In movies and novels, bringing the dead back to life usually ends badly – think Frankenstein, Stephen King’s Pet Sematary and Jurassic Park. In the auto business, resurrection is often cause for celebration, particularly among collectors and fans of high-end luxury models, notably Bugatti,
Maybach and even Honda’s revival of the Acura NSX sports car.
In the case of the $130,000 Karma Revero plug-in hybrid, it’s a reincarnation of the striking Fisker Karma, a high-profile experiment that collapsed before establishing its place in the premium auto market. That is, beyond 2,000 or so initial buyers, many of whom retain a surprising passion for the original cars. The renamed car’s arrival, backed by a patient Chinese investor, is one of the most unlikely vehicle comebacks since the relaunch of the legendary Indian Motorcycle brand.
Karma Automotive, the company behind the reanimation, unwrapped an updated version of the luxury plug-in hybrid this month and has begun taking orders for the Revero. Where the original cars were built under contract at a factory in Finland, Reveros are being produced at a new Karma-owned plant in California’s Moreno Valley, about 40 miles west of Palm Springs.
The new model reflects an overhaul of the original to bolster quality throughout, including improvements to the electrical system, enhancements to the powertrain and interior and the addition of a new infotainment system. The car’s exterior, its most notable feature, also got “nips and tucks” that were as much functional — to improve air flow — as a cosmetic freshening, according to design chief Alexander Klatt, a key member of the design team for the original car who was lured back to work for Karma.
Revero’s $130,000 base price includes just about everything available, with options limited mainly to exterior and interior colors and choice of wheels, at least for now.
Karma’s distinctive new gauge cluster for the Revero (Karma)
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