Maserati by Mattel

Barbiecore has hit Maserati’s Grecale SUV. Happy now?

From the just-because-we-can file: Maserati’s Fuoriserie customisation division has produced an “ultra limited edition” version of the new Grecale SUV themed around the Mattel doll, Barbie.

Why, oh why? The company says it’s inspired by the “Barbiecore phenomenon” — a worrying trend that involves celebrities dressing from head to toe in a particularly Barbie shade of vibrant pink. It’s not going away any time soon either, with a live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling set for release next year.

At least Barbie’s new SUV packs a punch. The Barbie Maserati Grecale is based on the Trofeo model, with the Italian maker’s new Nettuno V6 engine.

It’s finished in pink (naturally) but with an iridescent topcoat that produces a happy rainbow effect in the sun. Fine acid-yellow lines also feature on the exterior, which Maserati says are inspired by its racing heritage.

Inside, the black leather upholstery is highlighted with pink stitching and there are branded headrests with “B” logos. Barbie badges also replace the traditional Tridents on the exterior pillars.

When Maserati says “ultra limited edition”, it means it. There are just two vehicles available: one was unveiled at the 2022 Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts event last month in Los Angeles. Mattel is donating 10 per cent of the final sale price to the Barbie Dream Gap Project, a “global initiative that partners with charities to help provide equal opportunities and remove barriers for girls”.

Further information about the destiny of the second car will come in 2023. But anything is possible, as the titular character said in the 2001 movie Barbie in the