Love her or hate her, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is, for better or worse, an inescapable fixture of modern pop culture. And whereas some reality TV figures have faded back into mainstream society after their proverbial 15 minutes of fame, Snooki seems to love the limelight, and is happy staying in it any way she can.
Whether it's rising gas prices, trouble finding suitable parking spaces along the Jersey Shore, or difficulty getting her leather-wrapped SUV detailed, the "Jersey Shore" star has auctioned her 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT on eBay for a winning bid of $77,510. Mileage was listed at a modest 6295 miles. The fair retail value on an un-Snookified Escalade EXT is $50,000-53,000, so the "upgrades" Snooki made to the vehicle got her a decent amount over its mass-market value, for what's for all intents and purposes a blinged-out Chevrolet Avalanche.
What exactly are those upgrades? Leather-wrapped sheetmetal all around, Pepto-Bismol pink accent trim, "BOSS LADY" tailgate badging, and an autographed hood. Surprisingly, the interior appears relatively unmolested, with the exception of leopard-print floor mats.
We don't know the identity of the winning bidder, but we hope he or she has a commercial account with Meguiar's or Armor-All, because we have a feeling after a few years in the sun, that leather wrapping won't look so chic.