Fisker confirms new supercar

The man who designed iconic sports cars such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage – and less iconic models such as the BMW Z8 – has confirmed he will reveal an all-new super sports car at the 2016 Detroit motor show in January.

Dubbed The Force 1 – no doubt a clever marketing plot to leverage Star Wars mania – the new vehicle will be built in Detroit, Fisker told Automobile Magazine, and will be powered by one of the world's most powerful naturally-aspirated engines.

Being a US-built car, it's possible a large-capacity Chevrolet V8 (eg: GM LS7) will be lurking beneath its carbon-fibre body panels. In fact the new model is expected to based on an existing US sports car.

Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet? Nobody outside Fisker's inner sanctum knows yet.

Fisker says The Force 1 will be a low-volume exotic, with just 50 of the supercars to be constructed from April 2016.

Although no official images have emerged of the vehicle, it has been developed with the support and input of an "acclaimed American race car driver" said Fisker. It's unclear if said race car driver helped decide on the unorthodox name.

Some of the other confirmed details of The Force 1 include 21-inch alloy wheels, bold body work including a vented bonnet and pumped wheel-arches, plus a combination of racetrack performance and luxury sports car levels of comfort thanks to adaptive suspension.

Pricing doesn't sound too exorbitant for the exotic car realm, starting at under $US300,000. But bear in mind cars in the USA cost significantly less than in Australia.

For example, a brand-new Porsche 911 Turbo goes for around $US150,000 while in Australia it'll set you back at least $365,000.

Stay tuned for all the latest news and insights from the 2016 Detroit motor show next month.