One look at the Fisker Karma and memories of the boxy hybrid archetype will be wiped clear. An aggressive face, low-slung design and big wheels all signify that this hybrid is different. Positioning it as a luxury 4-door sports car, Henrik Fisker is creating his own niche segment in the auto world, a hybrid (yuk yuk) of many types of cars. It’s attractive, expensive, fast and economical—and will be on sale at the end of next year.

Henrik Fisker, the sometime BMW designer turned custom luxury coachbuilder, is looking to offer customers an attractive combination of two often disparate concepts: style and speed paired with a lower environmental impact. The Karma’s drivetrain consists of a Lithium Ion battery pack and a standard 4-cylinder combustion engine, combined in a hybrid system developed for Fisker by Quantum Technologies dubbed “Q-Drive.” This setup allows the Karma to drive up to 50 miles using only electricity. And the economy comes with performance, too—Fisker claims it can do 0-60 in less than 6 seconds and a top speed above 125 mph.

The road to producing new cars is never easy, and Fisker hit a speed bump when Tesla, makers of the eponymous all-electric sports car, sued them for allegedly stealing confidential information. Henrik Fisker worked as a designer at Tesla for a time, and Tesla claims he had no knowledge of hybrids prior to working there (fill in the blanks, connect the dots). Fisker claims no wrongdoing and has sought arbitration himself.

If all goes to plan, Fisker will be producing 15,000 Karmas per year in the 4th quarter of 2009, with a price tag of $80,000 a piece. For those with the means, it will provide a whole new way to express environmentalism without sacrificing style or luxury.