The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission have passed new regulations prohibit the use of Lexus taxi cabs because they are "too powerful."

The city of New York has over 13,000 cabs in operation, where the Ford Crown Victoria reigns supreme accounting for more than half of the city's taxis. But that is about to change since the Taxi and Limousine Commission just selected the Nissan NV200 as the Taxi of Tomorrow, which is an effort to encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly vehicles. 

Despite New York's plan to integrate hybrid vehicles into the taxi system until all the cabs are hybrids, there is a certain hybrid vehicle that doesn't make the cut: the Lexus. 

Out of 13,000 cabs cruising NY city streets, only six of them are Lexus models. These hybrid models are the Lexus RX 400h or the RX 450h, and they cost over $40,000 per vehicle. 

The Lexus taxi first came about in 2006 when a taxi fleet was testing these particular models. These vehicles were modified for taxi use with additions like roof lights, a camera and of course, a yellow paint job. 

Cliff Adler was the first to drive a Lexus taxi. He then persuaded his friend Samuel Pekoh to drive one as well. 

Later, four more Lexus taxi drivers were added to the list, including Sushil Maggoo, Neil Newmark, Shmuel Poper and Ilya Atanelov. 

Together, these six cab drivers make up an elite force of Lexus enthusiasts, and care for their vehicles very much. Customers are not to slam their doors or put their bags on the leather seats, but it's the extra care that draws customers to these luxury vehicles. The drivers have sometimes received tips as much as 50 to 100 percent of the cab fare, and a couple of the men even mentioned driving their kids to school in style using their Lexus cabs. 

In a city full of $28,000 Crown Victoria's whipping around street corners and battling loads of traffic, one might wonder why a cabbie would pay so much money for a Lexus cab. The cab drivers note that they do not make more money in fares and tips, but rather, they bought the vehicles for two reasons: individuality and health. 

There are thousands of yellow cabs on the streets of New York, so cabbies are constantly trying to make their cars stick out and attract more business. Most of the time, cab drivers use bumper stickers to stand out amongst the crowd, but with a Lexus, Newmark notes that the unique factor is a no-brainer. 

"A cab driver is dying for individuality," said Newmark. "I sort of feel like a celebrity." 

Lexus cabs also offer a more comfortable ride, which is important for physical health when cabbies are driving over deep potholes and sitting in traffic for long periods of time. Newmark, in particular, notes that the Lexus' smooth ride helps him manage knee pain. 

In addition, the six Lexus drivers noted that their vehicles require less maintenance than most other hybrid vehicles. 

But recently, the NY Taxi and Limousine Commission passed regulations that forbid the Lexus taxicab from roaming New York City streets. The reason for this ban is because the vehicle are "too powerful." 

Of course, the Lexus cab drivers disagree with the Taxi and Limousine Commission, and hope their vehicles will be grandfathered into the hybrid program. 

"If I'm willing to spend the money on a Lexus, why won't they let me?" said Mr. Newmark. 

As of right now, the Lexus cabbies plan to enjoy the time they have left with their vehicles until they must be retired. Cabs are typically retired after a three to seven year period depending on the vehicle, but a Lexus cab has a six-year cab life. Adler will have to retire his vehicle next year, and Atanelov, who was the most recent Lexus cab buyer, said he plans to retire along with his Lexus when the time comes. 

The Taxi and Limousine Commission plans to clear out most varieties of cabs in anticipation of the newly adopted Nissan NV200.