Batdance: The New Batmobile Looks Incredible

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

If the recent filmic handling of DC’s comic-book franchises is anything to go by, there’s little reason to presume the next Batman movie will be a good one. After releasing a trilogy of enjoyable bat films, Warner Bros. seems to have settled into some of the worst entertainment currently available at your local cinema or home streaming service — whether it be related to the Dark Knight or linked to some other DC character. The only noteworthy exception from the past eight years was 2019’s Joker, a film that was panned in the media for months before ultimately garnering critical acclaim and an Oscar win for Joaquin Phoenix’s complicated portrayal of the villain.

Little is known about 2021’s The Batman, other than the titular character being played by Robert Pattinson and the film leaning into a more realistic portrayal of his tech. While that hasn’t done much to pique our interest by itself, it has done wonders for the new Batmobile. It’s probably the most down-to-earth vehicle we’ve seen the caped crusader drive since Adam West piloted a modified Lincoln Futura in the campy 1960s comedy series. If movie cars are any measure of a film’s overall greatness (they are), perhaps this will be a decent flick after all.

Director Matt Reeves shared images of the new Batmobile on Wednesday, instantly setting the internet on fire. While the car doesn’t out itself as any particular model like West’s ride (though the Futura was never more than a concept), it does resemble a vintage muscle car on steroids. Due to the liberal amount of chopping that’s taken place, we can’t tell you what the automobile was before going beneath the knife.

The front gives off Chrysler B-body vibes while the rear-mounted engine and ludicrously wide track suggests this car probably had a truck bed at one time. At first blush, it doesn’t look very bat-like. But you’ll notice the rear haunches, necessary for housing the massive back tires, resemble the fins seen on other cars used by Bruce Wayne. The motor looks to be a V10 (maybe Ford’s Triton) and appears to have a jet turbine installed smack dab in the middle. While that brings up several impossible-to-answer questions about its assembly, it does adhere to the Batman trope of needing a ride that can belch flames.

Hopefully the vehicle’s stellar design signals the amount of attention given to the rest of the film. It’s definitely something we’ve never seen before. With the exception of the first two Batman serials — where he rode around in an unmodified 1939 Cadillac Series 61 before swapping into a stock 1949 Mercury — this may be the only time the Dark Knight has had a car that wouldn’t have required heaps of outside help.

We know Wayne is rich, but ordering body panels molded into bat wings and jet engines is bound to draw unwanted attention. Since this story is supposed to showcase Batman’s first attempt at being a vigilante (depicting him using more DIY hardware to fight crime), perhaps we’ll see him wrenching on the car himself with Lucius Fox unwittingly participating in the construction. An extended build scene bleeding in to a twenty minute car chase sounds ideal. We’ll see how the director handles things. Multiple bat vehicles are expected in this flick, so time could be split between the Batmobile and its motorcycle counterpart.

So long as there’s a meaningful amount of screen time for both, we’ll tamp down expectations for the plot (something we’ve done for the entire Fast and Furious franchise). The act of delving into The Batman after the car appeared on social media makes your author think we probably won’t have to.

https://twitter.com/mattreevesLA/status/1235261421425958912

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Dukeisduke Dukeisduke on Mar 05, 2020

    It has a third brake light - gotta be considerate, especially if you're a superhero.

  • Thegamper Thegamper on Mar 05, 2020

    I dont know, I feel like prototype military hardware painted black made better batstuff than this craigslist monstrosity.

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
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