Tomorrow's Checker?
TTAC commentator VanillaDude asks: “So? What would a 2011 Checker look like?” If VPG has their way, it’ll be this, their MV-1, supposedly going into production in October of this year. Well, it may, or not, be a legitimate Checker successor, but its still a hell of a lot easier on eyes compared to what they were planning to build before they touched it up a bit and rounded off the edges. Here comes, so be ready:
Ouch. Sure makes the revised version look almost palatable. The MV-1 ( site here) is the latest in a long series of concepts to capture the specially-designed taxi, livery, and mobility market the Checker once owned. But its chance may not be any better than all the other ones. It’s just too hard to compete with the economics of mass produced vehicles, especially since new ones are coming (or here already) that will do the job admirably, like the Ford Transit Connect.
Unlike the MV-1’s heavy body and Ford 4.6 V8 drive train, the Transit Connect Taxi uses the gas, CNG or LPG in its 2.0 Liter four. And it has the perfect tall-roof walk-in height to put even a Checker Marathon to shame. If Ford were really serious, they’d put the Escape’s hybrid drive train in the Connect, but that would be a pricey undertaking. Even without, it’s the most compelling taxi concept in a long time, and it’s for real.
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I'll take the Connect. The MV-1 would hurt taxi business and tourism in NYC because people would be too embarrassed to get in them and tourists would flee in terror.
It seems that the taxi market is a natural extension for Carbon motors. The basic Police platform, without special lighting and with a revised rear seat, would make a fine taxi. A smaller, CNG powered, power plant would reduce casts. The extra volume would help the Carbon business model as well.