Today I learned that there’s going to be another Batman movie, as our friends at io9 shared director Matt Reeves’ tweet of pictures (renderings?) of the new Batmobile. It’s some sort of rear-engine trophy truck-muscle car mashup that’s apparently going to be Batman’s next ride.
The Batmobile in these pictures is almost certainly some sort of custom body built around a truck chassis with fake cages and dramatic plumming tacked all over the place, as most prop cars are. But if we indulge our suspension of disbelief a little it looks, to me, like a 1970 Barracuda with a Ford Triton V10 mounted between the rear wheels.
I do like the way those rear fenders callback the haunches of the old, jet-engine-nosed Batmobile of 1990s, though.
There’s some debate about this among my nerdy friends on Twitter about whether or not the engine in the back is a V8 or a V10, but I’m pretty sure there are five coil packs per side, and the general architecture looks more like a Triton than the other wide-angle V10s that exist (Viper, Audi, BMW, mostly, there aren’t all that many options.)
That Ford V10 is a prolific powerplant which was used in everything from vans to the Ford Excursion, but itwas most commonly employed by U-Haul trucks and RVs. It’s not exactly known for speed, but it would be a good choice for somebody doing a custom build because parts and replacements are readily available. The Batman doesn’t have time to wait for overnight parts, after all.
Looking even more closely, are those large turbochargers on each side? I think yes, which might solve the Triton’s lack of scoot. Most iterations of the Triton V10 produced anywhere from 305 HP to 362 HP, and torque ratings came in a little over a hundred pound-feet more than the horsepower numbers. And while that sounds like a lot, the Triton V10 was designed more for utilitarian hauling applications than speed.
But whatever’s truly powering this thing,I’m big into it, and I love the fact that it looks more like a car than a tank.
Actually I think io9 commenter “numberthirteen” kind of nailed it:
Off-roady muscle cars have been cool for some time now. The look was notably exploited in whichever Fast/Furious movie involves driving out of an airplane.
But it’s a perfect fit for Batman. Sorry, The Batman as he’s apparently now to be known.
Also, I think we need to note that it was very responsible of The Batman’s coachbuilder to include a third brake light to comply with roadworthiness laws and mitigate the odds of The Batman being rear-ended.
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