First Look 2016 Moto Guzzi

[Greg Field]

as usual, 5 years behind the curve..  those bikes look old on the showfloor..

2nd one looks like a JB special without the cheese grater windshield.

Couldn't've said it better myself.

[Spuddy]

Looks like mine!

"Mine" looks beautiful! Give ya $1,500 cash for it....

Spuddy

[Thunderbutt]

I had skipped over this thread several times until today when I finally took the time to read thru it.  Having ridden my '02 Le Mans over to Daytona I was thoroughly satisfied with the ride and performance.  But riding in a sea of Harleys got me thinking about the fact that M/G has never replaced the Le Mans.  I have owned a 1500cc metric cruiser but sold it due to its weight, poor  fuel mileage and handling.  I thought it just felt clumsy when riding around in city traffic.  And I see the same thing with these two models.  Lets face it, if M/G is going to be successful going up against H/D and the metric cruisers it had better come up with something completely unique.  Not everyone is interested in a big heavy cruiser.  I think the Aprilia Futura was on the right track but never really achieved the necessary market success.  Was the styling ahead of its time or the fact it  was up against the Honda ST and Yamaha FJ?  I would very much like to see M-G come out with a medium weight bike  customers could transition too between the V-7 series and smaller than the heavy cruisers.  From what I have read, the Stelvio and Capo's are great bikes but the "angry bird" style doesn't appeal to me.  Just my thoughts.


Jerry

[rocker59]

if M/G is going to be successful going up against H/D and the metric cruisers it had better come up with something completely unique.  Not everyone is interested in a big heavy cruiser.  

I really don't understand this sentence.  It doesn't make sense.

If you're going to be "going up against H/D and the metric cruisers" doesn't it seem logical to produce a bike that will appeal to those buyers and be competitive against the benchmark bikes in the class?  Cruiser customers are not looking for "something completely unique".  They're just not.

True, "not everyone is interested in a big heavy cruiser", but those who are are. 

The Cal 14 is a viable competitor with the HD FL-series and the Indian Chief-series of motorcycles.  No, the Cal 14 will not appeal to someone looking for a light- or middle-weight motorcycle.  But, it's not intended to do that.


p.s.  I agree with your idea that there is something missing in the current lineup.  A big block retro standard would fill most of the bill.

[arveno]

Let's don't forget what Moto Guzzi Is , certainly not a cruiser motorcycle company , not before Ivano Beggio /Aprilia/Piaggio.

Now , it's a just a poor company floating in a sea of ........

no one can tell for sure that a sport guzzi wont sell because " too heavy " , to prove it , moto guzzi....mmhh sorry i mean Piaggio should try to produce one.....


Racing history[edit]

European championships[edit]
Year   Class   Rider
1924   500cc   Kingdom of Italy Guido Mentasti
1932   250cc   Kingdom of Italy Riccardo Brusi
1937   250cc   Kingdom of Italy Omobono Tenni
1947   Sidecars   Italy Luigi Cavanna, Paolo Cavanna
1947   250cc   Italy Bruno Francisci
1947   500cc   Italy Omobono Tenni
1948   250cc   United Kingdom Maurice Cann
1948   500cc   Italy Enrico Lorenzetti
MotoGP World Championship[edit]
Moto Guzzi won the following World Titles:

350 cc class; :
Year   Champion   Motorcycle
1953   United Kingdom Fergus Anderson   
1954   United Kingdom Fergus Anderson   
1955   United Kingdom Bill Lomas   
1956   United Kingdom Bill Lomas   
1957   Australia Keith Campbell   
250 cc class; :
Year   Champion   Motorcycle
1949   Italy Bruno Ruffo   
1951   Italy Bruno Ruffo   
1952   Italy Enrico Lorenzetti   
MotoGP World Constructors champions[edit]
350 cc class
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956
250 cc class
1949, 1951, 1952
Tourist Trophy[edit]
500 cc class
Year   Champion   Class   Motorcycle
1935 Isle of Man TT   Republic of Ireland Stanley Woods   Class 500 cc   
350 cc class
Year   Champion   Class   Motorcycle
1955 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Bill Lomas   Class 350 cc   
1956 Isle of Man TT   Australia Ken Kavanagh   Class 350 cc   
250 cc class
Year   Champion   Class   Motorcycle
1935 Isle of Man TT   Republic of Ireland Stanley Woods   Class 250 cc   
1937 Isle of Man TT   Kingdom of Italy Omobono Tenni   Class 250 cc   
1947 Isle of Man TT   Republic of Ireland Manliff Barrington   Class 250 cc   
1948 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Maurice Cann   Class 250 cc   
1949 Isle of Man TT   Republic of Ireland Manliff Barrington   Class 250 cc   
1951 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Tommy Wood   Class 250 cc   
1952 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Fergus Anderson   Class 250 cc   
1953 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Fergus Anderson   Class 250 cc   
1955 Isle of Man TT   United Kingdom Bill Lomas   Class 250 cc   

