Driving you bats

It’s funny how your work often defines who you are. Case in point: During a recent advance screening for the newest installment in the Batman film franchise, this writer found himself on the edge of his seat when the car chase scene began to play on screen. You see, while the film has its own merits (it ties up many loose ends in the Batman legend), a car guy will always get drawn into a spectacularly choreographed car chase scene — especially when it involves a vehicle as unique as this particular Batmobile.

This particular Batmobile is actually the result of director Chris Nolan’s fertile imagination. With a little help form car engineer Chris Corbould, special effects workshop supervisor Andy Smith, and production designer Nathan Crowley, they brought to life "a tool for getting (Batman) where he wants to get." It’s a radical reworking of the Batmobile that deviates from all expectations — because it has to. To understand exactly what we mean by that sentence (and since we don’t want to become spoil sports), you’ll have to see the film yourself. Rest assured, this is one car scene that is unique in that it gives us a perspective we’ve never seen before (hint: you’d have to look up to the skies to see this four wheel chase if you were a first hand spectator).

No, this is not a variant of the Batwing. Rather, it is a hulking monstrosity that would put a small tank to shame. It’s supposed to be armored (though in real life it’s made of relatively light fiberglass) and is fitted with absolutely evil 44-inch monster truck tires. Equipped with a 5.7-liter 340-horsepower V8 engine that can push it all the way up to 105 mph, it has a "super-boost" mode that actually makes the car "jump" up to a 20-foot gap. In an interview, Corbould says that they actually did a number of jumps at high speed, with the car holding up and carrying on immediately after the jumps — hence the breathtaking shots.

"It’s a performance car. It’s not a look-pretty car. One of the great scenes in Chicago, where we shot, involved a whole chase at 80-90 mph as opposed to the norm where you shoot at 40-50 mph and under-crank the camera to make it look faster. This car performs," reveals Corbould.

This much we’ll say, in the few sequences that the Batmobile did get ample screen time, it certainly made an impact. If Gotham City ever mass-produced a crossover vehicle that they would aim to sell in high numbers, this vehicle would be at the heart of its DNA structure. Michael Keaton’s Batman once said that, "chicks dig the car". Well, Christian Bale’s Batman certainly has the girls digging his version of the Batmobile, too. After taking a spin in the new Batmobile, co-star Katie Holmes said, "I finally understood men’s fascinations with cars after I saw the Batmobile in action. I thought, ‘Okay, I get it! This is awesome!’ I have the privilege of riding in it in the movie and it’s even better on the inside," — this from the woman who would settle for no less that Tom Cruise. To catch a glimpse of the Dark Knight’s radical new wheels, you can check out the newest Batman flick, "Batman Begins", which opens today. Our advise, do so. It’ll drive you bats.