Autoblog

Click the image above for a high-res pic.

Since the automotive acid trip that is the Speed Racer trailer left us shaking our heads, there's not much left for us to look forward to on the big screen. Thankfully, Warner Bros. is rectifying the matter with what we're hoping will be the most badass Batman flick to date: the Dark Knight. The Joker's back, and as we've seen already, he doesn't stand a chance.

This newest shot released by the film house shows the man in black taking his Batpod for a spin and naturally, we've got a high-res pic for your desktop enjoyment below. The return continues on July 18th next year and you can sate your thirst for details by checking the Wikipedia page and Cinematical in the meantime.

[Sources: Cinematical, Wikipedia, Slashfilm]

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]

The Model A Ford pickup you see above will play the Joker's Clown Car in the upcoming Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger will play the Joker to Christian Bale's Batman (who gets a new suit, incidentally), but he unfortunately gets stuck with this very unimpressive (and very purple) truck that has no chance of outrunning the Tumbler. In fact, the Tumbler could likely slice this truck in two if Batman were to t-bone the Joker in an intersection. It also turns out that illustrator Chris Ring was way off the mark when he paired the Joker with a 1974 Ford Mustang II in his Comics and Costume Sketchbook we told you about last week.

[Source: Filmwad via Digg]

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]