Pimp ma ride

I read an article today about Piaggio launching their rhetro cool little Vespa's in Dubai next month. This should be quite an interesting exercise. Vespa's are popular in London, Milan, Paris, New York and any other congested sexy city. They conjure up images of "urban cool" style concious people.. heck i've always wanted a Vespa in purple!

Dubai however... the only people you see riding motor bikes are delivery folk; pizza's, subway sandwiches or people who cannot afford cars. The "target market" are "urban Dubai residents, style concious, affluent, mainly in the New Dubai, Dubai Media City and Dubai Marina area". Frankly, it's just too damn hot to be riding around in a 2 wheeler, as by the time you arrive at your destination, you will need to take a shower.

Additionally, with Dubai's neurotic obsession of "blingin it up", a pricetag of 3,500 dhs (540 UKpounds) just won't be convincing enough for the target market to splash out as it's far too accessible. What would work is if they pimped up the Vespa.

Perhaps commissioning Cartier to stud it with diamonds, a Kawasaki (or some super fast motor bike engine), Gucci customising the upholstery, throw in a time machine, load it with a mobile home entertainment system - surround sound, sub woofer and all. Oh, and of course adding three more zero's on the price tag.

pimpin ain't easy.