Batmobiles

[Tomato]

So I've done a few of these where I've gone out of my way to include images and make a whole production out of it... but I'm in the mood for a more loosey goosey list this time, so we're just gonna wing it.

Long story short, along with my Batman figures, I have a fair number of Batmobiles from different eras (Adam West, TAS, Tumbler, Arkham Knight, etc.). I'm not a huge Car guy, but even I know the importance of the Batmobile to the iconography of the character.

That said, I was skimming some 3d print files that included various Batmobiles, and there are a few that just... they're so BAD. Batman Forever looks like someone added a rib cage to the outside of a car, it's so ugly.

But if there are objectively bad Batmobile designs, what then even is the perfect Batmobile design? Because I'll be honest, a lot of the go-to "definitive" Batmobiles (89/Returns, BTAS/TNBA) are all kind of... off to me. To my eye, they've just got way too much length on the front end to be practical.

On the flip side, I feel like Begins ushered in the era of the "Tank" Batmobile, and I'm not really a huge fan of that direction for the thing. It was a novel one-off idea in Begins (and even that trilogy got rid of it by mid-TDK), but BvS and ESPECIALLY Arkham Knight beat that concept into the ground.

In my mind, the perfect Batmobile is more... James Bond, if that makes sense. Less "tank" and more "crazy contraption". The car version of the Utility Belt. The Batman is probably the closest in the movies, though it's a little boring for my taste. The Adam West Batmobile is almost too far the other direction (too flashy, and like the Burton/Timm era Batmobiles the front is too long) but I won't lie, it's perfect for that show and I kinda love it.

As for the comics, a lot of those tend to blend together for me aside from a few older Batmobiles, but my feelings generally tend to mirror the above points: I tend to prefer Batmobiles with a shorter front end, those with cool details but which aren't overly finny, and those with accent colors (red or yellow) tend to get bonus points with me. And don't give me the "it shouldn't have color, it should be stealthy" baloney, it's a sports car with a gimmick and gadgets, if Batman wanted the dang thing to blend in he'd just drive a normal car. He wants you to know this thing is coming for you.

That said, I'm curious what other people here think. What's YOUR idea of the quintessential Batmobile?

[deanjo2000]

For me I just love the 89 version, yes the front is too long but it's always the one I think of. I always thought inspector gadgets car would make a good Batmobile. Tools, weapons and can change shape. Could blend into normal city life but steps up when needed too.

[WyldFyre]

1950s version. Who doesn't want a fully functional laboratory in their super-charged batmobile?

TV version a close second. Always had a soft spot for that version.

[BentonGrey]

So, I get what you're saying, 'Mato, but I don't think impracticality is really a particularly fair criteria for a car that does all the insane things the Batmobile does, at least in the comic/superhero genres in which it does them.  For me, it's definitely the TAS and '89 versions.  They're pretty much perfect to me.  Iconic, instantly recognizable and understandable, but not ridiculously over-the-top.

[Tomato]

It's not impracticality for me, so much as like... maneuverability. To me, this is a car that's capable of running down getaway cars, weaving in and out of the tight alleyways and streets of Gotham. Hard to do that when your dang hood is long enough to fit 3 smaller cars inside it.

To be clear, I don't HATE those Batmobiles (I feel like the Burton/Timm Batmobiles are basically THE standard for the thing) it's more I PREFER something a bit more compact. The only movie cars I actively dislike are from the Forever/B&R era, and even those tend to be more bewilderment at one or two design choices for each of them than anything.

If I had to list off some favorites, Adam West is probably near the top, followed by TNBA (I know Benton, but I like the shorter, sleaker, bat shaped hood), the Tumbler, and elements of "The Batman"'s Batmobile (I like the proportions a lot, I just wish it was less... just a car)

I fell down a rabbit hole looking at some comic designs though. There have been some goofy designs for this car over the years.

[docdelorean88]

I feel the "I wish it were less just a car" on The Batman muscle mobile.

I feel like "The Batman" animated wb first batmobile was partway there, same with Brave and the Bold(there's something about it being recognisable as a fancy car that maybe came from Bruce's collection that he suped up that I love). I particularly love batmobiles that have red accent elements to them generally. The red could be angled as ominous for criminals, and it's a fun break from the monochrome for the audience.

[mac402]

Purely based on the looks I liked the early 90s Batmobile featured in the comics. The one that got destroyed during Knightfall storyline. It looked both sleek, fancy and practical.

[Randomdays]

I imported the classic tv batmobile a while back. Stll my favorite.

There's a bunch more on sketchup from various eras that I thought might be fun to add into the game. Even a tv batcave with that large reactor in it

Check here and scroll down a bit for some batmobile models that could be brought in, even back to the 1944 one

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/user/1343234611498940296505446/Michael-W-P-smike

and here for a tv batcave -

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/71993839001eabab0b172d4dea80cd/Batcave

[Kommando]

I'm going to vote for the Lincoln Futura.

