Things aren't looking too great for ol' Fisker these days. They haven't built a car in more than a year, laid off nearly all their employees, are seeking a possible Chinese buyer, and remain nearly $200 million in the hole to U.S. taxpayers. The good news is that the Karma will live on forever in film!
And by "forever," I mean for however long this movie, Paranoia, manages to stay in theaters. It's due out in August, and it stars Thor's little brother Liam Hemsworth as a technology ace who gets tapped to do undercover sabotage at a rival company.
Frankly it doesn't look all that great, and considering the run of films we've had this year it probably isn't, but Gary Oldman is in it and he's always awesome. (I'm also not going to argue with Amber Heard.)
Anyway. The plot of the film seems to involve Little Thor getting dressed up to pose as a rich, successful businessman. To pull the look off, he needs the right car. Something with style and performance, and the price tag to match. And that car is... er, the Fisker Karma. Really.
I had never heard of this movie until the trailer started showing up during baseball games recently, but it seems that Fisker ponied up for some good old fashioned product placement back when filming took place in 2012. You know, back when Fisker was actually making their hybrid luxury sedan. I wonder how much they paid for that?
Here's what USA Today reported last October, right around the time Fisker was in need of some good press thanks to all the "flaming car" unpleasantness:
The car symbolizes Hemsworth making it.
"It goes super quick and doesn't really make any sound. It's all about what my character is aiming for," says Hemsworth. "He's a smart guy and he's always wanted to live the high life."
In the 1980s the car would have been a Porsche. But in 2012, it's a Fisker, the swoopy hybrid electric car being marketed by a Southern California startup automaker.
You read that right: Fisker is the new Porsche. Good job, good effort, USA Today.
Of course now, a year later when Fisker's doom seems all but inevitable, seeing the Karma on the big screen is certain to be ridiculous. Not to mention ineffective product placement, obviously. I have to wonder how many car guys and gals (or just people who are up on the news) will chuckle when they see it on screen.
I kind of feel like a Tesla Model S would have been the better choice here. It's much more potent, has a lot more prestige, and it's still, you know, being made.
The Fisker Karma Gets Some Strange Product Placement In Paranoia