[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

... Imagine your daughter on this scooter going to college! She will be the biggest talk of the town...

I doubt it!

How many people seeing this Vespa are gonna get to know that it's worth 13 lac? At least the Fiat 500 and the Beetle 'looked' expensive even if the motor was ordinary. This Vespa according to me doesn't have that trump card either!

[Karthik Chandra]

12 Lacs!!!

If Vespa dealers accept old 500 and 1000 rupee notes, they'll able to clear off stocks in a jiffy...

12 Lacs for a scooter is impossible to digest. Converting the normal Vespa into this super Vespa isn't going to cost more than a lac (on the higher side). One can get the same exact looks for about 2 Lacs, there are workshops who can do it exactly as it is.

[Asish_VK]

12 Lacs ? For an Emporio-Armani badge?

Agreed, It looks fabulous, but it would've been sensible if it had a higher capacity engine (300/400 or 500cc may be ?) and mechanical elements to match the engine, So that they can justify the price tag and make it stand out from other Vespa's

But, there will be people to buy this , just to decorate their Drawing rooms

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

In Fashion & Luxury markets, goods cannot be cheap. They have to be priced higher to maintain exclusivity

Agreed, but it's applicable to other markets, not India.

There are socialites & really wealthy women who'll not blink an eye before spending 3 lakhs on a handbag or 6 lakhs on a watch. For them, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition will require lesser financial planning than it will for us to buy a Maruti Swift.

However, in India, riding a scooter for these socialites isn't practical. It's too hot, too dusty, more dangerous and will soil their designer clothes. There's also the leching factor they'd be worried about. Not to mention, most of the rich girls probably haven't ever learnt how to ride a two-wheeler!

The above-mentioned points are perhaps not as applicable to parts of Europe & USA.

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Probably should start a business of converting normal Vespa 150cc scooters to these super 150cc scooters for an additional lakh. Still can sell some units considering it would cost 10 lakhs lesser, while being identical. Dont see many changes other than body work anyways!

12.04 lakhs for a 150cc scooter, no matter how stylish it looks is -

I get what you're saying but then THAT is a bit reductio absurdum on your part sir. After all that is always true for any and every higher-priced vehicle: that you can get the body work redone to copy i.e., to create a 'pirate' edition of your own.

btw, the 946 is ALL aluminium, has ample electronics including fuel injection, etc. So the 'normal' 150cc Indian Vespa 125 re-bodied would indeed be a TOTAL pirate-edition! ;-) Besides you cannot rebody a Vespa: they have no panels: the frame IS the body, a monocoque.

It's the cbu-tariffs plus other taxes, that's all. Besides, it is not meant for sales numbers: it is brand-building/elevating exercize, that is all, for Vespa given that Piaggio is increasingly seeking to cross sell Moto Guzzis and Aprilia-s alongside Vespa-s at their combined MOTOPLEX dealerships.

Perhaps we in India do not 'get' the concept of 'authenticity' (in this case: retrochic, chic future-past style) on which such European models sell, despite 'getting' the vague/general 'status via exclusivity/rarity' thing. We're sometimes willing to pay for the latter but rarely for the former, least of all in scooters. Which is understandable since a 'Vespa' has different 'desi modest middle class workhorse' connotations here historically? Like the Yamaha Fascino we may yet get a Japanese 'pirate' edition of this uber-chic Vespa 946 as well: at desi-palatable prices, below 1 lakh!

Why the Indian government is not signing the pending FTA with the EU is beyond me: imo the deal being offered is good one. Domestic auto lobby, i suppose. THAT is the real grief here.

[TusharK]

Vespa 946: Rs. 2 lakh off on India's most expensive scooter

According to a media report, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani - India's most expensive scooter, is now available with a discount of Rs. 2 lakh. Even with the hefty discount it still costs Rs. 10 lakh.



The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani is a limited edition model built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Giorgio Armani and the 130th anniversary of the Piaggio Group. Only three units were allotted for India. The scooter was priced at Rs. 12.04 lakh (ex-showroom).



The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani is finished in a matte black shade with a brown seat. The scooter features retro styling with modern touches like an LED headlight and LED turn indicators as well as a circular LED tail light. It rides on 12-inch alloy wheels and has disc brakes at both ends.



Powering the scooter is a BS4-compliant, 125cc, single-cylinder engine producing 11.3 BHP. The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).



This particular scooter is a 2016 model with zero km on its odometer. It is available at SBK World, Pune.

Source

Link to Team-BHP News

[srini1785]

Good luck selling it. BSIV engine with a price tag of 10L during this lockdown / downturn?. Armani or not, no sane man is touching it. Would the RTO accept it even if someone buys it?.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

The extended dates for BS4 registration is over, isn't it?

The dealer would most likely have registered on their name and then providing 2 lakh discount for an unused pre-owned vehicle.

Makes zero sense though!

[abhishek46]

Forget Rs 2 lakh discount!
No one will touch this even it retails for Rs 2 lakh!

This is just an ordinary scooter with a fancy seat and some Armani badges thrown in.

[ac 427]

If this is supposed to be a high end product, they have already failed at positioning it by giving a 2 lac discount.
i don't remember the last time, a LV bag being sold on a discount, or a Hermes loafer being a part of a 'sale'.

in addition. even if I say - I have the money, the scooter looks absolutely ordinary, (relative to the price and its other siblings). There is no reason (even for the badge) to pay this absurd amount.

This is a classic case of a brand managers wet dream. Or a brand extension going wrong. Or just thinking too highly of your own brand.

There is conspicuous consumption and then there is this
If this sells, I would honestly want to meet the person that buys this and understand his/her mentality

Am glad I got this out of my system

[karan0009]

I fell sad for the dealer who has this vehicle in stock.

Perfect example of how dealers are pushed by companies to buy unwanted stock.

No way it is going to sell for 10 Lakhs. Dealer will be lucky even if they are able to sell it for 2-3 lakhs.

[Sri Vathsa]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Powering the scooter is a BS4-compliant, 125cc, single-cylinder engine producing 11.3 BHP. The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The engine specs for 10 Lakhs! The dealer would use this as a show piece, with a tag - India's most expensive scooter.

[saishivaj]

Originally Posted by Sri Vathsa

The engine specs for 10 Lakhs! The dealer would use this as a show piece, with a tag - India's most expensive scooter.

And that with the brand having brilliant 300 cc and other engines. The regular Vespas also retail with the option of 150 cc motors!