Raceco Moto Guzzi

In 1993 Amedeo Castellani built the Raceco Daytona that competed with sponsorship by 3xmotorcycles who were the importers of Moto Guzzi for the United Kingdom. At the end of its development in 1997 the Raceco Guzzi weighed only 175 kg and developed a staggering 140 bhp. It was taken to race and championship success by riders such as Ian Cobby, and Australian Grand Prix star Paul 'Angry Ant' Lewis. It is written by author Mick Walker this motorcycle won every race it entered and finished. The development to the motorcycle was such that Moto Guzzi used it on their stand at the Milan Motor Show and probably helped them develop the Moto Guzzi MGS-01.
 
2006/2007 Guareschi won BOTT

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianfranco_Guareschi

[Chuck in Indiana]

You have to remember that rallies and campouts only give you an idea of what people ride to rallies and campouts.  Over the past 20-years, versions of the Tonti California have been the most popular bike in attendance.  Even after the CARC bikes started outselling the Tonti California in the showrooms years ago, the Tonti California remained the main bike at rallies and campouts.  I submit that what you have there is an anomaly, and does not represent what Guzzis are selling in showrooms.

I came into the fold because of the LeMans III and IV.  I came into the fold on a carb'd Sport 1100.  I have owned six Guzzis and still have my first one, the Sport 1100.

So, there are those of us out there who enjoy sporting Guzzis and would like to see another in the lineup.  I do not want a superbike contender.  Just a nice sporting Guzzi in the vein of the spine-frame bikes of the '90s and '00s.

 :+1 You see more Californias at rallies because they are easier to use as a pack mule. I used to ride the Centauro to rallies with a pair of small HBs on it and stuff tied all over it because it was all I had. If I had a California, too, that's what I would have been on.
I'm not looking for a pure "sport bike" either, but if Guzzi wants me to open my wallet, they'll have to build a New LeMans.

[Kev m]

I agree with Rocker - the Cali is a viable HD contender.

I agree with Rocker and TB - there is a whole in the product line - something between a V7 and a Griso/Norge/Stelvio.

Arveno - so you're saying basically that Guzzi has been basically irrelevant to motorcycle racing for more than half a century, since a decade or so before the Beatles. 

[Thunderbutt]

Rocker- my thought was based on the fact that in the two days I was over at Daytona I saw three other M-G.  An older red 850? and two V-7's.  With the thousands of bikes there I don't consider that successful marketing.  Please don't get me wrong, I have been riding various bikes for over 45 years and worked for several dealerships.  I realize that many people buy a bike to "fit the image" and others have a particular make and model in mind when they walk into the dealership.  I was recently told that H/D is "donating" their 500 and 750 models to many of the riding schools with thought being people will be inclined to stay brand specific with the bike they learned on. Thus the step from the 500/750 to the 900/1200 Sportsers and eventually the bigger cruisers.  As a Motorcycle Safety Instructor I saw this many times. Have you ever noticed how many "learner bikes" for the students are provided by Honda and Yamaha?  I think having  presence over at Daytona with test rides was a step in the right direction.  If nothing else it provided brand exposure.  If I currently ride another brand bike and I am considering stepping up to provide better comfort for me or my passenger, or I want better all around performance, what does Moto Guzzi offer that is better than the other brands or what I already have?  And what kind of dealer support am I going to get after I spend my hard earned cash.  I can tell you how disappointed I was after I purchased my Aprilia! I was lucky to find a key fob with the Aprilia name on it!  If Moto Guzzi  is going to attract buyers from other brands, and I certainly hope they do,  I feel they need to have something unique in their line up for the Eldo/Cali line . And I just don't see it with the two bikes in the photos above.

