Stepping into the VIP Class taxi for the first time, I’m reminded of that moment when Dorothy opens the door of her familiar Kansas home to enter the fantastical land of Oz. On the outside, this is a regular black cab: one of around 15,000 that tirelessly roam London’s streets. Relax into one of the reclining rear seats, though, and it feels more akin to a limousine or private jet. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kilburn anymore…”
Actually, we’re just up the road in St John’s Wood, where Clive Sutton is based. Best known for importing XXL American trucks and muscle cars, the dealership also has a Sutton Bespoke division that specialises in made-to-order modified cars.
At one extreme is the tyre-smoking 850hp Sutton Mustang CS850R, guaranteed to turn heads and get your pulse racing. At the other is the VIP Class taxi, designed for quite the opposite.
Under the radar
“Plenty of people like being driven in comfort without attracting lots of attention,” explains Luke Sutton, son of company founder Clive. “And nobody looks twice at a black cab.”
For £120,000 or so, a wealthy wallflower can be whisked between board meetings in under-the-radar opulence. Just don’t expect to side-step London traffic by using the bus lanes; only an officially licensed Hackney Carriage driver can do that.
Beneath the bodywork – usually black, although you can specify any colour you like – is a standard LEVC TX taxi, based on Volvo hardware and built in Coventry (ironically enough) by the London Electric Vehicle Company.
Its plug-in hybrid drivetrain joins a 1.5-litre petrol engine, acting solely as a generator, to a 110kW electric motor and 31kWh battery. Fully charged, you get 80 miles of EV range – ample for zero-emissions city use.
Premium parts
Open the rear door and you pull back the metaphorical velvet rope to enter the VIP area. The taxi’s passenger compartment is offered with five, four, three or two seats. My cab had the latter, with a pair of airline-style armchairs trimmed in plush Bentley leather, plus fold-out tray tables sourced from Mercedes-Maybach. The smooth and silent electric door-closing mechanism? That comes from a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Further luxuries denied to fare-paying proles include a champagne fridge, 20-inch Apple TV screen, Bluetooth audio system and in-car wi-fi, along with subtle ambient lighting and lashings of polished wood trim. A built-in PlayStation or Xbox console is on the options list, should your taxi be regularly tasked with the school run.
Still, VIP Class buyers invariably have a chauffeur, says Luke, so in the noble spirit of consumer journalism, I swap into the back seat.
With my feet up and neck cradled on pillowy leather, we turn towards the Square Mile and I dreamily watch London’s landmarks pass by the panoramic glass roof, enjoying the vast headroom, supple ride and a chilled soft drink. The champagne stays in the cooler, though – this is serious research, remember?
Low-key luxury
Granted, the taxi isn’t as whisper-quiet as a Rolls-Royce, particularly once the three-cylinder engine wakes up, but then it only costs half the price. And Joe Public (or indeed Joe Paparazzi) will just assume you’ve just paid a few quid for a cab ride.
In straitened times, when showy displays of wealth seem at odds with the zeitgeist, that anonymity feels like a luxury in itself.
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