Fisker Repair and Service PDF Manuals
Fisker is hardly a legend nowadays: it cannot boast of an exciting history of ups and downs, and it only emerged in 2005. But in such a short period of time, if you take into account the duration of the automotive history, this young company managed to gain popularity among motorists, as well as earn respect for its unusual ideas.
The company was founded by the talented designer and engineer Henrik Fisker, whose career began in the design bureaus of renowned automotive companies. His first project was the BMW Z07. This luxurious car was first presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, where it immediately won the hearts of visitors. The legendary BMW 507 was taken as a basis - it was the first sports car of the post-war period. The body of the car was made of aluminum, the structure consisted of a space frame with hinged panels and aluminum. Under the hood of the concept was an 8-cylinder engine that matched perfectly with a sequential six-speed transmission.
Some time later, Fisker developed another car - the BMW Z8 roadster, which later appeared in mass production, and in 2000 was introduced to the entire automotive world. This rear-wheel drive convertible was equipped with a powerful 8-cylinder engine with 400 "horses", the volume of which reached 4.9 liters. Such an engine allowed the car to accelerate to the first hundred in 4.7 seconds, and the maximum speed could reach 250 km / h. The car was equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic transmission. The exclusive sports body and soft leather interior hardly left anyone indifferent. This model has been refined more than once, so its popularity remains to this day.
After such a successful project for the Z8, Henrik Frisker was appointed head of the design studio. However, having received an invitation from the automaker Ford, the author of two excellent BMW models seized the opportunity to become the head of the European design studio Ingeni.
In a new position, Frisker also distinguished himself by developing the Aston Martin DB9. The four-seater rear-wheel drive handsome man was produced in a coupe body. The car received a 5.9-liter 20-cylinder engine, the power of which reached 450 hp, which was paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The car accelerated to the first hundred in 4.9 seconds, reaching a maximum of 300 km / h. The interior of the novelty was thought out to the smallest detail: an on-board computer, leather seats, climate control, airbags, cruise control - everything for maximum comfort of the driver and passengers.
After some time, Fixer started developing another model - the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The production of the car began in 2005. In the same year, Henrik Fisker left Ford and founded his own automobile company. Bernard Kelaer, who also previously worked at both BMW and Ford, joined him. However, Claire was an employee of the design department and specialized in 3D visualization.
The fact is that these talented young people have long dreamed of reviving the old forgotten tradition of designing exclusive bodies for cars on existing wheel balls. But since such an assembly was practiced for the last time, about half a century has passed. And in the modern world, no company has been producing chassis separately. The partners quickly found a way out: they began to take mass-produced cars and remake them in their own way.
The first elite "rework" was presented at the auto show in Frankfurt. Then the chic Fisker Latigo CS V10 sports coupe appeared before the visitors. The car was assembled on the basis of the BMW M6, but the exterior and interior were completely changed, and the chassis received a new V-shaped 10-cylinder engine with a volume of 5 liters, the power of which reached 648 "horses". Also, the novelty could boast of more powerful brakes, improved suspension and steering. The modified version was rated quite high, for a car with a minimum configuration and a simple interior, customers had to pay 200 thousand dollars.
Fisker went on to introduce a roadster sports car. The novelty was named Fisker Tramonto, and it was based on the Mercedes SL55 AMG. The car has undergone numerous changes, after which it was unrecognizable - new narrow headlights, hood, bumper, smooth body lines, an exclusive radiator grille. The design of the car resembled the average Aston Martin. Under the hood of the car there was a more powerful turbocharged engine, the volume of which was 5.5 liters, and the power was 610 hp. With such an engine, the car could accelerate to 100 km / h in just 3.6 seconds.
The braking system was also replaced, a new gearbox installed and the suspension redesigned. For interior decoration, aluminum inserts and leather upholstery were used. And most importantly, the German security system has not undergone any significant changes, it has been only slightly improved. The cost of the car turned out to be more modest than the original - a car in the basic configuration could be purchased for 250 thousand dollars.
Initially, Fisker was going to produce luxury sports cars, the number of which was to reach 150 copies per year. But over the years, the partners revised their position, after which they began to specialize in more affordable car models.
After that, at the Geneva Motor Show, Henrik Fisker presented a new creation - the Fisker Artega GT sports car. The car received a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder Volkswagen engine with 300 horsepower. The novelty cost much less - about 75 thousand euros, while 500 copies were produced per year.
Two years later, at the same Geneva Motor Show in 2009, a completely new model, the Fisker Karma sedan, premiered. This hybrid car was a combination of electric and gasoline engines. Lightweight composite materials and aluminum were used to make the car body, and he himself received a futuristic style. This model received a 260-horsepower 4-cylinder 2-liter engine, as well as two electric power units with a solar panel on the roof.
The total power of the engines was 408 "horses". Batteries allow you to walk up to 80 km daily - this is how much the average citizen of America and Europe travels on average. The car is capable of accelerating to the first hundred in 5.8 seconds, and its maximum speed is limited to 200 km / h. This model appeared on the market in 2010, about 15 thousand copies are produced annually, and its cost is slightly less than $ 90,000. This was followed by the Fisker Karma S 4-seater convertible, the style of which was borrowed from its predecessor. It went on sale in 2011.
When making improvements to an already finished design, he did not listen to the recommendations of his own specialists, who offered rational, and most importantly, inexpensive solutions. As a result, components already purchased for millions of dollars were not needed, but new ones were required.
So, Fisker's engineers advised to change the exhaust system, which was located immediately behind the front wheels of the car. Due to this design, noise penetrated into the cabin, despite good sound insulation. In addition, it reduced traction and, as a result, engine power. However, Henrik Fisker decided it was better to spend the money on reworking the insulation, which cost the company a lot of money.
As a result, the production of the car became unprofitable - the company lost up to $ 35,000 on each car, and almost 2,500 units were produced in total. As a result, production stopped in 2012, and in April 2013 Fisker's executives resigned. The firm went bankrupt, after which it became the property of the US government. After that, VL-Automotive became interested in the acquisition of the company's assets, which planned to release its own development on the basis of the Fisker Karma - a sedan called Destino. Its prototype has already been shown at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.
Fisker Automotive entered the automotive market by surprise, gaining respect and popularity. The company's cars have excellent design, solid power and can even compete with such monsters of the automotive industry as Bugatti and Ferrari. Fisker Automotive products are currently among the most expensive in the world.
The company went bankrupt in 2013 due to the policies of the head and founder of the company, Henrik Fisker, while working on a new car model called the Karma.
