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Bob Lutz Says ZR1-Powered VL Destino Will Cost $200K, Do 200 MPH

Bob Lutz’s plan to take the unused bodies of the now defunct Fisker hybrid vehicle brand and stick the 6.2-liter LS9 V8 engine from the C6 Corvette ZR1 in them is beginning to take shape. The former General Motors executive recently wrote a piece for Fortune magazine about his new start-up, where he shared the story of the ZR1-powered Fisker, the VL Destino.

Lutz says the Destino will defy “what many believe to be an irreversible trend toward electrification.” While the majority of major automakers are swapping out their V8 powertrains for electrified and hybrid power, Lutz is busy pulling out the pesky earth friendly bits from Fiskers and replacing them with the fossil fuel-addicted engine from one of the most high performance Corvettes ever built. The result is a four door with 630 horsepower that will do 200 mph. Take that, Tesla.

Lutz says he’d love to take credit for being the brains behind the Destino, but he can’t. His business partner, Gilbert Villarreal, loved the styling of the Karma, but preferred the high-performance of the Corvette ZR1. Villarreal purchased a couple of Fisker Karma prototypes and LS9 engines, had his employees cobble them together and thus, the Destino was born. This gave Lutz two cars to tout on the auto show circuit, which he says was the easy part.

Due to Fisker’s bankruptcy, a bunch of unpaid Fisker suppliers and other electronics problems, getting the Destino prototypes on the road was harder and cost more than Lutz and Villareal expected. The prototype is now completely drivable and “is nimble, with precise steering and confidence-inspiring brakes,” Lutz said.

Lutz says his customers are people who want a luxurious, high performance car that is made in the United States. Deliveries to the first buyers of the $200,000 sedan are expected to commence by the end of this year.

Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. Oh this will go well.

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