Automotive designer Henrik Fisker, the man behind the Fisker Karma hybrid vehicle, has filed a USD$100 million lawsuit against Aston Martin. The suit was filed at the US Federal District Court, and claims the British marque committed civil extortion.
Fisker claims that Aston Martin had sent him a “threatening letter” that called for him to either change the design of his upcoming Force 1 supercar, or not display it at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Aston Martin claims in said letter that the Force 1 looks remarkably similar to its own DB10, which was a key highlight in the Bond flick, Spectre. The allegation is based on a sole teaser image of the Force 1 that was uploaded to Henrik Fisker’s website.
Fisker’s legal counsel, Jonathan A. Michaels of MLG Automotive Law, countered Aston Martin’s allegations by pointing out, “we do not know what the final version of Fisker’s Force 1 will look like.” The lawsuit adds that the Force 1 does not utilise any Aston Martin chassis and is “completely distinct from any Aston Martin vehicle that has ever been made, including the DB10.”
Fisker’s lawyers highlighted several differences between the Aston Martin DB10 and Focus 1’s design as well. The lawsuit contends Aston Martin is “greatly threatened by Fisker’s return to the sports car market.”
It continues by stating that Aston Martin’s concern is “exacerbated by the fact that since Fisker left Aston Martin, the company has failed to introduce new products that have garnered anywhere near the same level of attention the V8 Vantage and the DB9 did a decade ago.” Both cars were design by Fisker in the past.
Fisker said “Aston Martin is trying to intimidate me to prop up their own flailing company and to mask their financial and product deficiencies. I refuse to be intimidated and that is the reason for today’s filing.” Fisker and MLG Automotive Law are asking the court to award them with punitive damages, court costs and compensatory damages of not less than $100 million.
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Then Audi should sue Peter Shereyer because KIA now look like AUDI.
poor fisker is on brink of bankrupt…his karma car not doing as well as tesla