Afzal Kahn’s TX4 Last of Line Edition has been revealed, with Rolls-Royce-inspired features making the car far more luxurious than its passenger-ferrying standard form. Only five will be made, and sold for around £150,000 each.
Inside, the car gets quilted nappa leather upholstery, bespoke door sills, a piano black instrument binnacle, privacy glass and leather trim across the cabin. The seatbelts are finished in a matching colour, and all plastics have been removed or covered in the now leather-heavy interior.
The headlining is finished with a Rolls-Royce-inspired Starlight feature. Badging marking out the model's limited production run features throughout.
Under the bonnet, the TX4’s standard 100bhp 2.5-litre diesel engine has been given a bump in power. The TX4’s signature grille has been replaced by a slatted grille in the style of Rolls-Royce’s signature piece. Revised performance figures haven’t yet been released by Kahn, and the performance upgrades were carried out by LEVC - the TX4's manufacturer - but a power hike of 20-30% is mooted.
The exterior remains largely unchanged, although its standard black paintwork is upgraded to a choice of five colours from the Rolls-Royce palette, with a two-tone finish. The wheels are also finished in black but are the TX4’s original wheels. The first prototype took around eight months to complete, and all five cars are aimed at being used every day - two of the owners are chauffeur-driven around London, and are likely to use the Kahn cab for this purpose.
"While it is sad to see a beautiful, iconic vehicle reach the end of its life, it is a great honour to redesign and celebrate what is truly one of the most famous cars in the world," said Kahn. "I look forward to embarking on a journey with a select few clients who wish to own their own piece of British history." Kahn was approached by TX4 manufacturer LEVC to complete the work to commemorate the car's exit from production.
Three of the five cars have already been sold, with the remaining two owners being hand-picked by Kahn. Central London businesses are targeted, with Harrods in Kahn's sights.
Speaking to Autocar, company founder Afzal Kahn said: "There’s something very special about it - these were the last five cars to come out of the factory, which has now shut down, so it’s good to see."
Kahn said: "If I knew, I would have gone into the business of customising the old ones." Due to their complexity, Kahn isn't tempted to go into the business of customising the new range-extender electric cabs, though.
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Proof reading blip...
'Customising in terms of customisation'? Unless there's another form of customising which ISN'T in terms of customisation and which I'm not aware of, I think the proof reader had a bit of a blip with that one. Easy to say from the other side of the fence, admittedly, but sometimes fewer words really is better.
Best ever by....?
Yes Mr Khan, this is your best design ever!
Interior photos?
So the main changes are to the interior and we've no photos. But perhaps that isn't a bad thing, if you wrap a TX4 in leather, it's still a TX4. Roll on the new model and let the old one be forgotten. The earlier taxis are icons, the TX4 isn't and never will be.
Will86 wrote:
I googled it. Posh drivers seat, 2 posh seats in the back, and a sparkly roof