Along with the public unveiling of the production Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan, Fisker will also takes the wraps off a new concept car at next month’s Detroit Auto Show. The concept is called Karma S, where S stands for Sunset - something that could point towards a convertible version of the Karma saloon. The California based company said that the Karma S will be powered by the Karma’s Q-DRIVE powertrain, developed in cooperation with Quantum Technologies exclusively for Fisker. The system offers a 50 mile range on a single charge to its Lithium-Ion battery pack, and an output of up to 408HP from the two electric motors. Fisker will announce more details about the Karma S at the company’s press conference on January 12, 2009.

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We’ve taken an in-depth look into what it takes to create a road-legal three-wheeled motorcycle in the past, and California has just made it even easier to enter the market in that far-left State. As noted before, it’s a constantly evolving set of rules because each state is left up to its own to decide what’s legal and what isn’t. Companies such as Aptera have specifically chosen to market their first products in California because of that State’s lax definition of a motorcycle, something that is actually about to change once again. Specifically, there will no longer be a weight limit on three-wheeled vehicles - no matter what, they will be classified as motorcycles and will therefore be allowed in High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in that State. California will also no longer differentiate between motorcycles that run on alternative fuels. Regardless of whether it’s powered by gasoline, electricity, or hydrogen - or anything else for that matter - if it’s got two or three wheels, it’ll be a motorcycle. Period.

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Panerai, an Italian watchmaker, has released a new chronograph celebrating the launch of the Ferrari California convertible. Panerai has titled the timepiece the Ferrari California Flyback Chronograph. The new watch will have a limited production run of 400 units which makes it more exclusive than the vehicle itself! The watch features a beautiful black dial, the “Ferrari” name right under the number 12 and the “California” insignia above the six. The “Flyback” refers to the special function that the watch has which allows one to keep using the chronograph between timing sequences. The watch is made of stainless steel and is 100m water resistant. Ferrari’s famous prancing horse logo can be found engraved on the rotor, the winding crown and push pieces. The precision that Panerai has put into the making of this instrument seems to match the precision that Ferrari has put into its vehicle.

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California, say hello to the bullet train. In the big election America held on Tuesday, one transportation-related measure that passed was California’s Proposition 1A, named the “Safe, Reliable High Speed Passenger Train Bond Act.” Its passage means that almost $10 billion in bond money was approved for an electric train route that will connect San Francisco and Sacramento with Southern California (LA and down to San Diego). Clean transportation advocates are pretty thrilled with the vote, calling it “a clear affirmation of high-speed trains” and saying that better public transportation was “critical to solving global warming and creating real energy independence” as ENS reports. Once completed, the state estimates that a LA to San Francisco trip will take two and a half hours and cost $55.

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The nation watches as California sets its own standards when it comes to vehicles and emissions. It is often the case that other states, and sometimes the entire rest of the country, follow that far-left State’s lead as it progressively makes decisions affecting our vehicles, including motorcycles. There are quite a number of bikes which cannot be sold in California due to its specific motorcycle emissions regulations, a fact which surely dismays many a manufacturer. Of the bikes that can be sold there, they cannot be modified in any way without CARB’s green light. As you may know, it is rather common for motorcyclists to change their exhausts, but this cannot be done without using a CARB-certified exhaust fitted with a catalytic converter. There are many hurdles to making it happen, but meetings between manufacturers, dealers and legislators are currently underway which could allow motorcycle buyers a legal outlet to modify their bikes.

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California may just pass Maryland as the first State to require hybrid and electric cars to have a minimum sound level. While the East Coast state has created a task force to study the issue, the Senate in the far-left State has just now approved a bill which would establish its own committee for the same purpose. The bill will now be passed on to The Governator, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, who has apparently not taken a stance as of yet on the politically-charged issue. Although Cali is just the third-largest State by land area, it is the most populous and has a huge collection of hybrids and electric vehicles due to its strict emissions requirements, and we all know how important California’s auto legislation is for setting the stage across the country.

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