Modern Vespa

Here's a crop from a Prius ad. It's been out for a little while so I apologize in advance if this has already been posted.

DW

I saw that in Popular Science.

I notice it's been flipped and colored.

I don't get it. What does a classy Italian scooter have to do with a crummy little Japanese car?

I think it's amusing they're advertising against something that gets twice the gas mileage.

I did the flipping; the ad was in color, not necessarily accurate color, however.

The color of the Vespa in that ad makes me think of Arno's. I think that's the closest I've ever seen to a GTS of that color.

There is nothing I like more than rolling up next to a Prius and screaming at the top of my lungs at the driver, "GAS HOG!".

Friend of mine is looking at a new car to buy. Last week we stopped at the local Ford dealer. My friend is thinking on a 2013 Ford Fusion hybrid. Did a longish test drive (salesman said take out on a real drive, so we did). The Fusion is a real car, larger than a Prius, about the size of a Passat.
Anyway, our total MPG was 48.8 MPG. Excellent I thought. The reason I mention it, is that we made better MPG in the Fusion than we made going to the dealer on our two Vespas (Got to combine both Vespas) Mine gets ~ 84 MPG (GT200), my friends 250 gets 72.5 MPG. So both of us riding to the dealer we would be getting around 39 MPG. Both of us in the Fusion, we got almost 49 MPG.

Both are full of bits made in China?

A review of a Fusion hybrid said that if you drive it less than carefully, the mileage drops to the low 30's. Maybe your friend drove with a light throttle, or the magazine tester had a lead foot.

As to the Prius, they're a little boring to drive, but other than that, I think they're pretty good. There's plenty of room inside and the hatchback is useful. My brother and I rented one a couple of years ago. We put bicycles and our luggage in the back. We put almost 2,000 miles on it in all kinds of driving, including in the mountains in Arizona. We didn't drive it gently and we averaged 45 mpg.

I'm wondering how the Vespa is staying upright without a centerstand or kickstand.

LOTHAR but would it be as much fun? COASTER thanks for the shot. Cool ad.

The same way all the Vespas in Piaggio promotional shots do. They always show them balanced magically with the stands in the up position.

I suspect whoever PhotoShopped this picture originally simply lifted the Vespa pic from Vespa's website.

Was not even 10% of the fun, interesting, but boring.

Has to be the 2013 Fusion. Big difference between the 2012 and the 2013. The one in the mag had to be an older one. The one we drove could not even be sold in California yet, you had to sign up on awaiting list.