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Scooter Icon Lambretta Resurfaces With Two New Models


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Can’t bring yourself to swing a leg over (or through) a Vespa? Trust me, you’re missing out on some fun times, especially in a big city, where getting around on a scooter is both fun and economical. And, typically, a bit stylish. Now, iconic scooter brand (and historic Vespa competitor) Lambretta appears to be rising from the ashes after shutting down in 1972, then surviving the pandemic after a reboot in 2017. The revitalized company first popped back up with the “G Special” lineup in 50, 125 and 200cc variants in 2018, and showed off some concept models at EICMA in 2019, along with the promise of an all-electric machine. We all know what happened next.

Following the work stoppages, reorganizations and general chaos of the pandemic, Lambretta has reappeared once again with two new models (but no electric model) and has punched the G Special—rechristened as the $7,700 G350 Special–out to a robust “350” (actually: 330cc) that makes just over a claimed 25 hp. That should put it on par with Vespa’s top-line 300-series models, which typically displace 278cc and makes 23 hp in top HPE trim. Game on, Vespa.

lambretta-g350-1-750x471.jpeg

Image: Lambretta

The G350 Special (above) is a fully modern scoot with ABS, fuel injection, LED bits, an LCD instrument screen, modern suspension and so on, but the look strongly recalls the long-tailed Lambrettas of old, when mobs of stylish scooter “Mods” would mix it up with the leather-clad bad boy (and girl) motorcycle-riding “Rockers” in 1960s Britain, causing a “moral panic.” Cue the Quadrophenia clip, which was loosely based on real events in Brighton:

Joining the new V350 Special is the $6,300 X300 (below), a not-so-retro Lambretta pointing toward a more techno future for the company. While still sticking to the overall Lambretta/Vespa step-through basics, the X300 is more angular and aesthetically modern, while packing a bit less heat under the seat (but quite a bit of storage).

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Image: Lambretta

Lambretta says they are looking to get the scoots into showrooms this fall. For what it’s worth, the company is now owned by Innocenti SA, a mobility consortium in Switzerland named for Lambretta founder Ferdinando Innocenti. No word so far on where the scooters will be constructed. Adventure scooters? No, they’re not poised to head off onto gravel roads or two-track like the Honda ADV150/350 or the Kymco DT-X360, but here’s hoping Lambretta sees the light and eventually wants to get dirty (or at least dusty).

If you’re looking for a modern update on the Mod/Rocker scene, check out the 2021 movie The Pebble and the Boy, where a son pays tribute to his late father—a die-hard Lambretta-riding Mod—by riding his period-correct mirror-and-light-festooned two-stroke Lambretta to Brighton, birthplace of the Mods. Hijinks – and Rocker face-offs – ensue:

Otherwise, if you’re just scooter-curious, check out the pix of the new Lambrettas below, and start working on updating your riding kit with some extra mirrors and skinny ties. Mod on.

Your author rides a 2007 Vespa GTS 250ie. What’s your take on the new Lambrettas and scooters in general?

Vezi sursa

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