Megane R26
Firstly apologies for the lack of write ups recently - I'm a fair few behind at the moment but should be able to get most of them posted up over the next couple of days. To see all of our latest updates please Follow Us On Facebook!
This write up is quite a lengthy one, featuring the worlds ONLY right hand drive Fisker Tramonto, which is also presumably the only example in the UK!
For those of you not familiar with the Tramonto, here is a summary courtesy of SuperCars.net:
Together, Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler are building on one of the world's greatest handcrafted experiences in car design - coachbuilting. Thier first car, a resculpted Mercedes-Benz, is this Fisker Tramonto. Beneath the skin, the engineering quialties of a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG remain. The array of Mercedes-Benz's technology, from the power-retractable hardtop to Active Body Control (ABC), remain untouched - as do safety systems, including crumple zones and airbags.
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. Take a casual glance at the new car's muscular lines. Gaps between body panels are tight and uniform. Aluminum and carbon fiber - materials that befit an exotic sports car - make up the body panels. Steel is used judiciously, to enhance structural rigidity.
For those who crave performance, a package is available thanks to a partnership betweeen Fisker and Kleemann. This gives the Tramonto a 610-hp supercharged 5.5- liter V8 which helps the car do 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. Details include a custom-made ECU, Super Sport Camshafts, stainless steel exhaust headers, down pipes and 70 mm dual exhaust system with four steel cats allow for freer breathing.
To thoroughly enjoy the power and performance of the Tramonto, a class-leading suspension and braking system are absolutely essential. The independent suspension is 4-link in the front / 5-arm multilink in the rear, optimized with an AMG-enhanced version of Active Body Control (ABC). Stopping power is provided by the Kleemannn High-Performance Brake system as part of the Fisker Performance Plus Package. The Kleemann High Performance Brake system features fully floating, directional, ventilated front discs which are fully compatible with Mercedes-Benz Sensotronic Brake Control, Anti-lock Braking System and Brake Assist.
All Fisker models will have an all-new exterior design and re-designed interior expressing a distinctive Fisker Design DNA. The grille design was inspired by highly sophisticated aircraft designs, such as the F/A-22 Raptor. The Fisker Tramonto's front silhouette is similar to this sleek jet aircraft, with the large center opening tying into the fuselage and the two wings expanding from the mouth.
Interior design is as crucial as the exterior. All seat and fascia surfaces are expertly hand trimmed and hand stitched, in a selection of durable Italian leathers. Milled aluminum highlights the center console, and aluminum details accent the switch gear - joining with leather to form the strong Fisker logo bars on the gear shift knob. The multifunction steering wheel is a Fisker original, with built-in sound system controls.
At the touch of a button, the class-leading power retractable hardtop transforms the Tramonto from coupe to roadster in just 16 seconds. And even with the hardtop retracted, the trunk is still spacious enough for two golf bags.
When the Fisker first came to see me, other than requiring a detail it also needed some paintwork to address a number of cosmetic issues:
Scuffs below the front bumper:
DSC09434 by RussZS, on Flickr
Scratch on bootlid:
DSC09440 by RussZS, on Flickr
Chip and bubbling on rear quarter:
DSC09441 by RussZS, on Flickr
Peeling on the exhaust:
DSC09443 by RussZS, on Flickr
So after searching around for a few days for a reputable, local bodyshop, I stumbled across Mick at Spray Station who had painted the front end on the Velvet Blue E46 M3 I recently detailed. After meeting him and seeing some of his work in person, I knew he was the man to handle this very special car.
The owner also requested a number of cosmetic tweaks which Mick was able to address for him.
The colour itself had no paintcode so the petrol cap was sent off to Lechler for them to match and mix the paint for us - the colour match was perfect.
Some pics from the bodyshop process:
DSC01659 by RussZS, on Flickr
The owner wanted something unique on his wing mirrors. This is Tramonto #10 so 'FT10' was to be painted onto the wing mirrors:
DSC01661 by RussZS, on Flickr
Stencil applied:
DSC01663 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01664 by RussZS, on Flickr
and after!
