V.I.P. VEHICLE Henrik Fisker's custom-designed Tramonto roadsters contain the same engines as the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and start at $253,775, yet there are only 150 available.
There's only so much you can do to make a silver Lexus LS stand out at the valet stand.
"Everything is so ordinary now," says Christina Cheever, VP of marketing for Fisker Coachbuild in Irvine. "What are we going to see at Pebble Beach in 50 years?"
If Danish automotive designer Henrik Fisker has his way, the world will see his custom-designed Tramonto roadsters and Latigo coupes. They contain the same engines as the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and BMW 650i, respectively, but thanks to Fisker's handiwork they look like nothing else on the road.
Fisker is best known for designing BMW's Z8 roadster and Aston Martin's upcoming Vantage V8. But in January he launched a full-fledged campaign to resuscitate automotive individuality with his own firm, Fisker Coachbuild.
Coachbuilding is a throwback to old Hollywood. Gary Cooper and Clark Gable drove custom-bodied Duesenbergs in the 1930s. In the 1950s, the Rat Pack couldn't get enough of the Dual Ghia, a sleek convertible that combined Chrysler power with an Italian coachbuilt body.
A switch to unibody design in the late 1960s made the personalized auto body trickier and more expensive to build. Increased safety and emissions regulations made it financially prohibitive for a coachbuilder to develop a new car from scratch.
That's why Fisker's prices start at $253,775 for the Tramonto and $197,900 for the Latigo, including the cost of the original car and rebody. Want to improve performance with a Kleemann supercharger? Add another $40,000 to the ticket price. Fisker only makes 150 of each model and they're going fast.
As for the cars' original manufacturers, they're fine with Fisker's tinkerings. Mercedes-Benz and BMW will honor their warranties as long as the original engine hasn't been altered. Fisker will match the manufacturer's warranty for Performance Plus clients and covers any part he puts on the car. And while the car companies haven't partnered with Fisker Coachbuild, there's benefit to the relationship.
"We could have chosen any platform," Cheever says. "It's kudos to their brand." If not their style.
Here, the high points of what Fisker Coachbuild calls "rolling sculpture."
2006 Fisker Tramonto
Exterior
--Slimmer back end and longer hood line than its progenitor; pronounced hood dome, no visual bumpers
--Aluminum and carbon fiber body panels fit tightly; steel used sparingly
--Tail lamps are tailpipes integrated into the body; LED turn signals embedded in mesh grille; fog lights in lower front spoiler
--Trunk "spacious enough to hold two golf bags"
--Wheel lip sculpted into the car's body
--Color choices include all Mercedes has to offer as well as five custom Fisker hues
Interior
--All surfaces hand trimmed with hand-stitched Italian leather
--Milled aluminum plaque individually numbered 1 through 150
--Steering wheel has built-in controls for the eight-speaker Bose Cabin Surround sound system
Performance Plus
--610 hp
--650 lb-ft. of torque
--0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds
2006 Fisker Latigo CS
Specifications are still limited on the Latigo, but that hasn't stopped 50 future buyers from ordering one sight unseen.
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