Fisker Coachbuild Shows First Two Vehicles at IAA in Frankfurt
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Danish Styling and Premium German Engineering Make for Two Intriguing American Sports Cars
Ever wonder how the latest Aston Martins managed to become such beautiful and shapely automobiles? You can thank Danish head designer Henrik Fisker, whose talented hand penned the bodies of elegantly sexy sports machines such as the DB9 and V8 Vantage, as well as their respective concept forms. Ask anyone, modern Astons are a giant step forward from the brutish-looking V8 Vantages of the pre-DB7 era.
Fisker has also styled countless other beauties, like the shapely BMW Z8 Roadster and daring Shelby GR1 Concept. While the Z8 is in the past, and the GR1 most likely never to see the light of day, Mr. Fisker will continue to influence the automotive world through his own project firm called Fisker Coachbuild, once again in the ultra-exotic supercar segment.
With a home-base in glamorous Southern California, Fisker Coachbuild is in the company of many other design studios. This area is home to the styling houses of many major manufacturers including BMW, Mitsubishi and Volvo, to name a few. Fisker Coachbuild will operate in a similar way to many of the famous design houses in earlier days. Like Ghia, Pininfarina, Karmann and countless the like, Fisker Coachbuild doesnt so much create its vehicles from scratch, but provide new, handcrafted skins for to dress them up. Fisker has chosen the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany to debut the company alongside its first two cars, the Tramonto roadster and Latigo CS grand touring coupe.
If youre up to speed with the Fisker story, the Tramonto was one of the early announcements for the Frankfurt show. Many of the important details were kept in secret about this vehicle, as all that was officially released were sketches and a very basic descriptor stating it was a two-seat roadster capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, powered by a 610-horsepower V8. The Tramonoto, as it turns out, is based off the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, keeping intact the drivetrain, chassis architecture, the three-pointed stars excellent safety repertoire and the classy folding hard top.
From a visual standpoint, Fisker has taken the now common Mercedes-Benz SL roadster and has turned it into a completely different vehicle. Gone are the four circular eyes, replaced instead by Fiskers trademarked nose which incorporates sleek headlamps, thin LED cornering lights all backed by a wide grille thats said to be inspired by the F/A 22 Raptor jet fighter aircraft. Nearly every panel on the Tramonto is hand-made, allowing Fisker to express his styling on the SL with cues such as power vents on the front fenders, and an uncluttered tail with thin-format LED tail lamps, a carbon fiber diffuser and integrated exhaust tips. Blistered wheel wells house drool-inducing 20-inch three-piece five-spoke alloy wheels.
While it might be difficult for passersby to tell what vehicle lies underneath Fiskers shapely design, at least from the exterior, the interior revisions arent as extensive. The California corrozzeria serves up the Tramonto with a choice of fine new leathers, and trim materials that include real chrome and aluminum. This is added to a new sports steering wheel and seats.
The powertrain is a direct M-B carryover, its rear-wheel driven, 500-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 being standard issue. To fulfill its claim of 610-horsepower, Fisker employed Danish Benz specialists Kleeman to bring its power ratings and max velocity up to speed. With the power package, the Tramonto produces the aforementioned power as well as 649 lb-ft of torque, enabling the car to achieve more than 186 mph after hitting 60 mph in under four seconds.
The second entry from Fisker - the one kept secret from the public and keeping the media on its toes up to this week - is the Latigo CS sports car. With this second vehicle, Fisker has borrowed the basic components not from Mercedes-Benz, but rather from arch-rival BMW and its 6-Series sports coupe. This time its a little different, when ordering the Latigo, buyers will have a choice of which vehicle they want it based off - the recently updated BMW 650ci with its 367-horsepower 4.8-liter V8, or the almighty and powerful V10-powered M6 featuring the SMG 7-Speed sequential gearbox and a whopping 550 naturally aspirated horsepower.
Transforming the 6-Series into the Latigo included reworking much of the vehicles exterior. A completely new front end has been fitted, featuring new headlamps, center-bulge hood and thin LED cornering lamps. While the shape of the new Fisker grille with its twin vertical spars is said to reflect the profile of a fighter jet, it does not stray beyond the link to his well-admired British designs. Around back, unique tail lamps adorn the crisp, angular rear end design. The bottom of the rear fascia has a carbon fiber diffuser for improved high-speed stability and holds the quad tailpipes of the performance-tuned stainless steel exhaust system.
The identity of the Latigo is slightly less disguised than that of the Tramonto; the high level of the hood, plus the shape of the roofline, glass, doors and the BMW Hofmeister dogleg kink in the rear quarter windows were all kept intact. Also, it appears that the M6-based Latigo keeps its signature carbon fiber roof. Interestingly, the Latigo CS gives us an idea of how Fisker may have styled the 6-Series, were he still stationed at BMW, in particular its rear end design. As is present in these images, much of the controversy has been averted with the new nose and new tail, lacking the oft-criticized clumsy headlamps and the Bangle butt.
Inside, the story is much the same as with Fiskers Merc-based Tramonto; new leather and trim, with all standard features carried over. Also, it should be worth noting that any options available to the 6-Series can be transferred to the Latigo.
Whatever the cost of these vehicles, there is something that a Fisker provides which a mass-produced original cannot: exclusivity. Each car will have a limited production run of only 150 units, ensuring that Fisker Coachbuild vehicles will be true rarities. The Latigo CS, based on the V8-powered 6-Series, will cost $128,000, while the M6 version costs $197,900. By comparison, the open-topped Tramonto costs the same $128,000 in factory-prepped SL55 AMG guise, while the Kleeman-tuned variant will set buyers back a further $43,000 for a grand total of $171,000. And while most super exotic coach-built machines are for European or Asian markets only, Fiskers position as an American firm means that we should be seeing these fantastic vehicles on our streets soon.
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