The name Fisker is still inextricably linked to the type name Karma, although that car has officially ended due to the bankruptcy of Fisker Automotive. Even before the Karma existed, however, the Fisker logo was already found on cars, although these were not entirely products of their own.
Fisker is a name that invariably accompanies car news with interesting news. In recent decades, the Fisker Karma appeared, the new brand went bankrupt, the remnants were bought by the Chinese, the Karma was reintroduced under all kinds of brand and type names and the original founder Henrik Fisker brought out a new car.
Today, however, we would like to talk about the period before the Karma: the times of Fisker Coachbuild. A real body builder, so a rare appearance in the 21st century. Fisker Coachbuild was founded in 2005 by Henrik Fisker, who previously was responsible for the design of the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9. No bad CV, so Fisker was strengthened in his ambitions to start for himself.
Early Fisker’s lineup consisted of two models, the Tramonto and the Latigo CS. The Tramonto was a roadster with a folding roof and the Latigo a two-door coupé. Although the stubborn, somewhat Aston Martin-esque noses suggest something else, the two have little to do technically. What’s called: in the normal world, they are each other’s direct rivals. The Tramonto is in fact based on the Mercedes-Benz SL of the R230 generation, while for the Latigo CS a BMW 6 series of the E63 generation was sacrificed.
In both cases the car’s nose and butt were removed. Bonnet, front and rear screens, bumpers, lights and grilles were replaced by new ones, which were of course put on paper by Mr Fisker himself. Both cars also received new wheels. Although costs have been spared to make a Fisker from the German principles, a little car connoisseur picks up the used models. The folding roof of the Tramonto is unmistakably that of an SL and the roofline of the 6 series is recognizable, although it must be said that Fisker gave the profile of the Latigo its own style by partially covering the rear side window.
That these are not entirely their own productions is even more evident in the interior. As is often the case with bodybuilders, Fisker chose to use other coverings and special materials here. In both cases, the layout of the dashboard comes through the transformation intact. This also applies to the technology in general, although Fisker did prefer the more motorized units. For example, the Tramonto was only based on AMG versions of the SL and the Latigo received at least a V8, but if necessary the V10 from the M6. Those who wanted more power could get it, as the entire car was actually built specifically to the customer’s wishes. By the way, take a picture if you come across either, because both cars are extremely exclusive. Fisker Coachbuild left the bottle prematurely, so that no more than 10 percent of the planned 150 Tramontos were actually built. The Latigo is even rarer, as no more than two have reportedly appeared.