Whenever I look at the “Tumbler” Batmobile movie car , quite a few different stealthy and armored military vehicles come to mind, all of which are not that fast and a bit cumbersome to get around in.
Not the Tumbler, though, as Jay Leno found out, because it’s a vehicle designed to be part of the actual stunts performed in the Batman movies, so it can drive, turn and stop just like any other car, plus it has a V8 engine and an automatic gearbox, so it’s not slow and makes things easier by shifting its own gears.
Leno learns that a total of seven were made, but that the one he had a chance to get behind the wheel of was the last one still in the US, and actually the only one that was still drivable. It is also revealed to him that each of the seven built had a specific purpose and was somewhat different to the others – the ones used for the stationary shots didn't even have engines…
There’s the looks too – whoever thought up its shape was clearly pretty good at what he/she does, because it looks functional on the road, apart from the propane-fueled rear afterburner that is purely for show, of course. No wonder people started making their own – it’s just a cool vehicle, making it more than just mere movie paraphernalia.
By Andrei Nedelea
