Vespa’s Most Powerful Scooter Wants to Break Stereotypes

Vespa’s new range-topping model, the GTS 310, is here to prove that a scooter doesn’t necessarily have to be slow. It features the biggest engine the brand has ever built and a surprisingly long list of tech.

Piaggio promises the GTS 310 is the most powerful, most responsive, and quickest Vespa made since the original model entered production in 1946. Power comes from a 310-cc evolution of the existing water-cooled, 278-cc single-cylinder engine that’s tuned to develop 25 horsepower. Context is useful: you’re sitting on 3.1 horsepower (the decimal matters here!) if you ride a Vespa Primavera with the air-cooled, 50-cc single-cylinder engine. I’ve owned and daily-driven cars that had less power than the new GTS 310.

Vespa hasn’t released acceleration figures, but we’re told that the extra displacement is complemented by an increase in torque that makes the GTS 310 peppier. All told, about 70 percent of the engine was redesigned. It sounds like the new range-topping Vespa model is more convenient to ride daily and, crucially, will be a lot more fun. The bigger engine should extend the two-wheeler’s usability far beyond urban environments.

Like cars, two-wheelers have become considerably more advanced in recent years and the Vespa hasn’t escaped this trend. The GTS 310 notably features an electronic traction control system for the rear wheel and ABS brakes for both wheels. LED exterior lighting ensures you’re seen, and there’s even a USB port. Options include a heated seat (really!), heated grips, a rear luggage rack, and a front fender guard.

Vespa hasn’t announced when the GTS 310 will enter production, whether it’s headed to our shores, or how much it will cost. It likely won’t be cheap, however: the less powerful GTV model starts at $8,500.