The Vespa Granturismo is the range of large-frame scooters with which Piaggio took the Vespa into bigger engines from 2003. It began with the GT 125 and GT 200, continued with the GTS 250, the first Vespa with fuel injection, and the GTS 300, and includes the retro-styled GTV and the limited GT 60.
Vespa GTS at a glance
| Maker | Piaggio |
|---|---|
| Range introduced | 2003, Milan show |
| First models | GTL 125 and GTL 200 |
| GTL engines | four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled |
| GTS 250 | late 2005 for 2006, first Vespa with fuel injection |
| GTS 125 | 2007, replacing the GT 125 |
| GTS 300 Super | 2008, 278 cc |
| GTS 310 | November 2024, 310 cc, 25 hp |
| GTV | 2006, retro styling, based on the GTS 250 |
| GT 60 | 2006, limited to 999 |
| Frame | steel, shared by GT and GTS |
| Vietnamese production | from June 2009 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Vespa GTS. It covers the whole Granturismo range, so one page here serves the GT, GTS, GTV, GT 60 and GTS 300 records.
History of the Vespa GTS
The GT of 2003
The Granturismo was presented at the Milan show on 25 March 2003 in 125 and 200 cc form, at the time the largest and most powerful Vespa. It was the first Vespa with four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled engines meeting the Euro 2 standards, and it had an automatic transmission, a front disc and a rear drum brake. The GT 200 used a carburetted Piaggio Leader engine of 198 cc in a larger frame with 12-inch wheels, disc brakes at both ends and liquid cooling. The initials GTL stood for Gran Turismo Liquido.
The GTS 250 of 2006
Late in 2005, for the 2006 model year, Piaggio released the GTS 250, Gran Turismo Sport. Europe received it first and American dealers in early 2006. It was the first Vespa with fuel injection, and with a larger engine than the GT 200 and sharper handling it was described as the most capable Vespa up to that point. The steel frame was virtually the same as the GT’s, but the plastic bodywork, seat and electronic instrument cluster were new. A GTS 125 replaced the GT 125 in 2007.
GTV and GT 60
In 2006, for the brand’s 60th anniversary, Piaggio added the GTV, Gran Turismo Vintage, based on the GTS 250. Its headlight sat on the front mudguard, and the handlebars and seat were inspired by the Vespas of the 1950s. At the same show came the GT 60, a limited edition of 999 in a single grey, colour code 786/A, the shade of the first prototypes. Each buyer received a numbered plaque with their initials, a leather box and document bag, a satin cover, a signed sketch of the scooter and a book on the Vespa.
GTS 300 and 310
The GTS 300 Super arrived in 2008 with a 278 cc four-valve liquid-cooled engine, electronic injection and Euro 3 approval, the largest engine yet fitted to a Vespa. In November 2024 the GTS 310 introduced a 310 cc engine of 25 hp in place of the 278 cc unit. Production also began in June 2009 at Piaggio Vietnam’s Binh Xuyen plant for Asian markets.
Special models
The range has produced a series of editions: the Super Sport with a sport seat and some matt finishes, the 2016 Touring with front and rear luggage racks, the Settantesimo for the brand’s 70th birthday in the same year in a turquoise blue, and the Sei Giorni, of which 300 were released in 2017.
Design and features
- Liquid cooling: the four-valve liquid-cooled engine was a first for the Vespa in 2003.
- Fuel injection: introduced on the GTS 250 in 2006 and used on later models.
- Biggest Vespa engines: 278 cc from 2008 and 310 cc from 2024.
- Shared steel frame: the GT and GTS use virtually the same metal body.
- Retro GTV: mudguard-mounted headlight and 1950s-style seat and bars.
Vespa GTS versions
- GTL 125 and 200 (2003): the first Granturismo models.
- GTS 250 (2006): first fuel-injected Vespa.
- GTV 250 (2006): vintage-styled version of the GTS.
- GT 60 (2006): 999 numbered scooters in grey.
- GTS 300 Super (2008): 278 cc, the largest Vespa engine of its time.
- GTS 310 (2024): 310 cc and 25 hp.
The smaller modern Vespa of the same years is the Vespa LX; the classic largeframe line begins with the Vespa 125, and the last classic design is the Vespa PX. More are in the Vespa collection.
Video: Vorstellung: Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport i E ABS Modell 2014
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Vespa GTS, English Wikipedia: GT, GTS, GTV, GT 60, engines, special models
