Want to really get those heads swivelling when you drive through town? Forget supercars and hypercars: what you need is 22ft of Batmobile.
This Batmobile, a replica of the one driven by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns, is also significantly cheaper than any supercar. In fact, it could cost you less than a new Hyundai. It’s being offered at Bonham’s MPH March Auction in London where it’s expected to fetch between £20,000-30,000 (about US$28-41k).
But that could be because instead of the jet turbine the movie’s producers would have us believe the original was packing, this Batmobile is powered by a 5.7-liter small block Chevy. Which seems an unusual choice given the chassis apparently comes from a first generation Ford Mustang.
Bonhams claims the small block produces 380hp, which should be enough to help you make a speedy getaway from the Batcave when Commissioner Gordon hits you up with an SOS.
Related: New Batmobile Spits Flames in First ‘The Batman’ Movie Trailer
The Batmobile in the Burton films spawned a host of imitators, including this one, which was created in the UK using fiberglass body moulds shipped across from the U.S. It was built by Z Cars, which normally works on cars half as long, being best known for stuffing Suzuki Hayabusa and Honda VTEC engines into original Minis.
The right-hand drive car features a sliding canopy and two seats, and is equipped with a manual transmission, plus a dashboard packed with more gauges than your average light aircraft.
Although Bonhams says there is almost no paperwork with the car a trawl through the internet reveals it was built over a decade ago for Phil Garlick, a UK businessman who hoped to hire it out for events. The bill for the build came to around £150,000 ($208,000) – more than double the £70,000 ($97,000) he had expected to spend.
It was later owned by the London Motor Museum, but the museum was forced to close in 2018 following a dispute with the local council over £600,000 ($831,000) of unpaid business rates.
If you haven’t been put off by the prospect of being next in line to lose a fortune on this Batmobile, Bonhams auction is on March 20.