EVER considered a whacky run-around for your business? Well, they don’t come much whackier than the Piaggio Ape – the quirky Italian three-wheeled pick-up.
And now Piaggio’s newest dealer, Surrey-based Mach-V, has launched a sporty version called Ape Cross Racing, which it introduced at the recent Auto Italia Italian Day event at Brooklands, in Weybridge, Surrey.
The standard model is powered by a 49cc engine, but Mach-V has fitted the Racing version with a 102cc unit from scooter-tuning firm Malossi.
Further modifications include lowered suspension and bespoke body panels for extreme racing. The standard Ape Cross is already equipped with a roll cage and handlebars.
At the Italian Day, according to Mach-V, the Ape Cross Racing ‘hurtled’ up the Test Hill at Brooklands, much to the crowd’s enthusiastic cheering. The Piaggio is also set to take part in a new, dedicated Ape racing series, which kicks off at Rye House Kart Circuit in Hoddeston on 9 June.
Mach-V owner Malcolm Machu told Business Vans: “The standard Ape is a fantastic proposition for those who need a flexible commercial vehicle with a healthy injection of personality, low price and maintenance costs.
“The Racing version is a fun way to show and exploit the Ape’s potential, not just as a business van but also as an inexpensive runaround.”
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