The anonymous exploiter of lost tourists and underpaid immigrants alike apparently owns a fleet mostly made up of Escape Hybrids, so in his mind we're sure the connection between not-terribly economical taxis and an electric supercar painted to look like a cab makes total sense.

Missing the Humor, Le Blog Auto points out the electric-two seater wouldn't make a very practical taxi, largely due to the inability of magnetic signs to stick to the carbon bodywork. We'd add that the lack of trunk space and long recharge time should also be considered before any enterprising individuals attempt to make a business out of this. Also, there's the whole "no back seat" thing. [Le Blog Auto via Green Car Reports]

I spotted what appeared to be a London cab parked in front of the hardware store, just around the corner from the '69 Citroën DS station wagon, the 1973 BMW 2002tii, and the 1953 Packard Cavalier. Naturally, I wanted to meet the owner of such a beautiful machine, so I hung around until he emerged from the store.

It turns out that he's the owner of Bear Paw Fiddles, an Alameda shop specializing in vintage violins and mandolins, and this cab is his work vehicle (those of you who drive Taurus or Lumina company cars, feel free to experience pangs of envy). This '37 Beardmore Taxi was built by the the William Beardmore Company in a factory converted to Spitfire production a couple years later, and it survived the London Blitz. It was brought to the United States by a Bay Area Jaguar dealership in the late 1950s, received a Nissan engine swap a decade or three back, and now calls Alameda its home.

This may be the roomiest back seat ever made. The Beardmore has proven to be quite reliable, but it can't really be driven on the freeway; the engine has sufficient power, but the windshield tends to implode at speeds greater than 40 MPH.

Frequent visitors will already know that tipping a skycap gives you access to the VIP Yellow #1 taxi line, bypassing the plebes. But, on weekends and during some of the bigger events, even that line can back up to half-an-hour or more.

Instead of waiting, tweet @VegasCabbie as soon as you land. By the time you pick up your suitcase full of Hawaiian shirts he'll have responded and will have someone waiting for you at Yellow #1. Wow, Twitter actually managed to reduce our hatred of Vegas from "abject" to "intense." [via Vegas Chatter]

Just a friendly reminder. When in Dallas Texas please consider James Taylor as your Driver . I am a Professional Driver, my Taxi is always clean and equipped with the latest GPS allowing us to arrive safely and on time . Complimentary Refreshments are always provided and any special request for my clients is never a problem. I am a former United States Marine with security skills. Just e-mail and I will forward you the city rates and pickup information for your arrival. My Cab is with Cowboy Cab and my City of Dallas Permit Number is 32425. Regards, James Taylor , Professional Driver. jamestaylor55555@att.net

We didn't know the Dallas taxi game was so difficult that to be a successful driver one must send out press releases for their services. Using "the latest GPS," we've got every confidence that James Taylor will never let you down and/or run you around. Well, I guess running you around is his job and everything, so he'll probably do that. Word of warning: If James shows up sporting a mohawk and spring-loaded guns, don't ask to go to a brothel.

Modern Cairo was built to house four million people. It has now swelled to some 17 million which is why narrow two-way streets on the banks of the River Nile, are by 0900 local time transformed into four-lane carriageways.

Drivers swerve with the greatest dexterity into the tiniest of spaces. Nearly every car or bus carries the scars of battle.

The rules are pretty simple. Full-beam headlights and blaring horns somewhere behind usually mean you are about to be overtaken - or undertaken - at high speed, even though there is no space between your car and that concrete wall beside you.

One more business opportunity, it seems, for flying cars. Proper flying cars, that is, in the Jetsons manner.

Source: BBC, Photo Credit: KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images

The 2009 Skoda Superb could be a good option — offering style, space and that great twin-door storage system. Although we've still some concerns on the quality of the crash protection it affords. Ford is considering the Transit Connect for cab service, and with good reason — like the Element, it's got a spray-and-wash interior and provides the ultimate in modular ability.

Of course, maybe no car quite matches up to your specific needs. Maybe you need to make your own. Though the Signature Manhattan Taxi may never see service as a yellow and checkered chariot, it's hard not to respect the functionality of it. So we repeat, what car is your ideal cab? The corollary of course being that if there isn't one, how would you design an ideal cab?

