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UK Toyota dealer preps one-off "Dream Prius"

Posted May 1st 2007 at 8:11AM by Alex Nunez

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota


Click image for high-res gallery

Dealer specials are nothing new. Many offer an extensive catalog of aftermarket accessories that can be fitted to any car a customer might be shopping for to further personalize it to taste (or lack thereof). I must say, however, that until today, I hadn't yet seen a significantly personalized Prius during my normal day-to-day commute, and Toyota's trademark little hybrid is a fairly common sight in my Connecticut environs, along with its more conventional-looking showroom siblings, the Camry and Highlander hybrids.

Jemca Toyota in London has finally gone and done what dealers are wont to do: prep a car to a buyer's specific requirements. In this case, the car in question is a Prius, and while the changes are subtle, they certainly do look quite nice. The exterior is finished in Brechin Slate, a blue/silver metallic finish that's normally used on Lexus cars. Inside, the cabin is redone with hand-stiched leather. And not just the seats, mind you, from the photo in the gallery you'll see that the center armrest and door panels also get the luxe treatment. Finally, a spiffy set of multi-spoke polished steel wheels finish the look nicely. All that work drove the price tag up to £32,900, no small amount for a Prius, but for that money, the new owner has a unique car he can truly call his own.

Speaking personally, I actually saw a nicely modified Prius on my commute home today. It was black, debadged, tinted, and had black alloys. I'll be the first to say that the Prius is far from being my favorite car, appearance-wise, but it looked significantly better after seeing that bit of mild personalization applied to it. I'm surprised I haven't seen more like this.

Gallery: Custom Prius by Jemca Toyota (UK)



[Source: Toyota GB]

PRESS RELEASE:
JEMCA TOYOTA DELIVERS DREAM PRIUS

With its world-leading reputation for environmental performance, the Toyota Prius might not seem an obvious candidate for luxury customisation, but one discerning owner has lavished thousands of pounds on giving his car a truly bespoke appearance.

Jemca Toyota of north London prepared the one-off Prius, recruiting specialist suppliers and trimmers to meet its customer's specific requirements.

Its approved bodyshop resprayed the car in Brechin Slate, a metallic finish that is usually reserved for Lexus models. The interior was reupholstered in hand-stitched leather and a set of polished steel Fox RS3 wheels provided the finishing touch. In all, the tailor-made treatment increased the car's price tag to £32,900.

Roger Hart, Jemca's Prius Sales Specialist, said: "We are well aware of how high the demand is for Prius, in March alone we registered 176, but we have never had a request like this before. We were delighted to help the new owner achieve just the specification he wanted and believe that the result is the most valuable Prius ever sold in the UK. It might seem an unlikely car to personalise in this way, we've shown just what can be achieved and how far we can go to help our customers obtain exactly the car they desire."

Tags: custom prius, CustomPrius, jemca toyota, JemcaToyota, prius

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