Fisker has been pretty consistent about pushing back the dates for its Karma plug-in, making it appear more like vaporware than an upcoming market product. However, the company is reportedly pushing a solid date (for now). According to a Santa Monica Fisker dealer, production on the Karma will begin in the first quarter of next year, with deliveries scheduled to commence in March or April.

Before that, detailed mock-ups of the car’s interior, materials and options will show up at the LA Auto Show in November, where Fisker will begin taking orders. Shortly thereafter, the dealer will have some models available for test-driving for deposit-holders. Check out a little more in the video below. [Green Car Reports via LeftLaneNews]

Electric motorcycles are a tough sell; you can easily get superior efficiency out of a regular motorcycle when compared to a car, so you’re already doing your part. Plus, having 200 mph worth of power underneath your package is rewarding whether you plan to use it all on one trip or not. Why dull that down for an electric drivetrain?

Well, Brammo is getting closer to making a persuasive argument. Its new Empulse, is a muscular moto that is capable of speeds up to 100 mph and a range of up to 100 miles–why they didn’t call it the Empulse 100 is beyond me. Not only that, but it emulates raw capability from its compact but powerful stance.

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1994 Mini Spiritual Concept

When your brand is named ‘Mini’, it has got to be a little difficult to move upmarket and offer larger, more powerful vehicles. Really, the only logical place to go is down. And according to a new report on Autoweek, that’s exactly what Mini has in the works.

The report indicates that Mini is designing an even smaller subcompact to compete with the SmartForTwo. It will bear a name such as the “Mini Minor” or “Mini Mini.” A concept version may appear at next year’s Geneva Motor Show, and is expected to feature either two or three seats. The company intends to gauge reaction before deciding whether or not to offer a production version.

Anyone else think that we may one day see an open-air car with nothing more than one seat, one wheel and a set of hand brakes? [Autoweek via Carscoop]

Ask yourself a couple of quick questions. Do I like sexy sports sedans? Do I find sweeping mountain vistas appealing? Does brilliant, high-end engineering resonate with my soul? Do the words Aston and Martin go together better than most any two words in my native tongue?

If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above, don’t waste any more time reading and skip to the video after the break. If not, I’m not sure I can convince you, but let me try anyway. The video combines some track footage with some windy, Italian Alps road footage and also gives a peek at the development process behind the Rapide.

And if you find nothing I said appealing, what exactly are you doing reading a car blog? [via MotorAuthority]

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Good news/bad news: Citroen is considering producing two of its most intriguing concepts in recent memory: the Survolt sports coupe and the Metropolis luxury sedan. Unfortunately, there’s no Citroen here in the U.S. But since most Americans wouldn’t be buying one anyway, the good news wins: we’ll still be able to gawk at the models if Citroen pulls the trigger. As an added bonus, I’m thinking the production Survolt will lose the pink gills.

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Yes, Mansory is back on our home page. And you know what that means: Something awful happened. This something awful is called the White Ghost. Yes, a fun, playful name on the new Rolls, but the name is where the fun ends.

Eye over the exterior and you can almost be lulled into thinking the White Ghost isn’t half bad. It’s very white. It’s a Rolls. It’s hard to find much fault.

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We’ve been waiting for the upgraded track-spec 458 for a few months now, and Ferrari has chosen this fine July day to reward our patience. It introduced the new model at its Annual Dealer Meeting in Maranello.

The 458 Challenge gets a little more serious and responsive thanks to upgrades that include tinkering of the gear ratios and F1 transmission to bolster torque at lower revs, addition of the F1-Trac traction system that provides traction monitoring and settings for wet and dry conditions, race suspension, Brembo CC2 brakes and 19-inch wheels covered in Pirelli slicks. The engine remains the same 570 hp V8 from 458 Italia.

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I’m not so sure that one Natan Linder will ever be as debonair and successful as Tony Stark. His name certainly isn’t as catchy. However, he is just as innovative, in the eyes of Audi.

The MIT graduate student took home the top spot in Audi’s Tony Stark Innovation Challenge, raking in $15,000 of funding for his invention, a track drive in the Audi R8 and a variety of spa treatments and wardrobe upgrades to make him look and feel like Tony Stark.

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Yes, it’s another installment of the 2011 Ford Explorer teaser marathon that just won’t end. Only this one comes with some good news: an official end. Ford announced that it will publicly debut the Explorer at an event in NYC on July 26. Sometime before that, Ford will debut the Explorer on Facebook. The Manhattan event will be hosted by Ford frontman Mike Rowe, and as Ray Wert of Jalopnik astutely points out, a NYC event ” says pretty much everything you need to know about the off-road “capabilities” of the new Explorer.”

As for the latest teaser, it’s a headlight. Thanks for not stringing this thing out, Ford. [via Jalopnik and AutoBlog]