Is This Gotham's New Cab?

As I've blogged about several times, New York City has been holding a contest to replace its taxi fleet of about 12,000 Crown Victorias as Ford has discontinued the line. Today the Daily News reports that the top two finalists are an as-yet unseen Nissan "vanette" and the above model made by the little-known Karsan out of Turkey, which "features a sleek, futuristic design with a see-through glass roof for tourists and curious New Yorkers."

New York state Assemblyman Micah Kellner (my rep), who has cerebral palsy, notes that only the Karsan vehicle is wheelchair accessible. NYC pays many millions every year for a special fleet of disabled-friendly cabs, which must be dispatched by request, so Kellner's view could be very important to the final decision.

According to the rules, the winning taxi must be an "iconic vehicle that can be identified with New York City and exemplifies the character of the city." I guess the Karsan fits the bill, but I'd been pulling for Australia's futuristic Unicab (below). The new cabs must begin hitting the street by 2014.