Mattel Debuts Life-Size Barbie Extra EV at LA Motor Show
The Fiat 500e gets a Barbie makeover.
Mattel has tapped into childhood nostalgia by giving the Fiat 500e a Barbie makeover.
Debuting at the LA Motor Show, the iconic Barbie toy car gets a real-life electric vehicle rendition. The Barbie Extra Car is a functioning two-seat convertible designed as a promotional tool for Mattel’s latest range of fashion dolls and accessories. According to Road Show, the car boasts an all-electric powertrain that offers 100 miles of range and 147 pound-feet of torque. Using CAD files, Mattel was able to duplicate the body of the toy car on the actual Fiat 500e. By scaling it up to fit the full-size vehicle, a five-axis router was used to cut out the pieces in foam which were sculpted around the body of the car. The wheels which are 22-inch in size for the rear and 20-inch in the front were all 3D printed before hand painted.
The aesthetic of the vehicle resembles the toy version which sees the sparkly silver paint and wing-shaped doors. Rainbow wheels are also a major detail, including the gold and star-shaped headlights. The toy car equivalent of the Barbie Extra Car is now available online and in-stores at Walmart for $30 USD.
In case you missed it, Apple is reportedly looking to unveil a fully self-driving car in 2025.
