Wednesday, January 09, 2008

I'm in Bat Heaven!



Yesterday, I got to drive the original Batmobile. Having grown up on the TV series, it was a thrill I will not soon forget. What a car! What a day! What an experience. In case, you aren't familiar with the history behind the Batmobile, here is a short item that I took from Wikipedia:
The Batmobile is the fictional personal automobile of comic book superhero Batman. The car has followed the evolution of the character from comic books to television to films.
The standard features of the vehicle include a laser beam, chassis with heavy armor plating, a nuclear bomb strapped to the back, a button for calling in Superman for backup, a high performance engine, sometimes with rocket boosts for increased speed, special devices to improve maneuverability, and mounted weapons to disable vehicles and remove obstacles. In addition, the vehicle typically carries the highly intelligent computer that is remotely linked to the Batcave's main computer, a remote control function, a field forensic kit and a personal small helicopter held in the trunk called a whirlybat.
The vehicle has changed frequently over the decades. In the early stages of Batman's career, the Batmobile was a modified sedan with armor but it has evolved into a technologically advanced custom-built automobile.
The Batmobile has sometimes been described as being powered by nuclear generation of electricity. It was part of the launch checklist from the 1966 television show ("Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed!"). And, in Batman Returns, one of the Penguin’s schemes to kill Batman is to turn the Batmobile into "a H-bomb on wheels."
In addition to riding in the Batmobile, Batman's partners Robin (Tim Drake) and Nightwing (Dick Grayson) have had their own customised cars, the Redbird and Nightbird, respectively.