VIP travel in Cumbria is set to enter a new era with the arrival of the county’s first Starfleet Limousine Coach at Reays of Wigton.
The £100,000 super luxurious vehicle – dubbed a party cruiser - offers all the hi-tech features of an American stretch limousine but the big difference is that it is spacious enough to allow up to 16 passengers to comfortably stand up in it.
So besides two flat-screen TVs, a fridge for six bottles of bubbly and its own built-in karaoke machine, the Starfleet also boasts more than 6ft of standing space throughout, making it easy to step in and out of, and unlike those claustrophobic stretch limos, without any risk of embarrassment for ladies in short skirts!
Other in-vehicle luxuries include computer-controlled multi-light show, DVD/CD player, surround sound system and air-conditioning, along with curved leather bench seats, ice-bins and champagne buckets and flutes, providing the perfect way to travel in genuine VIP style for a day out or special celebration.
All these features are fitted on a Mercedes-Benz chassis, making the Starfleet the only PSV-legal 16-seater limo of its type in the UK. Just 12 have been built so far by South Wales-based Tawe Coachbuilders – and the one due to arrive at Reays next month is the only one north of Manchester.
Chris Reay, managing director of Reays of Wigton, said: “You have to see the Starfleet to believe it. On the outside it is very classy and understated but inside it is absolutely stunning. There are lots of Hummers and other stretch limos around nowadays but this offers something completely new and different. There is just so much room in there. People in Cumbria are going to go mad about it. It’ll be a real hit for anything from school proms to a day out at the races or Blackpool or wherever.”
The diesel-powered right-hand-drive Starfleet, which has darkened mirrored windows, has good green credentials too, with low emissions and an average of 25-28 miles per gallon, compared to just 6mpg for a Hummer. It also offers wheelchair space, making it the first limo of its type to be fully accessible.
Chris added: “It’s as smooth as velvet to ride in and all the fixtures are absolute top quality and really tastefulIy fitted. It’s certainly not got the ‘bling’ feel of some limos. The lighting, for example, can be set to simply illuminated detail only, which might suit daytime corporate work. Its length also means there is no problem manoeuvring around places where stretch limos can’t reach and passengers certainly won’t have to crawl down to the back of it like in a stretch limo.”
The Starfleet’s internal features include:
· 40-inch LCD screen at rear and 19-inch TV behind driver
· Five-speaker surround sound
· Karaoke machine, with two cordless microphones
· Multi-light effect ceiling and floor
· 16 champagne flutes and tumblers, six-bottle fridge, four champagne buckets, three ice-bins
· Fitted lap belts for all 16 passengers
