Vespa launches ₹12 lac scooter while you wait in line at the ATM
A collaboration with Emporio Armani, this luxury scooter is the answer to the question nobody was asking
The landscape is almost post-apocalyptic, with long lines of people outside ATMs, hoping to withdraw whatever little cash is left while we wait for things to return to normal. Perhaps it’s not the best time to be riding around on a ₹12 lac scooter, but if for whatever reason, that floats your boat, here you go.
The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani was co-developed by Giorgio Armani and Piaggio to celebrate their respective anniversaries in 2015 — the 40th for Armani and 130th for Piaggio. The scooter is clearly differentiated from it’s plebeian stablemates by its design. Armani has come up with a matte black and grey colour scheme with hints of green when the light is just right. It uses a 125cc four-stroke motor, except that at 9.6Nm, it actually makes less torque than the 150cc standard Vespas. Power remains about the same at 11.3bhp. Unlike the regular Vespas, however, you do get 220mm discs front and back, and slightly wider tyres. You also get electronic riding controls “which also interface with the latest internet devices”. The 946 is a CBU (fully imported) and is available at ₹12,04,970, ex-showroom, Pune. If you think that’s ridiculous for a scooter, we can point you to several hatchbacks that cost way more and are slightly less practical.
For those of us who prefer less ill will from the queues at the ATM as we pass by, Piaggio has also launched the Vespa 70th Anniversary Edition, a cosmetic variant of the existing Vespa VXL. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Vespa brand, the special edition gets an exclusive ‘Azzurro 70’ body colour, a new brown leather pattern seat with white stitch work and embossed 70th Anniversary logo, a fly screen, a chrome rear carrier, a chrome perimeter guard with integrated pillion footstep, special glossy dust grey alloy wheels and the chrome Vespa 70th Anniversary logo on the glove box. The Vespa 70th Anniversary Edition costs Rs 96,500 ex-showroom, Pune.