DSC01666 by RussZS, on Flickr
It was painted in such a way to allow the light of the indicator to all pass through:
DSC01668 by RussZS, on Flickr
Also, where the scratch on the bootlid was located, the owner wanted 'Tramonto' adding to the paintwork. Again a stencil was used and the logo was painted on, rather than using a badge:
DSC01662 by RussZS, on Flickr
Flat black was used to match the colour of the 'Fisker' font on the main Fisker badge:
DSC01665 by RussZS, on Flickr
After!
DSC01706 by RussZS, on Flickr
The repaired area on the front bumper:
DSC01675 by RussZS, on Flickr
The rear quarter was looking great 'out of the gun' but I was keen to get the orange peel matched to the door so we sanded this to reduce the orange peel:
DSC01684 by RussZS, on Flickr
Flattened with 1500, then 2000:
DSC01695 by RussZS, on Flickr
Then polished to remove the sanding marks:
DSC01701 by RussZS, on Flickr
The exhausts were flattened to remove the corrosion then painted with matte black paint:
DSC01710 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01718 by RussZS, on Flickr
At this point the car was looking much fresher but the rest of the paintwork looked a little dull so a corrective detail was required. The car was moved over to my Unit where the detail work was carried out.
Some 'befores':
DSC01719 by RussZS, on Flickr
Rear of the wheels:
DSC01721 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01725 by RussZS, on Flickr
To start off the wheels were rinsed at high pressure to remove any loose dirt and dust ahead of making physical contact with the wheel:
DSC01728 by RussZS, on Flickr
Smart Wheels was used mixed 10:1 on the wheels and calipers, along with Britemax Grime Out on the tyres and arches at 10:1 too.
Smart Wheels applied liberally:
DSC01729 by RussZS, on Flickr
This was the agitated with various brushes to gently remove any dirt and brake dust:
DSC01730 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01731 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01732 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01733 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01734 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01735 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01736 by RussZS, on Flickr
After the wheel areas were addressed, we turned our attention to the more intricate areas of the car which were degreased with Grime Out:
DSC01741 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01743 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01746 by RussZS, on Flickr
After rinsing the rest of the car at high pressure to remove any loose dirt, the car was hand washed gently using the CarPro Mitt and Britemax Clean Max:
DSC01748 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01749 by RussZS, on Flickr
Then rinsed again:
DSC01751 by RussZS, on Flickr
Next the paintwork was assessed for tar deposits and fallout using Tardis and IronX but very little was evident so we moved the car inside to begin the claying process to remove any remaining contamination from the paintwork ahead of machine polishing:
DSC01755 by RussZS, on Flickr
Again, not much present aside from a very small amount of tree sap on the roof and bonnet areas.
After claying, the car was dried thoroughly using the safest methods - pat drying with a Chemical Guys Wooly Mammoth and blow dried with an Aeolus 901X:
DSC01754 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01756 by RussZS, on Flickr
After drying completely, the paintwork was assessed for defects and various polishing combinations were tested to ensure that we were obtaining the best results whilst using the lightest combination possible.
Some of the defects present:
DSC01767 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01778 by RussZS, on Flickr
Meguairs 101 was the compound used the most, along with Rupes Zephir in places. The bonnet and bootlid had considerably hard clearcoat than the rest of the car so we used Optimum Microfibre Cutting Discs via Rotary on these for the cutting stage, with a 3M Yellow Waffle Polishing Pad being used on the rest of the car, aside from the painted areas which only required very light refining.
DSC01845 by RussZS, on Flickr
Some pictures from the corrective process:
Before:
DSC01781 by RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC01783 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01790 by RussZS, on Flickr
Before:
DSC01798 by RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC01799 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01809 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01826 by RussZS, on Flickr
Starting to look good!
