First Drive: 2006 Fisker Tramonto

"'The Usual Suspects' is one of my favorite movies," says Henrik Fisker as he pilots his sleek Tramonto convertible prototype along the Southern California coast, the warm air tugging at the open collar of his chalk-striped shirt, the late-afternoon sun glinting off his designer sunglasses and Porsche Design watch. "It's not a movie that makes you go, 'Wow! Look at that!' It's a slow burn. It takes its time but it really gets hold of you. That's how I want the designs of my cars to be. I want them to draw you in. I want people to enjoy my cars the more they look at them."

People are looking at Fisker's cars all right--and many can't pry their eyes away. BMW Z8 roadster. Shelby GR1. A big stake in the Aston Martin DB9. Aston AM V8 Vantage (on view just a few pages away). Many automotive designers would kill to have the recognition generated by even one of those stylistic tours de force. And Fisker did them all. If this great Dane's hand were any hotter, you'd need tongs to shake it.

Now, Fisker is betting his future on the cachet of his designer label. Last January, he and manufacturing guru Bernhard Koehler (who worked with Fisker at BMW and Ford), backed by 12 investors from around the world, launched Fisker Coachbuild, LLC, in Newport Beach, California. Their plan: Using sumptuous cabin materials, Fisker-designed bodywork, and an innovative assembly process, transform existing premium-car platforms into even more exclusive and luxurious limited-edition couture for the wealthy few (price: $200,000 to $300,000). No big-corporation constraints, no focus groups, no production-line compromises--Fisker insists his cars will come straight from his gut. "In the auto world today," he says, "You have two types of design. There's concept design, where automakers build cars to show the industry and journalists how great they are. Then there's production design, where that cool milled-aluminum center console from the concept car becomes spray-painted plastic. I wanted to build a car where some of these concept things actually made it into production. We don't have marketing data here. If we feel a car is right, we just do it."

Just seven months after turning the lights on, Fisker and Koehler (who, along with vice president of marketing and communications Cristina Cheever, are the company's only full-time employees at present) had completed two fully driveable prototypes: the two-seat Tramonto convertible (based on the Mercedes-Benz SL platform) and the Latigo CS sport coupe (underneath, a BMW 6 Series). "We came up with some new and revolutionary ways of designing and engineering the cars," Fisker says, declining for now to elaborate on his methods or to name all of his suppliers. "It gives us a unique position where we can go quickly from sketch to production and make a profit selling just 100 to 150 units. After a year of producing a particular model, we'll move on to a new design."

Just before their precious prototypes were due to be shipped off to Germany for their world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Fisker and Koehler invited us to drive the production-ready Tramonto and ride in the still-unfinished Latigo (see sidebar), even allowing the prototypes out into traffic around tony Dana Point (no pressure, but if you wreck the car you wreck the company).

As noted previously, at its core the Tramonto is a Mercedes--either an SL55 AMG or, if a supercharged V-8 isn't enough, an SL65 AMG with a twin-turbo V-12. To buy a Fisker, customers will simply purchase their Benz from any dealer, specifying whatever factory options they wish. They'll then notify Fisker through the dealer or via the company's Web site (www.fiskercb.com). Fisker will make all the arrangements to have the car transported to Southern California for conversion. You choose the color, and that's about it. The entire transformation process, from pickup through delivery, will take about two months. Cost: $128,000--plus the price of your SL AMG.

You can see familiar SL proportions in the Tramonto, but it's a dramatically different-looking animal (in fact, it's distinctive enough that during our afternoon cruise several drivers chased us down for a closer look and crowds gathered wherever we stopped). Compared with the Benz, the Tramonto's tail is stubbier, the hood a tad longer, the stance more muscular (the car rides on custom 20-inch alloy wheels). Fisker says the grille design was inspired by the F/A-22 Raptor jet fighter. "This will probably be our signature grille," he says.

You also can't help but notice some Aston Martin cues in the design--the grille's contours, the sweep of the headlamps. Then again, you'd expect a car from the DB9's creator to share a similar style and taste. "I'm basically a conservative designer," Fisker says. "I'd never show up at a party with red shoes and a yellow tie. I wouldn't want to do a car with any freaky lines, either."

The Tramonto is beautifully finished. Panel gaps are tight, just 1.5 mm on non-moving pieces. The trunk is fully lined in Alcantara. And there isn't a shred of fiberglass anywhere. "The panels are mostly aluminum or carbon fiber," Fisker says. "No, we don't have any visible bumpers, but people who buy these cars aren't going to bumper-park them in the grocery lot." Fisker adds that the lightweight pieces help make the Tramonto about 100 pounds lighter than an SL.

"Latigo" is a famous canyon road in Malibu ("Tramonto" is another Malibu byway and also means "sunset" in Italian). The Southern California names make a bold declaration for Fisker Coachbuild: Even in a landscape where S-Class Benzes outnumber palm trees and Porsche 911s are as common as barbed-wire bicep tattoos, the fledgling automaker intends to stand out. The Latigo CS is car two in Fisker Coachbuild's lineup. Underneath it's a BMW 645Ci, the 32-valve, 4.8-liter V-8 making 350 horsepower. Or opt for the upcoming 2007 M6 as your base, and enjoy 500 V-10 horses and all that car's other performance goodies.

Like the Tramonto, the Latigo boasts an entirely new exterior, this time crafted of carbon fiber and steel. The cabin is also sumptuously upgraded. Base price, including the cost of a 645Ci, will be $197,900. Fisker also intends to offer a Performance-Plus package, though specifics (and pricing) haven't yet been determined.

"I wanted the Latigo to be beautiful," says Fisker of his swoopy hardtop. "I blame the demise of the coupe on the fact that automakers stopping building beautiful ones--mostly they were just two-door sedans. The Latigo is a gentleman's coupe, sporty and aggressive but also something you could drive to the office without feeling like you were overdressed." Going topless won't be out of the question, though: Fisker says his company's third car will likely be a soft-top convertible version of the Latigo.