The Standard Taxi would be the first purpose-built taxi since the Checker Marathon, and the design offers some advantageous features. The strange-looking vehicle has easily replaceable body panels for simple maintenance in the urban environment. The low-floor configuration means it'll take wheelchairs and scooters, so the cab should also see use as a paratransit vehicle. And, most importantly, the cab can hold four passengers as well as an heiress-level of luggage. Expect a new, less awkward design for the production version.

Newsletter Announcement

We are very proud to announce that we have teamed up with AM General LLC to build our vehicles. AM General® is located in South Bend, Indiana, where it has manufactured the HUMVEE® (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) for the military since 1985. AM General's product heritage includes the venerable HUMMER® H1 and they currently assemble the HUMMER H2 which is marketed by General Motors Corporation. Our vehicle production is scheduled to begin in 2009.

Quality and Performance! Our groundbreaking agreement with AM General will benefit owners, operators, drivers, and the riding public. We looked at several manufacturing possibilities over the past year and we chose AM General because of its excellence in building vehicles and its vast experience in procuring parts and vehicle components, engineering and validation processes, service parts logistics, maintenance planning, warranty service and administration, and launch of production vehicles. More details to come in our next VPG newsletter!

[VPG Autos via Hummer Guy]

From what I saw, the economy escaped the latest economic downturn. There wasn't a spike in foreclosures, new retail developments were being built, tourism was back on the rise, and there was a new terminal at the airport to bring people in. Most important of all, new businesses were relocating around the former military base, with the hopes of making it big. This is a story of one of those businesses that wanted to make it big.

Colin Hyde moved to Plattsburgh from Montreal a little over 8 years ago, to start up GSM Vehicles, Inc., as an offshoot of a Montreal based company, GSM Design. GSM Design specialized in the design and manufacture of large structures made of composite materials, then used for major structural parts of locomotives. The company developed a small bus type prototype as a proof of concept in 1996. Working with Lockheed Martin, they also developed a very early hybrid version of this small bus concept. However, at about this time, NYC wanted a Signature Taxi, one with full accessibility, compact dimensions, low emissions, and unique features. And so began the quest of GSM Vehicles to develop this "signature" cab for the NYC market.

At this time, Hyde worked with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), along with other partners, to develop a cleaner, more efficient, and more functional vehicle to use in the taxi cab market, as well as the paratransit fleets providing transportation for people with disabilities.

It was determined from the outset that this new vehicle would be powered conventionally, with an option of offering a hybrid version in the very near future. The body was a one piece, composite construction, with the ability to adapt to numerous FWD chassis, and powertrains. The running prototypes utilized a GM mid sized chassis from a Pontiac Grand Prix, along with GM's 3.8L V-6, and an automatic transmission. All wiring harnesses, power accessories, and climate control features were utilized in the prototypes.

Some of the other design features include a foam filled mid section, warding off all but the most severe damage that can be encountered within the confines of a city. Visibility is unparalleled, with an upright seating position for the driver and passengers. Other features include:

* Wheelchair accessibility that conforms to the Americans with Disabilities Act, with high roof line, wide doors, low floors, and an on-board loading ramp.
* Fuel efficient V-6 powertrain, optimized for urban driving.
* Large engine bay and boxy configuration for better serviceability, keeping costs as low as possible.
* Damage resistant and easily replaceable body panels, along with a rugged suspension to withstand harsh commercial service.
* Despite the large interior, the vehicle is almost two feet shorter than a conventional Ford Crown Victoria, helping to reduce congestion.
* Can be made adaptable for wheelchair bound drivers.

All sounded rosy, but funding was lacking, and the parent company was no longer interested in continuing with the project. NYSERDA was stil interested in pursuing the project, but Hyde was busy keeping his company afloat, and has since taken GSM Vehicles Inc. into a new direction. There were 8 Prototypes built (I saw 3 on my visit), with one of them being utilized as Hyde's personal vehicle.

The vehicle drives mostly like any 90's vintage minivan, with acceptable acceleration, compliant ride, and a great deal of room for 6 people. The rear doors open 90 degrees, and ingress and egress is luxurious compared to a typical Crown Vic. Test's show that around town this vehicle posted about 15 mpg, which doesn't sound like a lot, but compared to the typical Crown Vic, that's over 3 mpg better.