[Kev m]

If I currently ride another brand bike and I am considering stepping up to provide better comfort for me or my passenger, or I want better all around performance, what does Moto Guzzi offer that is better than the other brands or what I already have?  And what kind of dealer support am I going to get after I spend my hard earned cash.  I can tell you how disappointed I was after I purchased my Aprilia! I was lucky to find a key fob with the Aprilia name on it!  

Well, I think the Cali 14 offers some tech that you don't see a lot of on the big cruisers - multi-mapping, TC, and an edge in performance (power and handling) out of the box. I don't know if these are huge differences or matter a whole lot to the average buyer in this segment.

The Cali 14 also offers SOMETHING UNIQUE (engine layout/looks) which typically DOES mean something to that segment.

But that's it. Luckily for Guzzi most of the other players aren't in much better shape with the dealer network thing  - Indian and Vic are just as bad, Triumph is probably a bit better. And in my opinion JAPanInc. remains not a major influence to this market segment, perhaps it's old prejudices, or perhaps it's a different approach to product design and marketing.

If Moto Guzzi  is going to attract buyers from other brands, and I certainly hope they do,  I feel they need to have something unique in their line up to fill the market gap between the V-7 and Eldo/Cali line . And I just don't see it with the two bikes in the photos above.

Well, those photos ARE the Cali line, so they're not meant to fill the market gap.

And well, technically there IS something between the V7 and Eldo/Cali line - again - the Griso/Norge/Stelvio CARC bikes.

V7 - 750cc - 450sh# - 50 crank hp
CARC bikes - 1200cc - 550sh# - 110 crank hp
Cali 1400 series - 1400cc - 750sh# - 96 crank hp

But I actually thought you meant you see a whole between the V7 and CARCS - like maybe a 900cc - 70-80 crank hp bike weighing < 500# ish?

[LowRyter]

I really don't understand this sentence.  It doesn't make sense.

If you're going to be "going up against H/D and the metric cruisers" doesn't it seem logical to produce a bike that will appeal to those buyers and be competitive against the benchmark bikes in the class?  Cruiser customers are not looking for "something completely unique".  They're just not.

True, "not everyone is interested in a big heavy cruiser", but those who are are. 

The Cal 14 is a viable competitor with the HD FL-series and the Indian Chief-series of motorcycles.  No, the Cal 14 will not appeal to someone looking for a light- or middle-weight motorcycle.  But, it's not intended to do that.


p.s.  I agree with your idea that there is something missing in the current lineup.  A big block retro standard would fill most of the bill.

I'd like to see some additionally choice with the 1400 series.  I do think the ergos are too foot forward cruiser for my taste.  I'd like to see them come up with a full on touring bike like a Beemer R1200RT.  Keep the 1400 engines and make it a two up sport tourer with frame mount fairing and sound system options, etc.   I know the downside:  not enough capital and market to make so many diverse models.

[rocker59]

Rocker- my thought was based on the fact that in the two days I was over at Daytona I saw three other M-G.  An older red 850? and two V-7's.  With the thousands of bikes there I don't consider that successful marketing.  

I think having  presence over at Daytona with test rides was a step in the right direction.  If nothing else it provided brand exposure.  

Daytona is a "Harley event".  Just like Sturgis, Laconia, Laughlin, etc.  How many  other bikes did you see that weren't Harleys or wannabes?

Sorry, Daytona is not a mecca for motorcycling.  A few race enthusiasts drowning in a sea of bar-hopping "bikers".

It's nice that Guzzi had the Californias there for people to look at, and maybe the V7s "for the ladies", but the CARC bikes would have no appeal to 99% of the attendees at Daytona Bike Week.

If I currently ride another brand bike and I am considering stepping up to provide better comfort for me or my passenger, or I want better all around performance, what does Moto Guzzi offer that is better than the other brands or what I already have?  And what kind of dealer support am I going to get after I spend my hard earned cash.  

As I mentioned, Cal 14 is a viable competitor for the FL-series and the Chief-series.  V7 Classic line is viable against 883 Sportsters and Triumph Bonnevilles.  Not that any of the attendees at Daytona care anything about girls bikes like that...