DSC01830 by RussZS, on Flickr
This write up is quite a lengthy one, featuring the worlds ONLY right hand drive Fisker Tramonto, which is also presumably the only example in the UK!
For those of you not familiar with the Tramonto, here is a summary courtesy of SuperCars.net:
Together, Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler are building on one of the world's greatest handcrafted experiences in car design - coachbuilting. Thier first car, a resculpted Mercedes-Benz, is this Fisker Tramonto. Beneath the skin, the engineering quialties of a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG remain. The array of Mercedes-Benz's technology, from the power-retractable hardtop to Active Body Control (ABC), remain untouched - as do safety systems, including crumple zones and airbags.
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. Take a casual glance at the new car's muscular lines. Gaps between body panels are tight and uniform. Aluminum and carbon fiber - materials that befit an exotic sports car - make up the body panels. Steel is used judiciously, to enhance structural rigidity.
For those who crave performance, a package is available thanks to a partnership betweeen Fisker and Kleemann. This gives the Tramonto a 610-hp supercharged 5.5- liter V8 which helps the car do 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. Details include a custom-made ECU, Super Sport Camshafts, stainless steel exhaust headers, down pipes and 70 mm dual exhaust system with four steel cats allow for freer breathing.
To thoroughly enjoy the power and performance of the Tramonto, a class-leading suspension and braking system are absolutely essential. The independent suspension is 4-link in the front / 5-arm multilink in the rear, optimized with an AMG-enhanced version of Active Body Control (ABC). Stopping power is provided by the Kleemannn High-Performance Brake system as part of the Fisker Performance Plus Package. The Kleemann High Performance Brake system features fully floating, directional, ventilated front discs which are fully compatible with Mercedes-Benz Sensotronic Brake Control, Anti-lock Braking System and Brake Assist.
All Fisker models will have an all-new exterior design and re-designed interior expressing a distinctive Fisker Design DNA. The grille design was inspired by highly sophisticated aircraft designs, such as the F/A-22 Raptor. The Fisker Tramonto's front silhouette is similar to this sleek jet aircraft, with the large center opening tying into the fuselage and the two wings expanding from the mouth.
Interior design is as crucial as the exterior. All seat and fascia surfaces are expertly hand trimmed and hand stitched, in a selection of durable Italian leathers. Milled aluminum highlights the center console, and aluminum details accent the switch gear - joining with leather to form the strong Fisker logo bars on the gear shift knob. The multifunction steering wheel is a Fisker original, with built-in sound system controls.
At the touch of a button, the class-leading power retractable hardtop transforms the Tramonto from coupe to roadster in just 16 seconds. And even with the hardtop retracted, the trunk is still spacious enough for two golf bags.
When the Fisker first came to see me, other than requiring a detail it also needed some paintwork to address a number of cosmetic issues:
Scuffs below the front bumper:
DSC09434 by RussZS, on Flickr
Scratch on bootlid:
DSC09440 by RussZS, on Flickr
Chip and bubbling on rear quarter:
DSC09441 by RussZS, on Flickr
Peeling on the exhaust:
DSC09443 by RussZS, on Flickr
So after searching around for a few days for a reputable, local bodyshop, I stumbled across Mick at Spray Station who had painted the front end on the Velvet Blue E46 M3 I recently detailed. After meeting him and seeing some of his work in person, I knew he was the man to handle this very special car.
The owner also requested a number of cosmetic tweaks which Mick was able to address for him.
The colour itself had no paintcode so the petrol cap was sent off to Lechler for them to match and mix the paint for us - the colour match was perfect.
Some pics from the bodyshop process:
DSC01659 by RussZS, on Flickr
The owner wanted something unique on his wing mirrors. This is Tramonto #10 so 'FT10' was to be painted onto the wing mirrors:
DSC01661 by RussZS, on Flickr
Stencil applied:
DSC01663 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01664 by RussZS, on Flickr
and after!
