Upon boarding there is an instant feeling of quality, as the electric door slides shut and you become surrounded by the smell of leather and the sight of faultless walnut trim running the length of the interior.

As we take you through the demonstration the functionality of the interior comes alive; the ingenious fold out table which evolves from the side trim at the click of a button; the subtle lighting features hidden away and the prominent television mounted within the passenger partition… it all seems to come together. Here we have incredibly well finished car luxuries juxtaposed with “mind blowingly cool” technology to great effect.

The modesty of the technology is the crucial part of this vehicle and as General Manager Douglas Bird states: “These vehicles are all about concealing the true nature of what is on offer, this way a classic luxury is achievable that incorporates technology, rather than being controlled by it”.

Of course if you want to kick back and watch a movie, listen to music or surf the internet, Mirage has covered its bases with a fully integrated multimedia PC system, which is optional and can be connected to the centre screen. The design features almost none of the parts from a standard Viano. Apart from the seating arrangement there is not one component that is Mercedes. Even the windows are custom installed!

The vehicle itself starts life as a Mercedes Traveliner 115 CDi Automatic with full air conditioning, alloy wheels and body coloured bumpers, with a drivers seat and not a lot else. The engine produces a healthy 150 Horse power from a Euro 4 2.2 Turbo Diesel, which supplies plenty of power and is smooth enough to run at speed on the motorway. For those of you desiring more, there is also the 120CDi V6 Petrol Engine, which is utilised as standard for the heavier bullet proofed vehicles, or as an optional extra.

The extras list itself is exhaustive; even if the extra you would like is not listed, it does not mean it cannot be provided. Due to the nature of the business, anything can be catered for, we asked, “maybe a wall mounted fire place would look nice?”

The quick honest reply: “No problem what sort of design would you like?”

Essentially Mirage is selling a unique product, which is flexible, bespoke and offers a refreshing change to the normal constraints of chauffeur vehicles.

Watch this space as the product line develops…