It's a shame that NYC won't see these cabs in use. It would have provided NYC with a "Signature" vehicle, along the lines of the London Taxi, or the Philippines Jeepneys, and could have saved fuel as well. After seeing these GSM "Manhattan" Taxi's in person, I can only say it was New York's loss.

Between the Isetta and the 1500 came BMW's 700, which still had an Isetta-style tiny motorcycle engine in the rear but was shaped more like a normal "three boxes" car. You don't see them around much, since they didn't sell in huge numbers over here (and turned into vaguely automobile-shaped reddish-brown stains on the ground after a few European winters back in the old country). Get one running and looking pretty decent and you're virtually guaranteed to have bragging rights whenever you run into some chest-thumping 2002 owners. All you need is a starting point, and we've got just the car: this '61 BMW 700 (go here if the ad disappears) for only five hundred bucks. It's located in dry southern Colorado, so maybe it's not hopelessly rusted, and- get this- it "was parked running" (how long ago it was parked isn't stated, but we suspect that Richard Nixon was still in office at the time). It needs some body work (which won't be so bad, provided you don't have to find any body parts or trim pieces) and some glass (which will might be absolutely impossible challenging, but perhaps you'll find a kindly old BMW mechanic in Germany who will sell you some of his stash of NOS glass at totally reasonable prices). And hey, you should be able to get engine parts from old BMW motorcycles!

How can you not love the concept of the Instant Junkyard when you're looking to start a Hell Project? You buy several cars at once, pick the one that's slightly less hopeless in better shape than the others, and make one nice project. Meanwhile, your neighbors will be gearing up to lock you in the trunk of one of your parts cars with several angry gila monsters, because it's a truism of Project Car Hell that neighbors are never understanding about half-gutted heaps in your driveway lowering their property values... but the best projects always require total loss of sanity a few sacrifices. And when you see this 3-fer-1 deal on 1955 Austin FX3 taxis (go here if the ad disappears), you'll be willing to make any sacrifice to get these British beauties into your life. In one of those short car-ad statements that tells a long, sad story, these cars "were to be used for a movie, but the deal fell thru," we learn that these cabs have already ruined at least one life... but that won't happen to you! No, you'll have one, two, or maybe all three of these super-rare machines driving in no time! Do they run? How complete are they? We can't tell you, but the seller says all of them roll. What more do you need? Imagine making three small-block-Chevy-powered right-hand-drive British hoonwagons!

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These kids aren't the brightest by leaking information that they would be robbing the store prior to the robbery AND calling a cab to getaway. Maybe they got the idea from watching the movie Taxi, and if so, they should be in jail just for that. [Reuters]

Luckily, our gadget expert, Travis, was among our number. He quickly mastered the system by randomly stabbing at the touchscreen while our driver hooned across lower Manhattan. In the old days, all that you would have had back there for entertainment was the lingering aroma of puke from the last drunk to take a ride. As for nav, you had your wits. And blind trust.

Those days are gone for good. God only knows what they'll come up with to keep us occupied in the next generation of yellow hacks.

For the specifics, the Transit Connect will be making its way stateside next year and includes a 2.0-liter four cylinder. The 19 city and 24 highway mpg does make me question it's reputation as a taxi. How about something of the solar variety? [WCF]

The Opel Vivaro taxi (a different one pictured) has ten potential bidders interested with a bid as high as 63,000 euros (or about $93,000). "I need the money &mdash because of the Schumi-Ride I could be in big trouble with the police," the taxi driver said. We hope this story has a happy ending. Maybe next year's Race of Champions will feature a head-to-head Minivan race. [F1 Live via AutoBlog]

"I found myself in the passenger seat, which was strange enough, but to have "Schumi" behind the wheel of my cab was incredible"... "He drove at full throttle around the corners and over-took in some unbelievable places."

Geely will likely also bring versions of the Free Cruiser, China Dragon, Vision and Sea Breeze to Detroit. We'll be there to cover all of the cross-border, cross-cultural fun. [Auto News Europe (Sub. Req.)]