Batmobile

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The original Batmobile from 1966: The basis was the Lincoln-Futura study, 1955 based on Lincoln / Mercury design sketches for Ford , the mother of both brands, developed by the Turin-based body cutter Ghia (owned by Ford Motor Co. since 1970)

The Batmobile is the fictional automobile of comic superhero Batman . The car followed the evolution of the character from comics to television series to several films.

origin

Since Batman does not have any superpowers that would allow him to get to the place where he is needed quickly and without wasting time, the introduction of a vehicle was important when equipping the figure from the start. Former heroes such as B. the Phantom, Tarzan or Zorro resorted to horses. Depending on the situation, the Black Knight also used a moped, a helicopter or a diving boat.

At the beginning there were also some discussions among the readers as to whether Batman had simply "borrowed" his vehicle, which was not very different from other types, on the way (which underpins his role as a notorious outlaw). This was due to the fact that his car was a different color each time and was sometimes destroyed without Batman's notice. Even today, Batman occasionally cracks people's cars when it serves his purposes. In order to put an end to such theories, a unique design was soon developed, which should look as threatening and fantastic as the figure behind the wheel. In most cases, the bath cave serves as a garage, and sometimes a waterfall. In the beginning the car was just a vehicle for transportation, but over time it has developed into an important weapon against crime. In some versions, the Dark Knight has several Batmobiles for different missions, including a frost-faced one for fighting Mr. Freeze .

Furnishing

The standard features of the vehicle are an armored body and a particularly powerful engine , often with a rocket motor for extra power. Various additional systems increase maneuverability and weapons are mounted on the vehicle to render other vehicles harmless or to remove obstacles. In addition, there is a computer in the vehicle that is connected to the main computer in the bath cave (“Batcave”), a remote control and a small helicopter that is stored in the trunk .

Originally, Batman in the comics drove a simple red automobile with no special functions. This version appeared in Batman # 5 in the spring of 1941. Since then, the design of the car has changed bit by bit, starting with a bat emblem on the bonnet, which got bigger and bigger, to the paintwork of the vehicle, which was changed to black.

The most distinctive design elements that have survived over time were the length of the vehicle, the dark colors and often large tail fins that were shaped like the wings of a bat .

Film adaptations

Although the vehicles for the films were built specifically for this purpose, the Batmobile from the 1966 television series began its existence as a concept for the Lincoln Futura , which was built about a decade earlier. The well-known film vehicle designer George Barris accepted the order, but passed it on to Dean Jeffries due to capacity problems, who completed the vehicle within just three weeks. He painted the car black, added bat-like shapes, and built several identical-looking vehicles, depending on what was needed for the shoot. Barris kept the original car, and at least one of the replicas survived in the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois . In January 2013, George Barris auctioned the original car to a collector for $ 4.2 million.

Later versions of the Batmobile were built on the extended chassis of the GM B-Bodies (e.g. Chevrolet Caprice ) and E-Bodies (e.g. Buick Riviera ). The model was used in the two Batman films directed by Tim Burton . This long, slim design was later used in the Batman animated series. Here the vehicle was inspired by the art deco design of the cinema films. When the Batman films went to Joel Schumacher in 1995 , the design of the Batmobile became increasingly inconsistent. For example, decorative lights were added to the front and the wing-shaped tail fins protruded further up. Batman Forever was originally supposed to get a vehicle based on a design by HR Giger , but Giger left the project when Warner Brothers rejected his design.

The Batmobile in the 2005 film Batman Begins sticks more to the tank-like vehicle of Frank Miller's Batman - The Return of the Dark Knight than to the more sporty automobiles of the previous films. The film's production designer described the vehicle as a cross between a Lamborghini and a Hummer . But it also contains trains that are unmistakably derived from the stealth bomber F-117 . In this film, Bruce Wayne / Batman modifies a military vehicle known as "The Tumbler" and never names the car "Batmobile". In The Dark Knight , Wayne's Tumbler, after being badly damaged in an accident, becomes a so-called "Batpod", a kind of motorcycle . The “batpod” is released from the tumbler, in which it previously formed part of the front landing gear including the front wheels and the cockpit.

For this film, six Batmobiles were built for a specific purpose each. Two normally drivable tumblers were built for outdoor shots, another with hydraulics for jump scenes, one with propane tanks to generate a "gas turbine jet", an electrically powered vehicle for studio recordings and an approximately 1.80 m long model for scenes in which the car is in the air was.

In the film, the tumbler's gas turbine should give the vehicle an extra boost. The nozzle was just a special effect , none of the Batmobile in the film had a jet engine or anything similar. All drivable cars were powered by a 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8 engine.

A similar tank-like vehicle appears in the animated series The Batman (2005), which was made during the filming of Batman Begins , but does not follow the events of the movie.

influence

The three aerodynamic vehicle studies Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica , or Alfa Romeo BAT for short , are sometimes colloquially referred to as "Batmobile" because of their name and their futuristic design.

gallery

literature

  • Tammy Enz: Batmobiles and Batcycles - The Engineering Behind Batman's Vehicles. Capstone Press, North Mankato / Minnesota 2014, ISBN 978-1-47653-940-9 (English).
  • Lois H. Gresh: Superhelden - The physics behind lightsaber, batmobile, death star, kryptonite and Co. Complete Media , Grünwald 2018, ISBN 978-3-8312-0479-3 , pp. 74-90.
  • Mike McAvennie: Batmobile owner's manual. DK Verlag, London 2008, ISBN 978-1-40533-194-4 (English).
  • Mark Cotta Vaz: Batmobile - The Complete History. Titan, London 2012, ISBN 978-1-78116-284-2 (English).

Web links

Commons : Batmobile  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Original Batmobile auctioned for four million dollars. In: Spiegel Online. January 20, 2013, accessed April 3, 2019 .