No, son, we are from the past - 2006, to be precise. That's the year Piaggio first unleashed this ingenious scooter upon U.S. shores. The front-end of the MP3, if you recall, features two wheels linked by a clever suspension that allows motorcycle-like leaning (counter-steering) while maintaining car-like levels of front-end grip. First launched with a 250cc motor and with very cautious sales goals, it managed to become Piaggio's bestselling scooter in just one year. That success begat the 2008 launch of two new models - younger brothers, if you will - featuring 400cc and 500cc motors to address American rider's seemingly unquenchable thirst for more power.

With these larger models, Piaggio hopes to capitalize on the growth of the maxi-scooter market, a segment that's grown 65 percent in the last three years alone. Scooters in general are seeing an upswing in sales, with some suggesting the high cost of gasoline as a primary motivator, and Piaggio invited us on an overnight trip from New York City to the wilds of Connecticut to ride them.

MP3 400 - The Bigger Little Brother

The MP3 400 is the younger, stronger brother of the original 250cc model, boasting over 50 percent more power (34hp vs. 22.5hp) from the 398cc Master single-cylinder, four-stroke motor. The larger rear wheel, now 14 inches, helps accommodate the increased power and the increased avoirdupois, nearly 90 pounds gained in the transformation. The 400 retains many of the features that made the 250 a provocative scoot: euro-sedan styling, generous underseat storage, trunk with remote key release, and a well-finished, automotive-style dashboard. The two scooters are still strikingly similar, but a trained eye can spot the differences: the larger motor hanging on the rear swingarm, the slightly reduced storage space, and the subtle badging on the front shoulder.

MP3 500 - The Wild Child

The MP3 500 is another story entirely, the younger, even stronger brother with a nose ring and an attitude. Brash where the others are sleek, bold where the others are smooth, the 500 features a quartet of bug-eyed headlights peering over a black steel tube, metal-mesh snout and a low-slung matte flyscreen completes the picture, looking particularly menacing in "Demon Black." The only thing that betrays this wild child's lineage are the two front wheels.