Without question, one of the most famous cars ever to appear on paper or on screen is the Batmobile. There have been various incarnations of the car over the years but possibly the most noteworthy and discussed in the car which featured in the Christopher Nolan film, the Dark Knight. The inspiration for the Batmobile used in the film came from Frank Miller’s Batman and had a machine-like appearance, rather than sleeker models which had been featured in previous films. The designer of the film described the car a cross between a tank and a Lamborghini.
It is reported that Nolan himself made a play dough version of the tumbler car to conceive the idea of what he wanted the car to look like. Each of the cars which were made for the film cost $250,000 to make and several were commissioned across the trilogy of movies directed by Nolan. Due to the complexi
ty of the scenes and the car, the professional drivers had to practice for six months before they could get into the real vehicles and head out to the streets of Chicago.
The interiors were filmed in a studio but a real road worthy car was used, though it was made larger to accommodate the cameras. The car is famed for its array of special weapons and tricks which it can perform and these have changed throughout the history of the Batmobile. Some of the highlights of the car include dual front autocannons, front of car is heavily armored, fire-extinguishing system, jet engine (with afterburners) and rocket launcher.
The car has been heavily influential in popular culture and many variations of it have been created for children’s toys, other films, and television. Hot wheels and Kinder Surprise have incorporated the design into their toys and the 2016 film Suicide Squad also featured a version of the Batmobile.
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