A production-ready version of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid sports saloon will finally be unveiled at the Paris motor show in a week or two's time.
After a protracted gestation period - the original car was revealed at the Detroit motor show way back at the beginning of 2008 and orders were supposed to start towards the end of 2009 - the first 'factory-built' Karma is officially heading for Paris, with deliveries to start soon after.
Described by the company as the world's first premium plug-in hybrid, the Karma uses a pair of 200hp electric motors to whisk it to a top speed of 125mph and from 0-62mph in 5.9secs. When the juice from the lithium ion battery cells fades, there's also a 260hp, 2.0-litre petrol motor to keep things moving.
The price for the Karma starts from $87,900 (that's £56,367 in Queen's English), and it doesn't include the swimsuit-clad lady - although you'd never get all your ancillary electrics to work properly with her lying on top of the solar panels on the roof...