Coachbuilder turns iconic London taxi into a luxury limo
All hail the the most luxurious London cab ever created! High-end British car dealer Clive Sutton has tasked its Sutton Bespoke tuning arm to turn the utilitarian taxi into the ultimate urban transport.
With its legally-required tight turning circle and spacious interior, the London Electric Vehicle Company’s hybrid taxi makes light work of city streets, but until now it’s been a rather basic ride for the driver and up to five passengers.
Sutton has thrown out the hard-wearing seats and rubber floor mats and completely redesigned the cabin. Soft sandalwood leather and Alcantara trim cover new seats, which are reclined for comfort. Passengers can scrunch their toes into thick-pile carpets and gaze up at the cityscape through a panoramic roof. Soft-close doors can be specified.
Tech upgrades include an ambient lighting system, haptic climate control, and an infotainment system with game consoles and TV screens. There’s even a fridge to keep the champagne on ice. The chauffeur is separated by a retractable screen, and up front there’s a new leather, power-adjustable seat and a revised set of instruments.
A subtle two-tone paint scheme is applied, while the illuminated ‘TAXI’ sign is replaced by one that reads ‘VIP’ to make sure everyone knows who’s onboard.
The Sutton VIP cab costs $155,000. The base LEVC cab has been exported to 40 countries so far, from Australia to Azerbaijan, but, so far, not to the U.S. Could this be the taxi that America has been waiting for?
