Is this the most luxurious London taxi ever made?
The Sutton VIP Class LEVC taxi costs as much as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
A limited-edition version of the traditional London black cab has been revealed, promising ‘unrivalled comfort’.
Built by custom car specialist Clive Sutton, it’s based on the hybrid LEVC TX and has been put into production after a concept version received a positive response on social media.
Called the Sutton VIP Class LEVC, the interior has been overhauled, with rear seats angled for comfort with Sandalwood leather upholstery and Alcantara trim. The hard rubber flooring has been replaced with thick-pile carpet and there are wood veneers in the door trims.
On top of the comfort upgrades there are technological changes, too. Passengers can control the temperature, listen to music on a new stereo system that has Bluetooth connectivity, watch Apple TV, and play a PlayStation 4 games console.
For the driver, there’s a leather-clad seat, digital instrument cluster, and optional soft-close doors.
Changes to the exterior are minimal, but the paint job gives a hint of the opulence. The lower half is painted in the traditional taxi black, but the top half is grey – specifically ‘Grigio Silverstone’ from Ferrari. Meanwhile, the taxi lettering has been replaced with ‘VIP’.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but Clive Sutton expects it to start from £100,000 for business buyers or £120,000 for private buyers.
This is not uncharted territory for the UK-based coachbuilders, because it also offers luxury conversions of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and V-Class to move higher numbers of passengers.