I can tell you how disappointed I was after I purchased my Aprilia! I was lucky to find a key fob with the Aprilia name on it!  If Moto Guzzi  is going to attract buyers from other brands, and I certainly hope they do,  I feel they need to have something unique in their line up for the Eldo/Cali line . And I just don't see it with the two bikes in the photos above.

Guzzi is never going to have the accessories catalog of  the 300 lbs gorilla in the room, Harley-Davidson.  If browsing dealerships for baubles is a person's deal, then there aren't many brands out there who can compete with the MoCo.  Indian is working on it.  Ducati does a pretty good job of "branding".  Other than that, not much out there.  I have several Guzzi key fobs, though...  And they're awesome....

[rocker59]

I'd like to see them come up with a full on touring bike like a Beemer R1200RT.  

Norge ?

Are you saying you'd like a 1400 Norge?

[LowRyter]

I think the Norge is more a one-up sport tourer, more on the order of a Conie, FJR, or Beemer RS.  

I agree there should be a 1400 Norge but also one set up for more two up touring, rather than sport tourer.   So perhaps a 1400 Norge AND 1400 Norge Touring Bike?  

Although my original thinking was something more like a Cali 14 "Sporting" Tourer rather than an upsized Norge but an upsized Norge might fill the bill.

[kidsmoke]

as someone newer to this whole universe of brand allegiance, this is a fascinating discussion.

My view of Guzzi in relation to the market as a whole is that they do pretty well with the models. The V7 does it's thing pretty well. The Griso in my view is an out of the park homerun as a modern standard, and the Norge and the Stelvio are  both well regarded sport touring and adventure spots. I agree that the Cali is great Italian take on the cruiser. It's not an american cruiser. It's different than every other cruiser bike out there, but fits completely in that vein from a function standpoint, and looks awesome doing it (again, completely subjective, I know)

Since the V7 and Bonneville effectively bring a modern bike to market while unabashedly drawing on classic styling, why wouldn't MG do the same in the LeMans vein. The thing is that newer bike buyers (future market participants) were already doing their best to find and rebuild 70's standards (Bonnie for example). So triumph and MG followed that lead. Same is happening with the Eldo, IMHO. Less folks are looking at the LeMans in that way at this point however.

Remeber HD was already winning races when MG was just being born. To talk about MG denying it's racing roots is silly in my view. Unless you want them developing a superbike which to me seems wrong. Leave that to Aprilia to compete with Ducati and the Japanese. Most americans I believe come to MG trough the Eldo and the LeMans. I think these new models call on one of those very well. Does it Leave a segment of the market untapped....maybe.

And to my eye, the Japanese cruisers are an unusual swing and miss by Japanese designers. They typically look more like a parody than a real attempt at relevance. I'm glad MG leaves that fight to others.

[LowRyter]

I tend to agree about the Japanese Cruisers being a swing and a miss.  They are heavy, derivative styling, and don't perform especially well.

They do offer lower cost, comfort and reliability. 

[nellborg]

Why does MG need a complete line-up of bikes on offer, filling lots of market segments?

I could be wrong,but... seems to me that MG would be better off taking a good hard look at the marketplace, pick a segment that no one can compete with them in, and put most of their eggs in that basket with the short-term goal of dominating that segment.  ADV's?  No - BMW has that one.  Cruisers?  Nope - HD, Indian, etc, and you can't "out-American" or "out-tough-guy" image HD.  Sport bikes? Nope - JapanInc, Ducati, Aprilia.  Retro-standards?  Maybe - Triumph is the only competitor there.  Retro-"sporting"-bikes? Retro-retros like the Ural?  

There's a fine line between retro and traditional, too.  HD rides that line successfully.  MG is riding that line nicely with the V7's.  I think this may be the only market segment where MG can out-compete the others, and where they should focus their energy.  Once they've established that they're the boss of the traditional/retro standards and "sporting" bikes, they can look to grow into another segment.

[rocker59]

I think the Norge is more a one-up sport tourer, more on the order of a Conie, FJR, or Beemer RS.  

I agree there should be a 1400 Norge but also one set up for more two up touring, rather than sport tourer.   So perhaps a 1400 Norge AND 1400 Norge Touring Bike?  

Although my original thinking was something more like a Cali 14 "Sporting" Tourer rather than an upsized Norge but an upsized Norge might fill the bill.