[Tomato]

I doubt anyone will respond to it, but just to cut it off now... this is a discussion I opened about preferences for the Batmobile, not a request thread in the freedom force section. Posting specific examples for discussion isn't a problem, but the "(here are more) that could be brought in (to ff)" does not belong here.

If you would like to have that discussion, by all means, post your own thread on the ff boards for the members there to discuss, even link back to this thread as your inspiration. But modding batmobiles into ff is a separate topic, and deserves to be treated as such.

[Randomdays]

Noted Tomato.

[Panther_Gunn]

Back in the day, I wasn't really big on the old Batmobiles with the bat heads on the grille, they felt too old-timey.  However, in recent years, they've grown on me more for a nice bit of nostalgia, and they feel more like a Batmobile than a lot of the more recent designs.

The Adam West Futura is arguably the most iconic, and definitely influenced the Superfriends design, as well as the comics for quite a long time.  The '68 Batman/Superman Adventure hour seemed to pioneer the long front design, with the passenger compartment just barely in front of the rear wheel well.

The comics have had more version designs than I care to count.  Once they stopped using the old versions from the '40's & 50's, it seemed like every artist came up with his own design, and some went through several.  Like many comic vehicle designs, more than a few were less than practical for anything other than looking cool or "interesting".

I wasn't a fan of the Tim Burton design, for similar reasons, 'mato.  And I absolutely hated the Tumbler, and any variation of it.  The ones that looked too close to the stock car they were inspired by (Corvette, Porsche, Mustang, Jaguar) never felt like a Batmobile to me.

While the original Futura will always hold a special place for me (and the BTBATB was a nice amalgam of that & the old models), I think my preference would be for some of the comic/animation versions inspired by it.  A similar feel, with the double-bubble design, but more streamlined.  The '68 comic, Superfriends, & '75 Power Records versions (as pictured here:  https://www.designboom.com/design/evolution-of-the-batmobile-infographic/) are probably it for me, with the '78 comics version coming in close behind.

[BentonGrey]

That's a cool collection of the designs.  Man, it's crazy how many ugly designs its had, and how very, very boring most of them from the 70s are.  It's nuts that an era with so much personality in its aesthetics produced such boring Batmobile designs (with pretty much just PG's picks excepted). 

[Tomato]

What's kind of funny is, one Batmobile that I actually do oddly like, despite how maligned it is... the Arkham Knight Batmobile. It's overused (to a comical extent) in the game, but aside from being a one-seater (I *hate* that trend in Batmobiles. Robin should not be forced to ride in the prisoner compartment GDI) it's got a lot I really do like: It's got some of that quasi-tank energy from the Tumblr, but it's still a car that could drive on the roads, and the "attack" mode it has gives it the ability to get into and around places it otherwise could not. It's very mobile.

Honestly, aside from the one-seat problem, it's biggest issue is that it's just boring looking, but even that's helped out by it being a video game, meaning it has some neat alt skins that give it a bit of color.

[mac402]

Arkham Knight generally ages well. I admit I used to dislike the bat-tank design at first, but now while replaying the game I can't help but appreciatie how practical this car looks. It even had fictional stats released by Rocksteady but nothing very in-depth.

[docdelorean88]

...with the '78 comics version coming in close behind.

The '78 comic is a REALLY nice aesthetic, i have to agree! I do with like some of the alt skins on the Arkham knight bat mobile. I of the Arkham bat mobiles I think i generally prefer the Asylum's boatmobile by comparison(at least if were comparing the standard skin of knight to asylum's).

[Tomato]

See, on the one hand, I agree... Aesthetically, Asylum's Batmobile is a very classic looking Batmobile which looks modern without being too busy (which is surprising for the Arkham series). On the other, it (like many others) has the stupidly long nose that makes it hard to maneuver, and the cockpit section is way too thin.

The Knight Batmobile is a bit too busy and I hate its cockpit even more, but it's a swiss army knife of a car. I mentioned this briefly above, but in my mind, the Batmobile should be like a Bond car: Great for chases, loaded up with crazy gadgets, and generally capable of doing insane tricks. The Knight Batmobile has the rocket boost of the typical Batmobile, can switch into a separate mode for both close quarters combat AND maneuverability, has tow cables capable of supporting its weight so it can ride up walls... it's basically everything from years of movies packed into a single Batmobile.

But yeah, I do admit, it's an ugly car in the base game. It's leaning into the same generic black tank-y energy as TDK's Tumbler, and while I don't HATE the tumbler, that aesthetic had gotten old by the time AK came out. Slapping some paint on it helps give it some color, but my ideal Batmobile overall would skew towards a mix of the two.