No one who has seen the Batman movies can help but wonder what it’s like to actually drive one of his cars. The answer, according to DriveTribe, is that it’s pretty scary.
Batman is one of the few superheroes whose car is as iconic as he is. Like James Bond, Bruce Wayne gets a fun new Batmobile full of gadgets and tricks with every new iteration. For many, though, the Tim Burton era car is the one that captures the imagination most.
This one, driven by Mike Fernie, is a replica of the car designed for 1989’s Michael Keaton-led “Batman.” Although it’s built much like any kit car, the sheer size of the 22-foot-long car makes it difficult to drive.
“Okay, I’m not going to lie, this is quite scary,” says Fernie. “Definitely going to take it easy while it warms up.”
Also Read: For $28,000, You Could Drive A New Compact, Or This 22ft-Long Batmobile
Powered comes from a 5.7-liter Chevrolet small-block V8 that makes about 380 hp. Although turbochargers can be seen poking out of the engine bay, they apparently aren’t hooked up.
Although it’s apparently based on a 1965 Mustang, it has a spaceframe and a fiberglass body, so it doesn’t share too much in common with the erstwhile Ford. Interestingly, the cars built for the movie were apparently built on Chevrolet Impalas.
The engine and the lightweight construction combine to make a car that sounds great and moves pretty quickly. The brakes, on the other hand, struggle to slow the car down.
The bigger challenge, though, appears to be size of the driver. As Fernie points out, Batman must be taller than 6 feet because the host spends his whole drive sitting up in his seat, trying to peer over the dash and the enormous hood.
Ultimately, though, the car does what it has to. As Fernie puts it:
“Is it easy to drive? No. Is it fun to drive? Fuck yes.”
The video points out that this car was going up for auction at Bonhams March 20 sale and we featured it earlier this month, but it appears the car was withdrawn.