Car guy extraordinaire Bob Lutz is at it again. This time the former General Motors Vice Chairman is partnering with industrialist Gilbert Villereal on the "Destino" coupe, which made its world premier today at the North American International Auto show in Detroit as the newest four-door performance car in the world market of exclusive automobiles. Although the design is based on the Fisker Karma, this is no hybrid – it's powered by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 powertrain.
"The goal in designing and engineering this automobile is to provide true motoring enthusiasts with an exquisite work of automotive art that performs at a world-class level. Attention to detail is a paramount concern, as is reliability and ease of maintenance," according to Lutz.
"We have made styling modifications to differentiate our design and re-engineered the chassis to accommodate the 638bhp ZR1's handcrafted LS9 engine with either a manual or automatic transmission. The result is truly an American designed, engineered and manufactured four-door performance car that rivals such models as the Porsche Panamera and Aston-Martin-Lagonda Rapide.
"We are developing our distribution network now and will deliver Destino on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers will have the option of customizing the exterior color and interior trim," Lutz added.
The Destino has an overall length of 202.8in. and a 124.4-in. wheelbase. Overall height is 52.4in.
The car will be manufactured in Auburn Hills, Mich., under the auspices of VL Productions. Destino is scheduled for retail sales in the second half of 2013 and is expected to sell for about $180,000.
Additional information, specifications and photos are available at www.VL-Automotive.com.
RACER Executive Publisher Paul Pfanner and Executive Producer John Chambers contributed to this report