Scooter News Vespa GTV 60 Did you miss out on a GT 60, well you only have a few months to wait till you can get your hands on the unique GTV 60 250 i.e.
Allen Drysdale The Vespa GTV celebrates 60 years of the most legendary two-wheeler of all time by reviewing and reinterpreting the trademark design and functional features of 1950s and 1960s Vespas.
Vespa GTV
The Vespa GTS was the perfect base on which to carry out this styling exercise. The steel load-bearing body, an element of continuity and the trademark feature of the Vespa, which sets it apart from any other scooter, has never been changed and this Vespa is no exception. The changes made to come up with the GTV concern all the details that have been modified over the years to keep up with technological and design trends in various periods.
On the very first prototype in 1946 the headlamp was positioned on the front mudguard, moving to the handlebar in the mid-1950s. By placing the headlamp on the front mudguard once again, the Vespa GTV makes a clear reference to the origins of the Vespa, while the size and the lamp surface resemble the modern styling of the Vespa GTS.
A similar change has been made to the handlebar, a simple, visible metal tube on the very first Vespa prototype. The GTV also uses a ‘naked’ handlebar, which however has a modern motorcycle-type look.
The round analogue speedometer-mileometer has relatively retro graphics, plus a digital ride information display.
The saddle, another feature that has changed considerably on Vespas over the years, has been comprehensively redesigned. As on the earliest Vespas, the GTV saddle is split into two distinct parts, one for the rider and one for the passenger. The genuine leather saddle has visible stitching, emphasising the detail on this vehicle.
A dual rear shock absorber, two disk brakes and big 12” wheels: the Vespa GTV has all the Vespa GTS’s technical equipment.
The paint on the vehicle also recalls Vespa history. Like all the early Vespa prototypes, painted an aeronautic grey, the GTV is grey — albeit a warm, modern shade of iridescent metallic grey called Avio Grey — to enhance the size and styling of its steel body.
The Vespa GTV is being launched in a displacement of 250cc. The engine is a modern four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled unit.
The 250cc Vespa GTV engine is an avant-garde new Quasar 250 with electronic injection that meets Euro 3 emissions standards. The advanced closed loop injection with a Lambda sensor, together with a three-way catalytic converter and electronic control system, considerably reduces emissions as well as fuel consumption and provides immediate throttle response. The Vespa GTV 250 is fun to ride and quick off the mark, offering smooth and cost-effective running.
The Quasar 250 delivers 22 bhp power and 20.2 Nm torque at 8,250 and 6,500 rpm respectively — performance that takes the Vespa GTV to maximum speed of 122 km/h with the best acceleration of the current range of 250ccs on the market. The Vespa GTV’s timeless elegance hence houses a very modern engine.
published 9/01/2007 |