So you mean an LT ?  I'm not following you because the R1200RT is lighter than the Norge in a similarly sized and powered package...

R12RT:
wheelbase 58.5"
88" long, 35.6" wide
seat height 32.3-33.1
weight 505-lbs dry, 571-lbs wet
Fuel capacity 6.6 gals
109-bhp, 89-lb/ft torque
 
Norge 1200 8v:
wheelbase 58.9"
86" long, 34.25" wide
seat height 31.9"
weight 566-lbs dry
fuel capacity 6 gals
102-bhp, 76.7-lb/ft torque

[Kev m]

Kidsm - I don't think anyone is saying to deny any racing "roots" - just that the roots are pretty irrelevant to today (like Harleys racing roots frankly). No one buys an MG or Harley because of their racing heritage. That said, I agree completely on a sporty retro Lemans being a good idea.

Low - I often hear people say that low cost thing with regards to Asian Metric Cruisers, but anytime I've done a side-by-side comparison of the models (like Sporty vs. Bolt, or Vulcan vs. Dyna/Softail, etc. of similar CCs) the prices are pretty close. Sure Harley has one or two models that are just plain excessive, or you can get something weird like a Softail styled 900cc Vulcan that is priced more like a Sporty). But apples-to-apples the prices are usually in the same ballpark. Maybe JAPanInc. dealers are more likely to negotiate, but one could argue any difference is made up in lower resale value anyway.

NEl - look at 2 of the major players you just listed - BMW and Triumph, not to mention pretty much all of JAPanInc., they all offer a full-range of bikes. Not just ADV tourer, Sportbike, SportTourer, or Cruiser, but an offering in each of the categories. I think that's why people are calling or competition in multiple market segments. Ducati and Harley are about the only major players that limit their offerings to MOSTLY one or two segments. Ducati - Sportbikes (though you can argue the have Adventure bikes too). And Harley arguably is all Cruiser and Touring Cruiser).

[nellborg]

What I'm thinking is that if you only make 10,000 motorcycles per year, why spread out your engineering time, costs, tooling, advertising, energy, etc between 4 or more market segments?  Why not focus on one, build that one up and establish segment dominance, marketing appeal, name recognition outside the gearhead world, and then, when you're selling 40k bikes a year, branch out into other segments - or don't.  Seems like that's what Ducati did with sport bikes and now testing the ADV and cruiser segments with their multistrada and Diavel.  HD did pretty well by doing what they do best. I would guess that HD's own internal market research tells them that if they did a sport bike or an ADV, it'd flop.

Just my guess, though...

[LowRyter]

So you mean an LT ?  I'm not following you because the R1200RT is lighter than the Norge in a similarly sized and powered package...

R12RT:
wheelbase 58.5"
88" long, 35.6" wide
seat height 32.3-33.1
weight 505-lbs dry, 571-lbs wet
Fuel capacity 6.6 gals
109-bhp, 89-lb/ft torque
 
Norge 1200 8v:
wheelbase 58.9"
86" long, 34.25" wide
seat height 31.9"
weight 566-lbs dry
fuel capacity 6 gals
102-bhp, 76.7-lb/ft torque

Then new RT seems to be a much more accomodative 2 up touring bike

[Kev m]

What I'm thinking is that if you only make 10,000 motorcycles per year, why spread out your engineering time, costs, tooling, advertising, energy, etc between 4 or more market segments?  Why not focus on one, build that one up and establish segment dominance, marketing appeal, name recognition outside the gearhead world, and then, when you're selling 40k bikes a year, branch out into other segments - or don't.  Seems like that's what Ducati did with sport bikes and now testing the ADV and cruiser segments with their multistrada and Diavel.  HD did pretty well by doing what they do best. I would guess that HD's own internal market research tells them that if they did a sport bike or an ADV, it'd flop.

Just my guess, though...

You make some good points, but I think Triumph hasn't dominated any segment, but probably wouldn't be where they are now if they didn't flesh out their line like they have.

[rocker59]

Then new RT seems to be a much more accomodative 2 up touring bike

I don't see it.  The R-RT was the benchmark for the Norge and Guzzi did a pretty good job of offering a viable alternative to the BMW.

To me, they're as close as can be.  I don't see the touring advantage of the RT, but everyone is different.

