Autoblog

Click above for gallery of the Batmobile

The Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson Batman is and probably always will be my all-time favorite movie, and the ostentatious Batmobile was one of my most cherished Hot Wheels. Owning the flat-black exotic has always been a less than realistic goal, but thanks to eBay, someone will have that chance. If you like the Batmobile as much as I do, and unlike me have at least $500,000, you can actually purchase the Dark Knight's superhero-mobile on eBay.

The Batmobile on auction is number five of five, and with only 54 miles on the odometer, it is one rare bird indeed. It has no doors, and the only way to get behind the wheel is to jump in through the roof. The 20-foot long Batmobile hides a 5.7L Chevy small-block under-hood that hasn't been driven in five years, and judging from the pics on eBay, it's an automatic, too. It does make sense for Batman to fore-go manual shifts, since he needed to use his free hand to fire 50-caliber machine guns. Somehow we have the feeling that heavy artillery isn't included in the auction, but at least you can look like your car can blow things up. Nobody has bid on the item yet, and at 500-large we're guessing this auction has a chance of reappearing soon at a lower starting price. Thanks for the tip, Steve!


[Source: eBay]

Click above to view video

We all remember the Lamborghini Murcielago's cameo in Batman Begins, right? Well apparently producers think that Lamborghinis make good supporting actors, because a Lamborghini has once again been cast in the upcoming sequel called The Dark Knight. Though Batman himself will still pilot the Tumbler through the streets of Gotham while fighting the Joker, his public persona, Bruce Wayne, will be seen rolling in a Raging Bull that can reportedly do some major damage, as well. Winding Road found this video from MTV.com that reveals what the car looks like as a toy, but we'll be seeing the real thing in person this Thursday when it debuts at the East Side House Settlement Gala Preview for the 2008 New York Auto Show, which happens to be sponsored by Lamborghini. Though tickets for the gala start at $150 for just cocktails and $1,000 for dinner (it's all for charity, folks), we'll do our best to crash the party and get live pics of Bruce Wayne's other car.

Also of note is that Lamborghini will be auctioning off the very first 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 to be sold in the U.S. at the gala. We'll try to keep our hands down during that part of the evening's festivities.

[Source: MTV.com via Winding Road]

Our friends over at Hemmings who follow the auction scene like crack-addled chipmunks came across the mobile bane of the Batman franchise. The Batman Forever iteration of the Batmobile is one of the worst ever devised. Universally panned along with the film in which it appeared, it was forced to do sit-com work after it was retired, appearing on The Drew Carey Show (some say the Batmobile's appearance on the show was when it officially jumped the shark). The car was recently up for auction with no reserve and sold for $297,000, less than half its estimated worth. Aside from being an abomination and afront to Bruce Wayne groupies everywhere, the car sold so low because it came with many conditions set by Warner Bros. and DC Comics, including one barring the owner from driving the car in view of the public! This car's a runner too, with a small-block Chevy V8 that can whisk it away from laughing crowds at super hero speeds. But its new owner will apparently never get the chance to be laughed at in public, because doing so would mean driving the car in public, and that would violate the contract he (or she) signed. On second thought, perhaps Warner Bros. and DC Comics was doing this guy a favor.

Check out the Batmobile's appearance on The Drew Carey Show after the jump.

[Source: Hemmings]

Tragedy struck off the set of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, on Monday when a camera van collided with a tree killing one of the occupants. The crash took place during what's being described as a "filming production exercise" where the Batmobile was being followed by an SUV while on a test track in Longcross.

While it's unclear as to why the vehicle lost control, an investigation is currently underway by the Surrey Police and the Health and Safety Executive.

Warner Bros., the production company behind the new Batman flick, released a statement regarding the crash, which you can read excerpts of by following the "Read" link below.

Thanks for the tip, Sparky.

[Source: BBC News]

Click image for gallery

Today's eBay finds have been vehicles that prove the adage, "just because you can doesn't mean you should." First there was the Muskrat, a rolling Star Trek transporter accident involving a Mustang and a Ranger, and now we have the Milwaukee Batmobile. So named, we assume, because that's where this erstwhile 1970 Oldsmobile 98 resides. The "Batmobile" here is allegedly modeled after the design shown on a 1960s coloring book cover. In reality, it looks more like something the Dark Knight would perhaps drive if he were starring in Gordon Parks Jr's 1972 classic, Super Fly, instead of fighting crime. Added bonus: it's autographed by George Barris (his only connection to the vehicle, in case you were wondering). Really, it must be seen to be believed, so click on the gallery below. The current bid's at over $11,000, and the reserve hasn't been met. Fanboys, you still have a chance!

[Source: eBay]

Most fans of the Dark Knight appreciated the overall tone of the latest film to feature Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. The emphasis on Wayne's transformation into the Caped Crusader gave Batman Begins a psychological edge and complexity that... oh, who am I kidding? It was the Tumbler that we all loved. Typically outrageous without being overly cartoonish, it was a reconfigurable warship on wheels. With a follow-up film on its way, it was inevitable that rumors about the newest Batmobile would eventually surface.

