Screamer, Italian style

Sure, we know that Ferrari just won Le Mans for the first time since 1965, but there’s other news in high performance from Italy, coming from the opposite end of the capability spectrum. Vespa, the purveyor of delightful little Italian motor scooters famed for their star turns in films such as Three Coins in the Fountain and Roman Holiday, has introduced the most muscular scooter in its history, the Vespa GTV. First introduced in 2006, the GTV has obtained a major power boost for 2023.

The GTV is immediately recognizable by its fender-mounted, or faro basso, front headlamp. Power comes from Vespa’s HPE (High Performance Engine) with a single cylinder, four-valve timing, and a romping output of 23.8 horsepower, making it the most potent engine ever installed in a Vespa. As the Italians have demonstrated for years, these are smart urban vehicles, now made more attractive with real point-and-squirt horsepower, just the thing for shooting through traffic in Rome, or closer to your home.