Batmobile 1

The 1966 Batmoblie looked very cool as it took the 1955 Lincoln Futura which look outstanding anyway and changed the colour to black with red stripes making it look incredible. It set some standards that are still lived up to today. Most notably, it was the first obvious Batmobile as it was quite flashy for the 60's. It also started the trend of jet propulsion, something included on nearly every live-action Batmobile to date. In that sense, it also set the stage for Batmobiles with all kinds of crazy gadgets and features. The 1960's Batmobile’s ability to make 180 degree turns in particular, was something emulated by later models, though in other forms.


The 1989 Batmobile reboot had a more grittier look to it as it was all black unlike the predecessor which had red stripes making the car look less clown like. The 1989 Batmobile brings a few new things to the table. For starters, it was the first live-action Batmobile to aviod using sillier weapons like the “Bat Beam” or the “Bat-tering Ram” and instead feature straight-up machine guns. Like its predecessor, the 1966 Batmobile, the 1989 Batmobile also had a mechanism by which to make sharp turns, but unlike the predecessor, which used parachutes, the 1989 Batmobile chose for a no-nonsense grappling hook cannon. 


The 2005 Batmobile or Tumbler rebooted the vehicle again this time making it a tank instead. Unlike its predecessors of being any kind of modified car, its instead a military prototype. That aside, it does a pretty good job of staying faithful to and building on the legacy of its predecessors. 

It has the requisite jet engines from the original film and machine guns from the Tim Burton film, but the Tumbler does not just take from the established stack of Batmobile features. It adds a few of its own as well. One unique feature the Tumbler has is a somewhat unintuitive electric engine. Understandably, a good old flaming jet is used for the bulk of the Tumbler’s propulsion needs whereas the electric motor is reserved for stealth.