BB 2 will take the series further back to its roots by featuring one of Batman's greatest archenemies, The Joker (here's his pretty pathetic set of wheels). It will also, apparently, bring back another iconic Bat vehicle: the Batcycle. Actually it is called the Batpod and, thanks to Gizmodo, we have a couple of pics of this new Batride to share. Our first reaction was that it looks like half of the Tumbler, minus the bodywork with the same chunky tires and mutating layout. The Batpod also features huge cannons up front and no immediately identifiable engine. Speculation suggests wheel-mounted electric motors. It's definitely intimidating, although we're not sure how those wheels will affect its driveability. Some have also noted its resemblance to the Tomahawk, minus the Viper V10. Where that Chrysler show bike is pure muscle, this thing looks more military.

We'll get to see more of the Batpod when The Dark Knight rolls into theaters next summer. Or as soon as more pics surface.

One more pic after the jump.

[Source: Gizmodo]

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and any automotive passion is usually OK in our books, but this is pushing things a bit, even for us. Someone took a perfectly nice Camaro SS and added a bunch of Batman adoration to create this Batmaro, a.k.a. the Caped Crusader Camaro, complete with an appropriately winged body kit, Batman symbol spinner wheels, and the airbrushed visage of Gotham's freedom fighter adorning its hood scoop.

Seems a shame the unknown owner didn't start with a Ram-Air Trans-Am, which always looked to us like it emerged from the Bat Cave instead of a General Motors assembly plant. For some reason, the words Dark Knight Rider come to mind. Click the gallery below so you can point and laugh along with the DC area Sportbikers.

[Source: DCSportbikes.net]

Last month, a celebration was held for George Barris, the octogenarian car customizer who created the original Batmobile. At his shop in North Hollywood, in addition to the Batmobile, was a DeLorean from Back to the Future, a General Lee, K.I.T.T., and a Monkeemobile from "The Monkees" sitcom. Problem is, he didn't create those last three cars. Universal Studios, who did the Back to the Future films, and the creators of the other cars want the world to know that.

Barris says he has never claimed credit for those other cars. He did, however, have something to do with various versions of some of those cars. Show cars come in four flavors: hero cars are for photographs, stunt cars are for chases and crashes, promotional cars only do the publicity circuit and replica cars are built by private owners. Barris didn't have anything to do with creating or building the Back to the Future DeLorean, but he did create a replica car and he did "clean up" a stunt car for Universal. He is also credited for "modifications" to the General Lee. And he built the Ecto-1 promotional car for Ghostbusters. Universal says that displaying cars like that in front of his shop and on his web site is tantamount to mispresentation. Whether displaying means taking credit for is up to interpretation, but when asked, Barris stated plainly, "I didn't work on the show and I've never said I did."

Thanks for the tip, Jim!

[Source: LA Times]

Some would say that the Tramontana supercar looks like a mating experiment between the Plymouth Prowler and the Batmobile. We'll call the looks "unique". Either way, this one-seater will be fast and it will be light. We dig the open wheel look, and the wood accents on the exterior are way sweeter than the Griswald's station wagon, but more than anything else, it's the power that gets our attention. A 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine is sweet in just about any application, but mated to a vehicle with room for one seat and carbon-fiber to reduce weight and you've got a freaking rocket on wheels. You even get to choose your output by switching between 542 and 710 hp.

Love the looks or hate them, the new supercar from Tramontana should be very interesting for whomever is looking out from behind the driver's wheel. The press release is available after the jump.

[Source: Tramontanagroup.com via Winding Road]

John O'Quinn is a lawyer. A rich one. He made his money in a tobacco lawsuit settlement, and disposable income is no longer a problem for him. He demonstrated this at this past weekend's Kruse International auction in Indiana, where a $1.3 Million shopping spree left his bank accounts a little lighter and his garage a little more crowded. His new toys included not only the 1995 Batman Forever Batmobile ($350,000), but also the following:

• A celebrity-signed 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo for $500,000 - proceeds go to charity
• A spectacular 1938 Cadillac 90 Series Town Car which was used by the Vatican and later owned by Nicola Bulgari. Cost: $250,000.
• An equally impressive 1941 Packard Super 8 Lebaron limousine for $290,000 that was used by both FDR and Harry Truman.
  

Last year, O'Quinn ponied up $690,000 for Pope John Paul II's old '75 Ford Escort. One thing's certain: the man has a very eclectic car collection, and he's not shy about opening his wallet to add to it.

As for his weekend purchases, the Gallardo money went to a children's charity, so good for him. The Caddy and the Packard are both gorgeous. Added bonus: the Caddy can now take up residence in the burgeoning Papal Wing of O'Quinn's garage.

This brings us to the '95 Batmobile from the horrible Batman Forever film. This car is not one of the Dark Knight's more memorable screen machines (Neon lighting on a Batmobile? Ugh). There are much better choices out there, and if the Tumbler ever becomes available, we strongly advise the counselor to go for it!

[Source: Houston Chronicle]