From the original Batmobile to the Tumbler of the recent Dark Knight films, the car has changed massively to suit whatever adventure Batman is on.
With the release of the The Dark Knight Rises just around the corner, we thought now would be a good time to take a small look at some of the coolest and most popular Batmobiles.
The first car to be referred to as a "Batmobile" appeared in Detective Comics #48 way back in 1941. It was far more subtle than any of its successors; It just had a small gold bat on the hood. The car looks to be based on a Cord Roadster.
Perhaps the most famous Batmobile comes from the 1960's TV series starring Adam West. Based on a Lincoln Futura, king customizer George Barris designed this bat-ride with a number of cool gadgets and unique features.
The Batmobile from the 1970's "Superfriends" series is an evolution of the 1960s Futura. Color went from black to blue and the now iconic Bat-logo made an appearance.
When someone says the word Batmobile, the car from the Michael Keaton films typically comes to mind. The darker car takes on the demeanor of a more brooding Batman. The man driving this car was more likely to throw a Batarang than dance the Batoosie.
Batman's animated ride also became darker. For the animated series, the Batmobile got an impossibly long nose and a design that seemed to hearken back to steam trains.
For Batman's return to the big screen in Batman Forever, a whole new Batmobile was designed. It made use of neon lighting on the undercarriage and had a number of defenses onboard.
While Batman & Robin was widely panned as one of the worst movies ever, the Batmobile was very cool. The design was based on classic roadsters and it was over 30-feet long. It was even road tested to 140 MPH.
Batman made his return to television with this car in The New Adventures of Batman & Robin. Unlike the complex designs of its predecessors, this Batmobile uses simple, flowing lines. It still retains the long hood that had become a hallmark of all of Batman's cars.
For the reboot of the saga with Batman Begins, the Batmobile changed quite a bit. Instead of a long, low, roadster, Batman now drives a sort of performance, stealth tank called the Tumbler. Even though it is a huge departure from the last cars, it is undeniably awesome.
In the video game universe, Batman's ride in Arkham Asylum is far more traditional...relatively speaking. The design takes elements from the 1989 Batmobile as well as the roadster from Batman & Robin. It just looks sinister and cool.
The Tumbler, in a new camouflage scheme makes an appearance in The Dark Knight Rises, but there appears to be a whole new "Batmobile" that makes an awesome appearance at the end of the trailer.
Travis writes about cars, planes, trains, boats, and anything transportation for Business Insider.He holds a degree in English from The George Washington University and has also been published on Jalopnik.com as well as his own satirical blog, The Shallot.If you want to talk about Formula One, IndyCar, or any sort of racing, feel free to send him an email.
