Many rally-going scooterists will be choking on their Corn Flakes when they see the latest limited edition Vespa 946.
‘The Snake’ brings up connotations of a classic but overplayed Northern Soul record but obviously this Vespa model isn’t aimed at most of us.
This is an ultra-exclusive 125cc scooter costing £12,115. It’s marketed towards the fashion-conscious, brand-focused collector. Vespa are taking this scooter on tour with pop-up shops. It started off in Rome at Rinascente Tritone, the first appointment of the new year is at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées in Paris from 7 January to 5 February. This will be followed by openings in Milan at La Rinascente, Vienna at Steffl, Beijing at Galeries Lafayette, Istanbul at Vakko, Bangkok at Emquartier, Singapore at Paragon, Hanoi at Trang Tien, and at the Jakarta Plaza Indonesia.
Note, there are no pop-ups planned for London, or anywhere else in the UK.
Piaggio’s dreamy press release gives an idea of where they’re going with this model:
“With its design inspired by icy landscapes and the ethereal beauty of winter, the Vespa 946 Snake stands out for its iridescent blue livery in icy shades which pay homage to the purity and strength of snowy landscapes. Woven into this glacial scenery is the inspiration of the snake, conveyed through the handlebar grips and saddle, modelled to recall the soft texture of the animal’s skin. The chrome-plated snake featuring on both the fuel cap and mudguard completes a design project that combines strength, grace and originality”.
Lunar calendar
The Snake forms part of Vespa’s Lunar Collection (it started with the Dragon 946 last year), a series of limited-edition models paying homage to the Chinese lunar calendar. Last year was the year of the dragon, 2025 is the year of the snake:
“An imperial and enigmatic creature that invites us to go beyond our limits, to live with boldness and to travel beyond boundaries. The Vespa 946 Snake was created to express this philosophy.”
With only 888 models available and a hefty price tag, this latest 946 will become a collector’s model, like the 2023 Vespa 946 Rabbit!
Snakeskin
The 946 Snake is accompanied by some snazzy wearables, including an open-faced helmet with removable interior and handcrafted detailing, as well as an iridescent blue visor with 3D chrome snake. Other delights include a white floor-length pufffer jacket which “Wraps the body in a warm embrace, while the tone-on-tone snake profile detailing recalls the central theme of the collection.”
Bomber jacket
There’s also a bomber jacket which has an iridescent sheen “Which evokes the icy hues of the winter landscape, the contrast between the shiny fabric and the embroidered graphic details gives the piece a strong, contemporary aesthetic.”
More info on the Snake and its accessories can be found here.
I think snakes are more likely to be found in deserts rather than icy conditions. Not very well thought out.
You missed the Bunny. Year of the Rabbit was the 1st one.