehicle, while luxurious, is also an exercise in simplicity. A large central infotainment display with a minimal amount of manual push-buttons or knobs allows you to control all the vehicle’s functions. Make no mistake about it though, the G6-S’ hefty weight won’t give you the razor sharp handling you’d expect of one of its Italian or British competitors, but it will seat 4 adults in style and will definitely turn a lot of heads as you cruise down the boulevard.. in silence.
