NYC taxis to be Nissans

[bikkuri bahn]

Gadzooks they look ugly- especially with the US mandated bumpers (slack jawed or hapsburgian comes to mind) and the god awful Nissan N.A. grilles. Then again, making a minivan look pretty is like putting lipstick on a pig.

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20059656-54.html

 

At least they could have used the Serena body style:

http://www2.nissan.co.jp/SERENA/?rstid=20110209rst000000226

 

Even better, Elgrand:

http://www2.nissan.co.jp/ELGRAND/?rstid=20110209rst000000225

[Guest ___]

Interesting, I had not heard anything about NV200's even going on sale in North America. We have the new Nissan van which looks like a regular Spriter, except that it has a long F-150 like hood. We have the new Quest this year, but it looks like a regular Dodge Caravan with a squared ass-end.

[bill937ca]

One of runners up, the Ford Transit Connect is apparently used in some Japanese cities as taxis.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/daily-mix/turkish-taxi-hopes-to-take-manhattan/article1926525/

[Bernard]

The NYC streets are filled with potholes and the biggest thing is will this taxi hold up to them?

The old "Checker" cabs were the most comfortable and are built like "tanks", but they were gas guzzlers.

[Mudkip Orange]

I was rooting for Karsan. Why didn't they get picked? I guess that's nobody's business but the Turks...

[bill937ca]

I was rooting for Karsan. Why didn't they get picked?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/nyregion/karsan-from-turkey-is-rejected-as-new-york-taxi.html

[bikkuri bahn]

Interesting, I had not heard anything about NV200's even going on sale in North America.

 

Yeah, in Japan they are marketed as business use vehicles, as well as those needing the cargo space, such as surfers or outdoor lifers:

http://www.nissan.co.jp/NV200VANETTE/special_surfin.html

 

*I prefer the JDM styling on the front ends on these (this goes for other car makes as well- US market styling is odd to my eyes- all bulges and strange angles, as if on steroids or something).

[traindork]

I wonder how many of those will find their way to other cities' cab fleets? Here in Houston there aren't too many restrictions as to what can be used as a cab. I think the main one is that it can't be over 7 years old.

[rpierce000]

<gets out soap box>

Those are the ONLY three options?  Where is Honda, the reliability leader? Toyota, the world's largest SOLVENT car company? India? Korea?

 

Who put this thing out to bid anyway....

</soapbox>

 

It seems to me that either there is no money in this contract and only prestige or that they need to look farther afield.

[keitaro]

not that i care but you would think americans would buy american ? you know with the whole american car market flopping all over the place they's try to support their own economy

 

meh

[Guest ___]

I agree with ya Bernard, the Checker A8 was great. I'd love to have a restored one some day.

[Mudkip Orange]

Here in Houston there aren't too many restrictions as to what can be used as a cab.

 

Yeah, Houston cabs are beautiful. In a single airport line you'll have an Astro, a Sienna, a few Caravans/Voyagers, Grand Marquis, Town Car, Chrysler 300, and probably a bubble Taurus or three. I called a cab home from work one night and got picked up in a Yukon XL, full leather interior, driven by a guy in a suit. Normal taxi fare 

[spacecadet]

not that i care but you would think americans would buy american ? you know with the whole american car market flopping all over the place they's try to support their own economy

 

I would guess these will be built in America, making them more American than most "American" cars that are actually built in Mexico (as my "imported from Detroit" Chrysler was) or Canada.  Though technically I guess both of those countries are still in "America", but I don't think that's what you mean.

 

Anyway, most "Japanese" cars sold in America these days are built in America.

 

I'm a New Yorker and I actually like these new taxis.  They look a lot more comfortable than the Ford Escapes and Crown Victorias that are most common now.  And it'll be nice to have *one* standard taxi, instead of the motley selection there is now (in addition to Escapes and Crown Vics, there are also Toyota Prius's, Nissan Altimas and various other taxis in service, so there's no consistency in comfort level).  I'm just old enough to remember the checker cabs and those were awesomely comfortable; everything since then has been pretty horrible, and the Escapes are the worst.

[Bernard]

What I liked about the Checker cabs was how roomy they were....you could easily fit in 5 people comfortably. If you had to take package or luggage, there was no problem fitting them in a Checker. The newer cabs are cramped especially if you're going to the airport with your luggage.

[cteno4]

good thing is it does look like they pushed the back seat into the rear cargo area to give a nice big open central leg/feet area like the old checkers had. me being 6' 4" and size 14 feet i always have the issue of my legs and especially feet getting caught up in cabs when trying to exit. i got dragged a foot or two hopping on one foot with the other stuck in the cab by one guy who was in a hurry to take off! even in the big cars i find i get really stuck getting out fast with a bag. i will be happy if they design them to make it easy and comfortable to get into and out of easily!!

 

car design is, i think, loosing a lot of the old school artist talent and computers have really taken over young designers training at the loss of how to hand do anything. there is a real skill to sketching and sculpting that gives you lines that are the optimal ones that the computer rarely finds. also car design has been really whacked up. use to be a more inclusive design, but now there are groups that just do grills, side mirrors, etc. even though they may start with a hand sculpted design, its then put into cad and parts divved up for individual design then thrown back into the cad and you rarely get those forms much anymore that just have all the right curves.

 

the prius was one of these where it was designed by airflow, then a really good designer came back over it and tweaked all the curves to get ones that were really nice. many did not like the design as it did not look like the normal slick car design or the usual euro car look now everywhere, so they decided to go in and sharpen up the lines. well they made a slick looking euro car look, but they really ruined all the nice curves. the new curves are totally computer designed i bet as they are just not good curves in 3D when you stand next to the car. its a real human thing that computers just fail at completely. but in the world of cheap and fast you loose the human touch, which is really sad as all this stuff is used by humans...

 

jeff

[Mudkip Orange]

All cars look like cheese wedges now. With cheese wedge comes crap rearward visibility. With crap rearward visibility comes things like rearview backup cameras.

 

The antidote to this cheesewedgeness is, of course, French... and 50 years old.

[disturbman]

Ah! The DS, possibly the only car I really like. I would love to have one myself... but I would need to pass my driving license for that. 

[brill27mcb]

All cars look like cheese wedges now. With cheese wedge comes crap rearward visibility. With crap rearward visibility comes things like rearview backup cameras.

 

The antidote to this cheesewedgeness is, of course, French... and 50 years old.

 

Yes, it looks like a cheese knife!

 

Rich K.

[Guest ___]

All cars look like cheese wedges now. With cheese wedge comes crap rearward visibility. With crap rearward visibility comes things like rearview backup cameras.

 

The antidote to this cheesewedgeness is, of course, French... and 50 years old.

 

Yes, it looks like a cheese knife!

 

Rich K.

 

Opposed to twenty years ago when every car on the road looked like a flying saucer out of UFO. Only thing cars were lacking then were purple haired chicks in tin foil micro-minis.