[nellborg]

That new Eldorado is nice to look at but I'd never buy one.  I also can't help but think how awesome it could have been If it had less fork rake, higher seat, level fuel tank, footpegs under the rider...

[rocker59]

What I'm thinking is that if you only make 10,000 motorcycles per year, why spread out your engineering time, costs, tooling, advertising, energy, etc between 4 or more market segments?  Why not focus on one, build that one up and establish segment dominance, marketing appeal, name recognition outside the gearhead world, and then, when you're selling 40k bikes a year, branch out into other segments - or don't.  Seems like that's what Ducati did with sport bikes and now testing the ADV and cruiser segments with their multistrada and Diavel.  HD did pretty well by doing what they do best. I would guess that HD's own internal market research tells them that if they did a sport bike or an ADV, it'd flop.

Just my guess, though...

Triumph didn't do it that way.

And, even if Guzzi put all of its 7,000 units of production into one model, and even if that model was a hit in the market, there simple aren't enough units for the bike to "dominate a segment".

Triumph is the best model one can look at to show how bringing a marque back from the verge of extinction.  Bloor surely made some mistakes along the way, but overall his scheme has been a huge success.

And to draw a correlation, Triumph doubled its sales when the New Bonneville debuted in 2001.  Guzzis sales have similarly doubled since the introduction of the V7 Classic line, after being in the toilet during the economic meltdown of 2007/2008/2009.

[rocker59]

That new Eldorado is nice to look at but I'd never buy one.  I also can't help but think how awesome it could have been If it had less fork rake, higher seat, level fuel tank, footpegs under the rider...

They have the Griso for that.

[LowRyter]

I don't see it.  The R-RT was the benchmark for the Norge and Guzzi did a pretty good job of offering a viable alternative to the BMW.

To me, they're as close as can be.  I don't see the touring advantage of the RT, but everyone is different.

it's every bit as roomy as the 1600 GTL but in 100 lb lighter package.  And it shares the same trunk box.  It's also about $25k.   I haven't ridden the  Beemer but the Norge isn't a full on 2 up tourer that I have in mind, the Beemer seems much bigger in the shop.  Perhaps the huge fairing and trunk make the difference? 

The Beemer isn't attractive but is large and looks comfy for a passenger.

[rocker59]

it's every bit as roomy as the 1600 GTL but in 100 lb lighter package.  And it shares the same trunk box.  It's also about $25k.   I haven't ridden the  Beemer but the Norge isn't a full on 2 up tourer that I have in mind, the Beemer seems much bigger in the shop.  Perhaps the huge fairing and trunk make the difference? 

The Beemer isn't attractive but is large and looks comfy for a passenger.

"Looks large".  It measures out (for all practical purposes) the same size as a Norge.  The ungainly R-RT fairing probably make it look bigger, but it's not.

I have a feeling you'd go away from an RT demo ride feeling the same as you do about the Norge.  Especially if the demo was 2-up.

[LowRyter]

go look at one.  Big bike.

[oldbike54]

go look at one.  Big bike.

 Yeah , I have ridden a few RTs 2 up , plenty of room .

  Dusty

[Thunderbutt]

I find it fascinating that photographs of just two motorcycles could initiate so many responses.  And with so many valid points.  My initial reaction was "Oh boy, another cruiser look alike".  Do the manufacturers keep pumping out these cycles because that's what the public wants, or, do people keep buying them because that's what manufacturers make?
Kev, the more I thought about it the more I agree with your statement that the new Eldorado is unique compared to other cruisers with its engine layout.  And I really liked the red paint scheme.  Finally, something different.  But to my eyes,the rest of the bike looks just like any other metric cruiser.  And I had a total brain infarction when I totally forgot about the Norge and Griso line of bikes. Possibly because I have only ever seen one Griso. Again getting back to marketing.  
I tend to agree with Nellborg about trying to find that little niche in the market.  When Triumph returned from the dead they started with a very limited line of bikes and expanded from there.  And Royal Enfield appears to be very successful  using the same approach. They have that niche market with several models of their 500cc thumper.
Would there be a market for a stripped version of the Norge? Something with more traditional lines similar to the V-7 that would not compete against the Griso.   That would fill the gap between the V-7, the hot rod Griso, the sport touring oriented Norge and the heavy weight Eldorados.  As long as it isn't black.