Toyota JPN TAXI

Automotive Art   |   Photoshop Chops   |   Hailing a ride

JTCC inspired public transport

I love classic Tokyo taxis such as the Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric that feature old school four-door sedan vibes from the good old days. Many of them are fitted with an automatic rear door on the left side, enabling the driver to open and close the door for passengers. I had the opportunity to photograph many of those taxis on my visits to Tokyo. When the new JPN TAXI launched I was disappointed, because the shape inspired by the London Black Cab isn’t harmonious in it’s proportions and details. I do however see the benefits for passengers, such as easier ingress and egress, more headroom and better outward visibility. The huge rear door enables access for wheelchair users. So far so good, but I can’t bring myself to finding it attractive as it is so massively over-bodied and under-wheeled. 

This can be fixed with Adobe Photoshop (or a skilled body shop and lots of money). The JPN TAXI you see here has been body dropped (or sectioned in old school USA customizer lingo). Inspired by JTCC racecars, I added suitable wheels, tires, brakes and a rollcage, rendering the passenger compartment rather useless, which doesn’t really matter as the ride wouldn’t be comfortable for paying guests anyway. This one is just for fun and as the eagle eyed viewers have already spotted: based on the concept car rather than the dull production version. 

Sebastian Motsch   |   instagram @photoshopchops