As one of the most enduring action heroes to come out of DC Comics, Batman has remained a cultural icon for decades now. The most recent trilogy starring the Dark Knight introduced us to some wonderful new vehicles, including a completely new take on the Batmobile, the tank-like Tumbler. It was a big departure from the typical Batmobile of movies past, and it was well-recieved by fans and critics alike
In fact, you won’t have to watch any Batman movie to see the Tumbler in action this summer. Team Galag is building a LS1-powered, street-legal Tumbler from the Dark Knight trilogy to race in the annual Gumball Rally. This cross-continental not-a-race always features a host of exotics and supercars, but this is the first time a Batmobile will be entering the rally.
Batman fans and car enthusiasts have been building replica Batmobiles for decades now. Some are authentic tributes to the original, while others are, well, crap. But this authentic-and-street-legal Tumbler is a high-dollar, no-expense-spared build led by Parker Brothers Concepts. It is as authentic as the law will allow.
The tubular chassis will weigh in at about 2.5 tons, or around 5,000 pounds, and even with a 400 horsepower LS1 V8 powering it, top speed will only be about 100 MPH. But Team Galag, based out of Saudi Arabia, isn’t as concerned with speed as they are with looking cool. The Gumball Rally attracts all sorts of incredible rides, so it can be hard to stick out. With a Batman Tumbler growling down the street though, we know what car everybody will be waiting and watching for.
This year’s Gumball Rally starts in Copenhagen, Denmark and runs south to the city-state of Monte Carlo, and we have no doubt the Tumbler will be the most talked-about ride of the entire event. How could it not be?