ROME: Two Maserati Grecale SUVs produced by the factory in vivid Barbie pink have drawn praise from many motoring journalists, but have also upset some diehard fans of the Trident marque.
Writing for Road & Track magazine, senior editor Chris Perkins lamented: "Maserati, that font of Italian cool, a company that gave us grand prix legends, the Birdcage, the Mistral, the Khamsin, and so many other great cars, is teaming up with the Barbie brand for a ghastly one-off."
"And to add insult to injury, the car costs US$330,000; that's US$227,500 (roughly five times) more than the Grecale Trofeo it's based on," wrote the journalist.
"As the market for a very expensive, very pink crossover is unsurprisingly very small, Maserati will only build two Barbie Grecales," said Thomas Hundal of the Autopian website, who said he liked the car.
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Maserati said that part of the sale price of one car will benefit the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the Barbie brand’s ongoing global initiative that partners with charities to help provide equal opportunities and remove barriers for girls. The second vehicle will be sold off later.
The Barbie SUV has the range-topping 523-hp twin-turbo V6 engine for lively performance. "With that kind of power, and the space of an SUV… you'll make it to any event quickly, and as stylish as Barbie would arrive," said Lalita Chemello, writing for automotive industry website Jalopnik.
The pink Grecale will certainly turn heads. Released under the Trident's Fuoriserie customisation programme, the exterior carries Barbie logos and has been sealed with an iridescent topcoat that reveals "an incredible rainbow effect on a beautiful sunny day"
The Italian maker said Maserati and Barbie had "unleashed their creativity in a masterpiece of timeless design and bold character, inspired by the Barbiecore phenomenon."
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The black interior features full-leather seats, dashboards, carpets, and doors – accented with pink stitching – as well as branded headrests with the "B" badge.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran, who writes for the Motoring Authority website, was also upbeat, calling the Barbie Maserati "pretty in pink".
"Barbie normally gets around in a convertible, but if she ever drove a crossover it would probably look like the Barbie Maserati Grecale limited edition."
