Lutz Says ZR1-Powered Karma On Track for 2014 Launch, will Present New Body Style in Detroit

When Fisker went down under earlier this year, questions arose about the future of Bob Lutz’s latest venture with VL Productions, which had presented a Corvette ZR1 V8-powered version of the Karma saloon at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

And indeed, there were problems, however, Lutz told Automotive News on Thursday that the Detroit venture company has succeeded in buying 25 unsold Karmas while also settling a dispute with an Asian investor that had prohibited VL Productions from accessing the codes that operate the vehicle’s infotainment system.

“Without getting those codes, it was close to impossible to get a working car,” Lutz told the publication. He added that that it will take some time for the engineering work to be completed, but the company is on track to deliver the first cars to customers in mid-2014.

“It’s going to take time,” said Lutz. “I don’t want a rough car that’s hard to drive with a bad transmission and high noise levels. At close to $200,000, these things are going to have to be silky and buttery to drive. The sound and feel have to be just right,” he added.

The Destino does away with the stock Karma’s plug-in hybrid powertrain replacing it with a 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1 C6 paired to either a manual or an automatic transmission.

Lutz noted that “he has confidence” that VL has acquired “a source of body panels and gliders — cars that are assembled minus the drivetrain” to continue production of the Destino even after the initial run of 25 cars. Furthermore, he said that the company is also planning to offer a Corvette engine conversion package to current owners of the Karma for around $100,000, just as long as the cars are in “pristine condition”.

Ending the conversation with Autonews, Lutz revealed that VL will show the Destino along with a new body style at the forthcoming Detroit Auto Show in January 2014.

Recently, VL launched a special series of watches signed by Bob Lutz himself, which will be included with the sale of each Destino.

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