Anyone in the world who's ever seen a movie set in New York City can recognize a New York taxi. It's yellow with black graphics. So would you mistake this 2009 Tesla Roadster Sport for a taxi and hail it on the streets of Monaco?

Probably not, but it's a tribute to the hacks of New York just the same. The lucky purchaser, who lives near Monaco with a second home in New York, owns a fleet of cabs in New York City that consists largely of Ford Escape Hybrid crossovers.

Tesla Roadster Sport taxi, from LeBlogAuto

Tesla Roadster Sport taxi, from LeBlogAuto

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Tesla Roadster Sport taxi, from LeBlogAuto

Tesla Roadster Sport taxi, from LeBlogAuto

According to Tesla spokesperson Rachel Konrad, the paint job wasn't the company's work; it was done by the customer after he took delivery of his Roadster Sport "as a fun publicity project." She would not, of course, disclose the customer's name.

These photos, taken on the French Riviera, came to our attention on LeBlogAuto, a website brimming over with car news, both stuff we knew and that peculiarly French take on all things automotive that gives France such a ... unique ... take on motorized transport.

As the author notes (roughly translated by Babelfish), "Sadly, the magnetic sign [for a taxi] would not hold on the carbon-fiber body" of a Tesla. We must admit, the challenges of turning a Tesla into a taxi hadn't even crossed our mind.

In the end, we're left with one strong impression: Those taxis we ride in must be very profitable for the fleet owners--if not necessarily for the unlucky souls who drive them in 12-hour shifts.

[LeBlogAuto]