Fisker Tramonto (2007) CAR review

What’s this, a secret new Aston?

No, but it’s not a bad guess. This is, in fact, a high-quality makeover based on the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. Make that high-quality and expensive, because once you’ve forked out £100k for the base car, you’ll have to hand over a further $140,000 to get it looking like this. The result is the Fisker Tramonto, the name relating to company CEO Henrik Fisker who designed both the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8. The reference points are clear – just check out that Aston-esque bonnet, and the slim Z8-inspired rear lights.

Who’s the target audience?

Fisker’s customers are either bored by the usual prestige marques, or put off by what they stand for. As Henrik Fisker explains: ‘Our buyers want something that no-one else has, so they can become part of creating a club and perception.’ Eleven cars out of a production run of 150 have been sold in the US so far and the UK now has its own distributor: The Car Finders, run by Chris Murphy and based in Manchester. Exclusivity is the name of the game here, so you’ll never pull up at the pumps next to another.