Autoblog

PSA: Bruce Wayne's average Batmobile costs $214,700

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Celebrities, Humor, Design/Style

Where does he get those wonderful toys? We're speaking, in case you didn't catch the movie quote, of Batman. Specifically, his most famous car, otherwise known as the Batmobile. There have been well over a hundred Batmobiles since the first, a 1936 Cord, was used in 1941.

Seventy-one years later, Bruce Wayne's number-one ride has gotten considerably more expensive to procure. According to the sleuths at Centives, between 1940 and 1970, Batman spent a miserly (and inflation adjusted) $32,000 for the average Batmobile. After that date? A whopping $358,000. Holy Toledo, Batman!

While some Batmobiles are completely custom designed for the Caped Crusader, others are based on more pedestrian production cars... like the Lamborghini Reventón or Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Indeed, over the years Batman has, among others, made use of various Chevrolet Corvette models, a Ford Mustang or two, a number of Jaguar XKE models and even a British TVR.

After it's all tallied up and recorded for posterity, Centives guesstimates that the average Batmobile set Batman back roughly $214,700. Remember, there's been over a hundred Batmobiles in comic book land. We guess it takes a multi-billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne to afford the crime-fighting lifestyle of an alter-ego like Batman.

PSA: Bruce Wayne's average Batmobile costs $214,700 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruce Wayne to drive Lamborghini Aventador in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Lamborghini, Celebrities

Bruce Wayne trades up to Lamborghini's newest bull - Click above for image gallery

Bruce Wayne has lots of toys at his disposal. Billions of dollars and Lucius Fox mean a near unlimited supply of pure awesome. Still, Wayne can't play Batman during daylight hours, so his ride has to be a tad more subtle than The Tumbler. In Batman: The Dark Night, Bruce Wayne drove a Lamborghini Murciélago LP640, which he used to save someone else's life. We won't lie, that scene caused the room to get a little misty. Thankfully for Wayne, his billions allow a new bull to take the Murci's place, and a Lamborghini Aventador appears to be the ride of choice for Gotham's favorite playboy.

A member of the Luxury4Play.com forums obtained photos of the Gotham-plated Aventador on the set of the new film. The aggressive features of the Italian supercar are strong enough that the two-door could become a villain in its own right. Thankfully, the good guy holds the keys. We also get a shot of what is said to be Wayne's new pad, which can be seen in the gallery below.

Batman: The Dark Night is expected to zoom into theaters next summer, Lamborghini and all.

Bruce Wayne to drive Lamborghini Aventador in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Batmobile's 70-year history in pictures

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

The history of the Batmobile - Click above to see full image

In the world of superheroes, Batman is a bit of an anomaly. While the rest of the comic world's crime fighters are imbued with special powers derived from radiation, mutation or celestial birth, Batman's je ne sais quoi is sourced up from nothing more than being filthy rich and a little bit crazy. Maybe that's why we like him. Of course, his penchant for amazing automobiles, motorcycles, boats and jets never exactly hurt our feelings either. We fancied ourselves at least quasi-familiar with the Caped Crusader's history of transportation, but according to researchers at CarInsurance.org and the designers at BatmobileHistory.com, our knowledge was more than a little lacking.

For example, did you know Bruce Wayne's secret identity spent some time behind the wheel of a gussied up Ford GT90 Concept? Neither did we. How about an Opel Speedster, Dodge Viper, several Chevrolet Corvettes, and a Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR? Yep, we had not a clue. Call us crazy, but we still have a soft spot for the Batmobile dreamed up for the Tim Burton Batman by Anton Furst. Check out all of his cars in the gallery.

[Source: CarInsurance.Org]

The Batmobile's 70-year history in pictures originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Be the King of Comic-Con: Batman replica motorcycle leathers (Batpod not included)

Alex Nunez — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Motorcycle

The San Diego Comic-Con kicks off later this week, and as is the case each year, there'll be no shortage of giddy, costumed fanboys and girls roaming the halls. There's no denying that some of the getups people wear to the con are pretty spot-on, but fans of Batman might be interested in this one, which looks to be dead accurate, as well as being somewhat functional.

Universal Designs is developing a set of motorcycle leathers that's an exact replica of the Batsuit donned by Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight. Included in the leather-and-kevlar suit are the jacket, pants, boots and gloves. You even get the ninjatastic arm gauntlets. How cool is that?

You'll need to supply your own cape, cowl and helmet (having a trustworthy butler, billions of dollars, plus an inventor friend and colleague with a healthy sense of discretion will help immeasurably). For maximum impact, you should probably build a fully-functional Batpod in your garage, too. Just think of the entrance you can make in San Diego. Click the image at right for a slightly larger version.

[Source: Universal Designs via Hell For Leather]

Be the King of Comic-Con: Batman replica motorcycle leathers (Batpod not included) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The bull and the bat: Lambo LP640 in next Batman flick?

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Lamborghini

Lamborghini has been on something of a roll lately. It had a record year last year with 2,087 units sold. It introduced special editions of the Murcielago and Gallardo, as well as upgraded the "regular" Murci to LP640 status. A roadster version of the LP640 was a no-brainer and showed up soon after. They also let slip that a super lightweight version of the bread-and-butter Gallardo would be debuting in Geneva. So there are lots of reasons to smile if you're with Lamborghini or an enthusiast who follows the way of the bull. One particular highlight must have been seeing a Murci Roadster pop up in Batman Begins. As playboy Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight escorts a pair of lovelies to dinner and makes a most dramatic exit after an impromptu dip in the fountain. Uma Thurman will also be piloting a Lambo on the small screen in Pirelli's mini feature "Mission Zero", though this time a Gallardo Spyder. Well, it looks like we might be seeing even more of Lamborghini on the big screen in the near future.

Despite the good press for Lamborghini, there have been rumblings that VW might want to shed its supercar brand. And even with more than 2,000 sales last year, that was less than half of archrival Ferrari's U.S. total. Even though Volkswagen has said it is committed to keeping Lambo, and Bugatti for that matter, a sales boost sure would help. Lamborghini's highest profile vehicle, the Murcielago Roadster LP640 was a star of the recent North American International Auto Show last month in Detroit, but getting it into the next Batman movie should get it even more international attention, and that appears to be the plan. Brandweek recently sat down with Automobili Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, to discuss the company's U.S. strategies. Follow the read link for the whole interview.

[Source: Brandweek]

The bull and the bat: Lambo LP640 in next Batman flick? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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