DSC01666 by RussZS, on Flickr
It was painted in such a way to allow the light of the indicator to all pass through:
DSC01668 by RussZS, on Flickr
Also, where the scratch on the bootlid was located, the owner wanted 'Tramonto' adding to the paintwork. Again a stencil was used and the logo was painted on, rather than using a badge:
DSC01662 by RussZS, on Flickr
Flat black was used to match the colour of the 'Fisker' font on the main Fisker badge:
DSC01665 by RussZS, on Flickr
After!
DSC01706 by RussZS, on Flickr
The repaired area on the front bumper:
DSC01675 by RussZS, on Flickr
The rear quarter was looking great 'out of the gun' but I was keen to get the orange peel matched to the door so we sanded this to reduce the orange peel:
DSC01684 by RussZS, on Flickr
Flattened with 1500, then 2000:
DSC01695 by RussZS, on Flickr
Then polished to remove the sanding marks:
DSC01701 by RussZS, on Flickr
The exhausts were flattened to remove the corrosion then painted with matte black paint:
DSC01710 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01718 by RussZS, on Flickr
At this point the car was looking much fresher but the rest of the paintwork looked a little dull so a corrective detail was required. The car was moved over to my Unit where the detail work was carried out.
Some 'befores':
DSC01719 by RussZS, on Flickr
Rear of the wheels:
DSC01721 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01725 by RussZS, on Flickr
To start off the wheels were rinsed at high pressure to remove any loose dirt and dust ahead of making physical contact with the wheel:
DSC01728 by RussZS, on Flickr
Smart Wheels was used mixed 10:1 on the wheels and calipers, along with Britemax Grime Out on the tyres and arches at 10:1 too.
Smart Wheels applied liberally:
DSC01729 by RussZS, on Flickr
This was the agitated with various brushes to gently remove any dirt and brake dust:
DSC01730 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01731 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01732 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01733 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01734 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01735 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01736 by RussZS, on Flickr
After the wheel areas were addressed, we turned our attention to the more intricate areas of the car which were degreased with Grime Out:
DSC01741 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01743 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01746 by RussZS, on Flickr
After rinsing the rest of the car at high pressure to remove any loose dirt, the car was hand washed gently using the CarPro Mitt and Britemax Clean Max:
DSC01748 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01749 by RussZS, on Flickr
Then rinsed again:
DSC01751 by RussZS, on Flickr
Next the paintwork was assessed for tar deposits and fallout using Tardis and IronX but very little was evident so we moved the car inside to begin the claying process to remove any remaining contamination from the paintwork ahead of machine polishing:
DSC01755 by RussZS, on Flickr
Again, not much present aside from a very small amount of tree sap on the roof and bonnet areas.
After claying, the car was dried thoroughly using the safest methods - pat drying with a Chemical Guys Wooly Mammoth and blow dried with an Aeolus 901X:
DSC01754 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01756 by RussZS, on Flickr
After drying completely, the paintwork was assessed for defects and various polishing combinations were tested to ensure that we were obtaining the best results whilst using the lightest combination possible.
Some of the defects present:
DSC01767 by RussZS, on Flickr
DSC01778 by RussZS, on Flickr
Meguairs 101 was the compound used the most, along with Rupes Zephir in places. The bonnet and bootlid had considerably hard clearcoat than the rest of the car so we used Optimum Microfibre Cutting Discs via Rotary on these for the cutting stage, with a 3M Yellow Waffle Polishing Pad being used on the rest of the car, aside from the painted areas which only required very light refining.
DSC01845 by RussZS, on Flickr
Some pictures from the corrective process:
Before:
DSC01781 by RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC01783 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01790 by RussZS, on Flickr
Before:
DSC01798 by RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC01799 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01809 by RussZS, on Flickr
50/50:
DSC01826 by RussZS, on Flickr
Starting to look good!
DSC01830 by RussZS, on Flickr
