[2] Using the latest civilian performance technology, coupled with prototype military-grade hardware—most of which was developed by Wayne Enterprises—Batman creates an imposing hybrid monster car to prowl the streets of Gotham City.

The iconic television Batmobile was a superficially modified concept car, the decade-old Lincoln Futura, owned by auto customizer George Barris, whose shop did the work.

[12] In the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the source of the cars was explained in The Untold Legend of the Batman as the work of stunt driver Jack Edison.

These vehicles are not as sophisticated or as fast as the Batmobiles, but some of them are armed with non-lethal riot control and combat artilleries and armored to withstand ammunition mounted on military automobile prototypes.

[17][18][19][20] In Batman: Holy Terror, the Batmobile is depicted on a two-page spread at the end of the story, with Bruce musing that it was provided to him by the remaining members of the underground movement against the religious dictatorship that rules the world in this timeline.

However, it is revealed in Crimson Mist- the third novel in the trilogy- that the Batmobile survives in the remains of the Batcave, with Alfred briefly hiding behind it to escape Killer Croc during a chase through the cave.

Filmation's Batmobile used parachutes, inflatable pontoons, and, in case of damaged tires, vertical and rear-mounted jets to lift and propel the car — which then essentially caused it to function as a high-powered hovercraft.

The Batmobile was seen in the early episodes of Super Friends was based on the Lincoln Futura design in the live-action TV series starring Adam West.

Features that were carried over from the original Super Friends Batmobile were the Bat-mask, low horizontal fins, twin bubble windshields, and blue coloring scheme.

A sentient, talking version of the Batmobile appears in the Batwheels children's animated TV series, as one of its main protagonists, and has been primarily voice-portrayed by Jacob Bertrand of Cobra Kai fame.

In Batman: Arkham City, the Batmobile appears in the Batcave Predator Challenge Map under re-construction following its tussle with Bane, thus explaining its absence in the rest of the game.

The car is an off-road vehicle, highly maneuverable, possessing numerous non-lethal deterrents, heavier than a light tank; the ability to absorb impact makes it nearly indestructible and affects anything it collides with in a similar fashion.

Battle Mode[34] transforms the Batmobile's appearance into an off-road tank-like armored Tactical Assault form capable of raising/lowering/widening its suspension, wheelbase and axle track, depending on its combat or navigational situations.

[36] Armor plating M61 Vulcan close-in weapon system 60mm direct-fire cannon Riot suppressor Electroshock defense Gyroscopic wheels Winch Immobilizer missiles

In Battle mode, the Batmobile becomes more tank than car, allowing a full 360-degree range of movement, including strafing in any direction, while revealing the multiple weapon systems on board, including a Vulcan chain gun for quick damage, a 60 mm hypervelocity cannon for fire support, anti-tank guided missiles for wide-ranging damage against multiple targets, and a non-lethal riot suppressor.

[48][50] In late 1965 20th Century Fox Television and William Dozier's Greenway Productions contracted renowned Hollywood car customizer Dean Jeffries to design and build a "Batmobile" for their upcoming Batman TV series.

He started customizing a 1959 Cadillac, but when the studio wanted the program on the air in January 1966, and therefore filming sooner than he could provide the car, Jeffries was paid off, and the project went to George Barris.

When filming for the series began, several problems arose due to the car's age: it overheated, the battery died, and the expensive Mickey Thompson tires repeatedly failed.

Eventually, the three copies (and the screen-used metal Futura Batmobile) were covered with a black velvet "fuzz" paint, presumably to hide stress cracks in the fiberglass bodies.

[63] The three Barris copies all reside in private collections, including the exhibition drag racing version driven by wheelstanding driver Wild Bill Shrewsberry.

In Batman Returns it is shown to have a secondary mode referred to as the "Batmissile", where the wheels would retract inward and the sides of the vehicle would break off, converting the car into a thin bullet train-like form capable of squeezing through tight alleyways.

[80] In Batman & Robin, the aerodynamic chassis design and "T" axis wheelbase provided the Batmobile counterbalance gyrometric stability, allowing for high velocity 90-degree turns at speeds greater than 70 mph without losing momentum.

From behind the wheel, the driver has access to a multifunctioning key command response system that delivers immediate weapon activation during an attack and defensive procedures.

In The Dark Knight (2008), the Tumbler returns and appears twice in the movie: where Batman captures the Scarecrow, and in a chase where it is damaged by an RPG fired by the Joker in an attempt to kill Harvey Dent.

Following the scale model creation, a crew of over 30 people, including Crowley and engineers Chris Culvert and Andy Smith,[89] carved a full-size replica of the vehicle out of a large block of Styrofoam, which was a process that lasted two months.

In the 2017 film Justice League and its 2021 director's cut, Batman owns a new four-legged tank-vehicle called the "Knightcrawler", which was designed by his father during World War II.

The Crawler is used in the fight against Steppenwolf to rescue Star Labs scientists (including Cyborg's father Dr. Silas Stone) underneath an abandoned Gotham Harbor.

Near the end, the new team board the portable troop carrier aka "Flying Fox" carrying the new armored Batmobile to battle Steppenwolf in Pozharnov, Russia.

The Batmobile's imposing defense capabilities, supported by Wayne Enterprises technologies, have been integrated with the latest in covert military grade armaments, stealth, and active protection systems.

In the episode "Jason Todd" during a flashback to Dick Grayson's time as part of the dynamic duo, the Batmobile is shown very briefly, parked inside the Batcave.