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Track-proven Fisker Karma

At the Monterey Historics, the Fisker Karma takes a lap under electric power.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
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Fisker Karma
The Fisker Karma comes around turn 2 at the Mazda Laguna Seca raceway. Mike Markovich/CNET

Before the Monterey Historics, the race for vintage cars that takes place every year in conjunction with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma took a lap around the Mazda Laguna Seca raceway. To be chronologically accurate, the Karma should have taken its lap last, but it did prove that the car really works. With its gas-electric Q-drive hybrid system, the Karma was able to complete its lap under electric power alone, reaching 100 mph on the straightaway in front of the grandstand. The Karma entered the track at turn 5, completed one lap, and came back in. As it has an electric range of 50 miles under normal driving conditions, it probably used a good portion of its charge on this demanding track. With its gas engine used as a generator, it has a total range of 300 miles.