Movie Cars!
Epic Batmobile built for new Batman Dark Knight Rises green or not?
The Bat Mobile. The Batmobile is a movie car with its design rooted in the imagination of 5-year-old boys around the world. It is the quintessential ultimate ride — a custom vehicle of epic proportions only a superhero really should drive. The history of the Batmobile is a long one, with roots in the comic book series but real life working wheels on pavement where Batman movies and television shows have been filmed. Years after Batman fromally retired, mild-mannered white-collar character Bruce Wayne resurrected his Batman persona when a criminal gang called the Mutants threatened fictional Gotham City back. In that moment of creative genius, writers developed one of the most popular cult classic movie series — and the “alternate” Batman storylines that featured the original Batmobile revamped became part of American pop culture forever as part myth, part cheese, and part urban legend.
By 2008, the largest Batmobile ever to date was built for the movie set of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, easily straddling a three lane highway. See the video of the 2008 Batmobile from Batman: Dark Knight Rises on the track in London, UK here.
Batmobile History reports:
In the movie, Batman mentions how he “modified her during some nasty riots” 15 years prior, and that the only thing that can damage it “isn’t from this planet.” It easily shrugs off gunfire, grenades, and rocket launcher attacks, and offers its own array of heavy weaponry. In addition to its offensive capabilities, this Batmobile is equipped with an extensive medical bay.
Batman history trivia lovers note this same Batmobile design was also featured in the Batman: The Animated Series episode “The Dark Knight,” in a cartoon series vignette based on a couple of scenes from The Dark Knight Returns.
Comic book movie fansite comicbookmovie.com reports the new Batmobile for Batman: The Dark Knight Rises might be on its way to Las Vegas for fans to get a first look at the new Batman movie vehicle, sharing where many think it will be. The group says:
The Licensing International Expo is a trade show for leveraging properties and brand equity to develop merchandise. Many of you will remember back in June of 2007 during the International Licensing Expo. Warner Bros.
The problem with the Batmobile design for a super hero future car is that Warner Bros. (historically) has not been using the Batmobile car design as an opportunity to build a future car design that is eco-friendly. Had the franchise made the 2008 Batmobile from the movie Dark Knight Returns green, they could have done further movie car development projects with new green car companies like Tesla Motors and inspired a new generation of green car lovers.
For that reason, one can only hope that the new Batmobile — while a powerful destructive force of nature — will have some cool eco-friendly or sustainable features… such as:
- re-purposed parts from the old Batmobile weapons arsenal or Bat plane incorporated in the design
- have super strong body panels infused with hemp plastics like the new hemp Lotus
- run on some from of alternative fuel like bio-fuel, hydrogen, or super solar power, charging by day so Batman can patrol the streets of Gotham by night
- have low to no emissions
- be made from recycled materials
- re-use items like leather seats from the old Batmobile
While we are not holding our breath that the Batmobile will incorporate any green or eco-friendly elements to make the vehicle more sustainable, it is fun to day-dream that the most badass car in the world driven by one of the world’s coolest super heroes could help inspire young kids to be future automotive designers and engineers.
After all, if William Shatner in STAR TREK could inspire the generation that brought the world home computers, digital ear thermometers, and mobile phones, why couldn’t a comic book movie superhero inspire the design of green exotic automobiles?