Regardless of the fact that the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani will no longer be produced following the termination of a contract between the legendary scooter maker and the iconic fashion brand, only brand loyalists could really appreciate the Vespa 946 as a true masterpiece of art. Something they could boast about as an expensive piece of furniture for the living room.
The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani, based on the Vespa 946, was a luxurious offering that came as a result of the Piaggio-Armani collaboration. It was very clear that Piaggio never intended to pull-in any form of major sales from the 946 Emporio Armani when it first made its debut in India in November 2016. The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani was meant to be a collector’s item and was priced at an eye watering INR 12.04 lakh.
Emporio-Armani fused the scooter’s classic retro design characteristics along with modern technology. The Vespa 946 sported a floating seat mechanism, just as it was found in the traditional scooters mass produced back in the 80’s. The seat’s base was handstitched with premium beige leather which also covers the rather cool looking storage unit fixed at the tip of the Vespa. The body was given a matt black finish along with classical wheel rims of the Vespa. Not everything was old fashioned about the 946’s design theme. It was given a fair amount of modern technological advancements such as LED headlamps and tail lamps with an LCD instrument cluster.
Performance wise, the Vespa 946’s body rested on a monocoque chassis to improve ride characteristics. The motor powering the Vespa is a 125cc engine producing 11.95 Ps power and 10.3 Nm of torque. It is also loaded with many active safety features such a traction control system, Anti Slip Regulator, and Anti-lock Braking System. With its 10-month stint finally coming to an end, the Vespa 946 Emporio-Armani failed to connect with the Indian customer, and as a result ended up with zero sales in the country.