If you’re in the market for a luxurious car to drive (or be driven) around town in style, then you might think something like a Range Rover or Rolls-Royce would be the perfect choice and the pinnacle of luxury, but you’d be wrong. The real answer to that perennial question is a modified and electrified London cab that’s teeming with understated opulence instead.
The all-new London taxi hit the streets of the British capital a few years ago, bringing with it cool retro styling and hybrid power, including an electric range of up to 80 miles. Inside, a standard London cab is a fairly utilitarian affair, with room for five in the back plus a whole heap of luggage.
If you’re a millionaire, however, that’s not really the sort of features you look for in a city center runaround, so instead let me introduce you to the Farelady from British “automotive fashion house” Project Kahn. The company previously built a name for itself selling glamed up Land Rovers, but has now turned its attention to the humble LEVC TX5, to give the modern hybrid taxi its full name.
As well as having an excellent pun in its name, the Farelady TX has undergone a lot of changes at the hands of Kahn’s engineers. To set this car apart from the standard $60,000 taxi, the interior has been stripped out and redone, while the exterior of the car has also been modified to stand out from the crowd.
Up front, there’s a new aggressive blacked out grille and the rear has been updated with a subtle black wing protruding from the roof. There’s also mat black trim around the tail lights, modified side skirts and a set of forged alloy wheels. I already liked the look of the TX5, but I’ll admit there’s something else to this Kahn edition that I really dig – especially when you see it in profile.
If the outside is about understated luxury, then the interior of the Farelady is the opposite and goes all out. The rear bench seat has been replaced by two leather-clad sport seats, which were reportedly inspired by the ones you’ll find in a Bugatti Chiron.
There’s a center console in between them that can be color-matched to the seats and has cupholders, storage space and USB charging points. The doors have also been given an upgrade, with options to add whatever color leather your heart desires, as well as wooden trim.
The headline feature is, fittingly, the headliner on the Farelady. That’s because it echoes the night sky design found in Rolls-Royce cars and can illuminate your ride with twinkling stars overhead. It’s one of my favorite automotive gimmicks, I must admit.
If all of this looks like the dream car for cruising LA or NYC, then I’ve got good news for you as Kahn has a couple for sale still. The company initially created five Fareladys and now has two listed for sale online for a cool $125,000. One is the classic London taxi black with a vibrant orange interior, while the other is dark green with a sandy leather look inside.
If you don’t fancy owning a taxi and would rather ride inside one instead, then you can head here to find out more about how Cruise probably won’t be the future of self-driving taxis. Or head here to read some of your nightmare taxi encounters – it’s enough to make you consider buying a cab of your own so you never have to ride an Uber again!
