A French fan of the “Taxi” saga has reproduced the Peugeot 406 from “Taxi 3” identically. But to do this, he had to spend a few thousand euros and above all ask permission from Luc Besson…
Taxi 3: towards the mountain
After having fought against the Mercedes gang and the Yakuzas in the first two parts of the saga, Emilien and Daniel must confront the Santa Claus gang in Taxi 3.
Still directed by Gérard Krawczyk, this third opus has the particularity of relocating the famous Peugeot 406 and taking it to the ski slopes in the Alps. For the occasion, the means have been put in place to make it a real tank, thanks to tracks on its four wheels. Released in French theaters on January 29, 2003, the film was a big popular success with over 6 million entries.
The film, still led by Samy Naceri and Frédéric Diefenthal, even had a cameo by superstar Sylvester Stallone.
A Frenchman has the replica of the 406 from the film
The car of the saga, the famous white Peugeot 406 phase I, had its heyday at the end of the 90s and is present in the first film of the saga. In Taxi 2 and 3, it’s a 406 stage II which is in the picture. An absolute fan of the saga even reproduced identically that of the third film.
As related in The Channel PressPascal Picard, a taxi driver from Condé-Sur-Vire spent lavishly buying an exact replica of the car from the film.
It is a car with a 2.2 liter gasoline engine with 158 HP. I bought it in November 2019, after having found it a bit by chance. At first it was a normal car
explained Pascal Picard.
But to be able to customize it as in Taxi 3 (the same leather, the same gearbox, the glove box, the rear spoiler, the ears on the roof, or even the bumper), the latter spent more than 10,000 euros.
Everything was made by enthusiasts, identical to what we see in the film. Many elements, not easy to find in France, come from England. For the ears and the bumper, companies worked on them for more than eight months, for example!
Authorization from Luc Besson
You may not know it but it is forbidden to reproduce the car of the saga Taxi without permission from Luc Besson. He, therefore, had to give his agreement so that Pascal Picard can customize his 406 like in the film.
He now rents the car for events, but always with him behind the wheel!
