Former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz and business partner Gilbert Villarreal of VL Automotive today unveiled the Destino two-door hard-top convertible at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
The Destino Red concept — based on the Fisker Karma chassis and re-designed by Lutz — now joins the Destino sedan, introduced last year at the show.
A Chevrolet Corvette LT1 or LS9 V8 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission powers the Destino. Tailored color choices and interiors by Katzkin balance the world-class mechanicals to deliver on the promise of a unique and elegant road machine.
Villarreal says production of the vehicle has been delayed as VL Automotive sorts out supplier and other issues.
“We had hoped to be in retail production by now, but a five-month interruption was caused by the reorganization and restructuring of Fisker Automotive, which is a major supplier of some structural components and some body panels,” Villarreal says. “Pending resolution of the bankruptcy proceedings, we will continue to negotiate for those parts in tandem with development of VL Automotive’s own fabricating operations which make front and rear fascias, roofs, trunks, and hoods.”
Lutz said international reaction to Destino has been all he could have imagined. “We have received hundreds of inquiries and orders from customers and dealers in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia,” Lutz says. “We have also been pleasantly surprised by the number of Fisker owners inquiring about conversions. Gilbert and I are preparing for that work, too.”
