Just when it feels like we’ve all seen everything the world of cars has to offer, Batman’s Tumbler becomes a real-life automobile. This isn’t some unofficial, hasty rebody of an existing car to satisfy a superfan’s curiosity, either. Warner Brothers Discovery Global Consumer Products is behind this venture, and 10 Tumblers will be made to cater to those millionaires for whom a portal-axled G-Wagen is all too demure. And common. And cheap.
If today was the day you learned that there’s actually a brand called Wayne Enterprises Experience, then join the club. It’s a Warner Bros luxury offshoot (presumably they don’t miss many marketing opportunities), and it will market the Tumblers. Each one will be built around a new chassis (it’s hard to imagine anything out there could be reworked into this), assembled from aero-grade steel.
Just like Batman’s suit, the Tumbler features Kevlar in its construction, with carbon and fibreglass also employed. Credit where due, too - this thing looks absolutely insane. The Tumbler has most certainly survived the transition from silver screen to reality with all its madness intact, which can’t always be said for movie car continuations.
Power is going to come from a GM crate V8, because it wouldn’t be a US-built project car without some kind of LS in it. The Tumbler gets the 6.2-litre LS3 that would have served in Camaros and the like until recently, with 525hp and 486lb ft on hand to thunder along somewhere in the region of 2.5 tonnes. While there is Kevlar in the body, that steel chassis won’t be tremendously light - and neither will what looks like a quartet of tractor tyres out back. An automatic gearbox is standard; sadly a jet engine doesn’t even make it to the options list - though the car promises an unspecified simulation mode. And you can have any colour you like, as long as it’s you-know-what.
Wayne Enterprises hasn’t yet released any images of the Tumbler’s cabin yet, though it does promise two seats, LHD only, lots more black, a digital dash and GPS displays for both occupants. Doesn’t say anything about a reverse camera, however, which might be the most useful thing to have. Wouldn’t want to run over your pool house while playing at Batman.
Interestingly given the current climate around limited-run cars (where the allocation is spoken for before the public knows about it), the Tumbler has been launched with all 10 build spots open. The cost is $2,990,000, or £2.3m at current exchange rates, so you’ll need to be easily as wealthy as Bruce Wayne to buy one. And probably not as introverted - just imagine the reaction if one of these is ever seen in a public place. It has been suggested that it’ll take 15 months from a deposit being paid to delivery. Probably not dissimilar to a lot of super exotics, then, but there can’t be many of those with six wheels and a smoke screen.
Pictures courtesy of WBD/brucewaynex
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