Based on Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and BMW 6 Series 650Ci Coupe

Fisker Coachbuild announced its first two coachbuild designs at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. The Fisker 2006 Tramonto- a thrilling two-seat convertible sports car delivering 610 horsepower with top speeds of 202 mph, and the Fisker Latigo CS - an uncompromising and elegant coupe delivering up to 550 horsepower.

Since the focus of Fisker Coachbuild is to create cars for the true automotive enthusiast, we have developed a company where the production process is built around the design - to blend emotion and performance more harmoniously than ever before. Production will commence in April 2006.

The Fisker Coachbuild 2006 Tramonto is a sculpted statement of exotic, two-seat, open-air motoring. Beneath the skin, the engineering excellence of what its base architecture once was - a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG - remains. The myriad Mercedes-Benz technological innovations, from the power-retractable hardtop to Active Body Control (ABC), remain untouched - as do safety systems, including crumple zones and airbags. At the same time, the Tramonto has become something much more, and the differences go beyond what meets the eye.

The stance is wide and low. Ground hugging. The lines flow smoothly from start to finish - unbroken in signature Fisker style. The overall look conveys movement, speed and power, whether the retractable hardtop is secured for foul-weather driving or stowed for drop-top motoring. Compared to its original platform, the Tramonto is reproportioned with a shorter back end, a longer-looking hood line with a pronounced power dome, and no visual bumpers. It is poised, balanced and exquisite. From any angle, the message is uncompromisingly beautiful. Unmistakably Fisker.

"We are thrilled that we have been able to follow our gut feelings with Fisker Coachbuild. We have put all of our experience, energy and passion towards delivering cars that speak straight from the heart," explains Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Coachbuild. "For Fisker Coachbuild, it is all about emotion and design excellence".

Competition-proven materials and technology grace the base engine with a coveted combination of performance and reliability. Handcrafted by a dedicated AMG technician, the 5.5-liter, 24-valve V8 features forged aluminum pistons, a precision-balanced crankshaft and an ultra-efficient liquid­to-air intercooler delivering 493 bhp and 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. For those who crave even more performance, the Performance Plus package is also available. Fisker Coachbuild has teamed with Kleemann, the world`s leader in Kompressor (supercharger) technology for Mercedes-Benz, to create the Fisker/ Kleemann 610-bhp supercharged 5.5-liter V8 which delivers a 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds.

Exotic. Uncompromising. Sporting, elegant and compelling. The BMW 6 Series 650Ci Coupe provides the base vehicle architecture for the Fisker Latigo CS. The signature Fisker touch brings a new gravitas and balance to the luxury sports coupe - it is understated sporty elegance at its best. As in the Tramonto, all electronic, telematic and safety systems remain untouched - and every vehicle option is yours to choose from.

The Fisker Latigo is currently nearing production status, so final technical details are still in flux. Engine specifications call for a standard 32-valve, 4.8-liter V8 pumping 367 horsepower, and an optional V10 that generates over 550 horsepower if you choose a BMW M6 as your base architecture.

This is design that is felt as well as seen. In the lines of the car, there is tension - like an arrow pulled back in the bow. The C-pillars have been redesigned to flow in a more sculptured manner, sitting solidly over the rear wheel. Front and rear dimensions have both been shortened, and a sculptured power dome highlights the hood. Overall, these brilliantly balanced proportions lend a solid, unmistakable presence to the Latigo CS - while advanced aerodynamic sculpting creates a shape that is virtually invisible to the air.

Production of both designs will be limited to 150 apiece, so sightings of the 2006 Fisker Tramonto and 2006 Fisker Latigo CS will always be a rarity. Production will commence in April 2006 - just over one year after the company opened its doors - enabling enthusiasts across the globe to experience coachbuild redefined.

Fisker Coachbuild Redefined

Welcome to Fisker Coachbuild, founded by Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler. For many years, these two gentlemen had the rare opportunity to take part in creating truly legendary automobiles: timeless sports cars that inspire awe and admiration. Fisker and Koehler worked for renowned car companies like BMW, Ford and Aston Martin. And, like many entrepreneurs before them, there came a point when they realized that together, they could take it one step further. The dream was to follow their gut feelings - to put all their experience, energy and passion towards delivering cars that speak straight from the heart.

"To bring a car to market that true automotive enthusiasts can drive and enjoy, we have created a car company where the production process is built around the design - to allow emotion and performance to blend more harmoniously than ever before," describes Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Coachbuild.

"In Fisker Coachbuild, we have created something truly special. Not simply a new car company, but a new vision for what an exotic, high-performance, coachbuilt car can be," explains Bernhard Koehler, COO of Fisker Coachbuild. "We have combined extraordinarily beautiful design with existing world-class engineering to deliver a final product without compromise."

Fisker Coachbuild sports cars are created with a singular design language: instantly recognizable as a Fisker creation, inside and out. They are of the highest quality: created with only the best materials. They are exclusive: each model will be built in strictly limited numbers. And they are thrilling: already beginning life as a premier sports car, then raised to new heights of exotic at Fisker.

History in the Making

Fisker and Koehler are bringing back one of the world`s greatest hand-crafted experiences in car design - coachbuilding. They are crafting an automotive line-up that will redefine automotive performance, elegance, luxury and exclusivity.

The two teamed up with a small group of international investors to bring the Fisker Coachbuild experience to life. A workshop was rented, a handful of craftsmen hired, and production of the Fisker Tramonto and Latigo CS was up and running.

A sports car from Fisker Coachbuild is entirely new - and so is the way it is created. Our streamlined production process allows us to deliver an expertly finished, hand-crafted vehicle in a fraction of the time historically associated with coachbuild. Our super-luxury sports cars will still offer all the technology, safety and reliability of their original platforms. It is an unprecedented combination.

Everywhere you look, the design speaks of exclusivity and performance. Interior and exterior surfaces reflect the Fisker DNA. Interior fit and finish are distinctive, and every body panel is crafted to our exact specifications. Everywhere you touch, the finest materials touch back. Glove-soft leather graces the interior; aluminum and carbon-fiber panels define the body. A deep, lustrous finish highlights every curve, in every color offered by the original manufacturer, plus a palette of exclusive Fisker colors. It`s only fitting, because a Fisker is a step above what any manufacturer offers to enhance their own vehicles, and a move beyond what an aftermarket tuner alone can deliver.

Design Excellence

Design by committee? There is no committee. There is only Henrik Fisker, the designer. And it shows in every curve. Every line. Every elegant proportion. Every element of the car is a singular work of art. Timeless. Muscular. Dynamic and extremely high quality. The adjectives can pour forth but words pale beside the experience of Fisker Coachbuild.

One glance at the new car`s muscular lines, and its clear that the roots lie clearly in the Fisker signature style. The Fisker Coachbuild grille takes its place in the pantheon of enduring automotive designs. Its inspiration: a jet aircraft skimming the surface, the F/A 22 Raptor - bold and powerful, with limitless possibilities.

To bring those designs to life, a new development process has been created by operations chief Bernhard Koehler. By moving efficiently from sketches to three-dimensional styling and clay modeling, Fisker Coachbuild is able to bring details into focus early on in the design process. State-of-the-art digitizing and scanning technology helps ensure proper design proportions. Final-stage design involves crafting a full-sized feasibility model before we proceed to tooling production.