New York City recently made the decision that going forward, all taxicabs would have to be of the Nissan NV variety. This, of course, upset the cabbies, who for decades have used mostly Ford Crown Victorias, but recently began adopting everything including hybrids and SUVs as vehicles for hire. This has resulted in a high-profile lawsuit against the city, filed by the taxi lobby. 

We think these two sides could learn a thing or two from the Russian taxi commission, which frankly doesn’t seem to care what vehicle cab drivers want to operate. Autoevolution came across these renderings for a pair of high-performance taxis, including a Chevy Camaro SS, that will soon be cruising the streets of Moscow.

Unfortunately, the Camaro SS and Maserati Quattroporte taxicabs aren’t actually taxicabs, but are rather a part of a promotional getup for a new 4g cellphone service. Cell company MTS wrapped the Camaro and Maserati in a special vinyl getup, making them look like real Moscow taxis, to get the word out about their fast new mobile service. No word on if they actually provide taxi services…

But it does raise an interesting question; would you pay more money for a ride in a fast and fun taxi? Sure, taxicabs can take quite a beating from the crazies and drunks of the world (and we’re not just talking about the drivers!), but maybe people would treat their taxi better if it was a car they actually knew and appreciated.

Then again, this is Russia, where most cabs are decades-old Ladas with “speed holes” and vodka-soaked seats, so anything American or Italian is a huge upgrade. But yeah, give us Camaro taxicabs!