When it comes to the Batmobile, DC and Warner Bros. are NOT messing around. DC Comics just won a huge copyright battle against those who make and sell replica Batmobile “modification kits.” According to the judge, the iconic Batman superhero vehicle is protected by law.

DC sued Mark Towle of Gotham Garage, accusing him of selling “unlicensed replica vehicle modification kits based on vehicle design copyrights from plaintiff’s Batman property, including various iterations of the fictional automobile, the Batmobile.” Try saying that a few times fast.

Towle felt the Batmobile, as a vehicle, is not subject to copyright law.

“The court finds, however, that defendant’s argument lacks merit,” the judge added.

In the end, DC Comics needs to go further in order to better protect imaging and likeness rights to their iconic automobile. As for Towle, he can settle out of court with DC or keep fighting. Under the Copyright Act, he might face a maximum $150,000 in penalties, per vehicle.

Source: Wired | Image: ABC Television

All the world’s a stage, some guy in London once said. Spider-Man has his Broadway hit, so why not The Bat? That’s right kids – the Batman LIVE World Arena Tour is starting. And it looks terrible.

Coming off the success of Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight, this elaborate theater production (which begins in London, then hits Germany and remaining European countries later this year) looks more like a cheesy sequel to Batman & Robin.

And much like the Spider-Man Broadway show in New York City, follies are afoot in Gotham City.

The latest Batmobile, created by Formula 1 and EV designer Gordon Murray, crashed into the Bank of Gotham set during rehearsals.

“It literally came out, swizzled around and crashed into the Bank of Gotham,” Batman Live set designer Es Devlin told BBC News. “The Bank of Gotham took a bit of a hit, but we patched it up and I don’t think anyone would notice.”

A second Batmobile filled in for the remaining rehearsals. Critic Rob Hughes talked about the fresh looking Batmobile – “best of the lot, however, might just be the Batmobile. Invented by Formula One designer Gordon Murray, it’s a neat, sleek, flame-spitting wonder of carbon-fiber engineering.” The Guardian raved about the Batmobile, calling it “a study in stealthy, rocket-propelled F1 styling.”

This Batmobile is also the greenest one yet. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, electric motor and lithium-ion batteries. Don’t worry, the car still has its signature fire-shooting rear booster.

Another, less positive review, called the vehicle “the Jetsons-obsessed afternoon scrawling of an elementary student.”

Everyone’s a critic.

Source: Inside Line | Batman Live | Bat-Blog.com

Since the dawn of Batman, the Caped Crusader has ridden in a variety of Bat-themed vehicles. All of which have been referred to as either Batmobile or some variation on that. Most of us are only familiar the TV and motion picture Batmobiles. However, there’s been a slew of others in the history of The Dark Knight’s DC Comics reign. Here’s a look at every single one, courtesy of Carinsurance.org.

We were going to post about comic book automobiles today – but the only one really worth mentioning is The Batmobile. Iconic, full of any gadget the Caped Crusader needs, and enough leg room to accommodate The Boy Wonder or BatGirl, we look back at some designs from DC, those that actually stayed around for more then one issue. Thanks to Batmobile History for all the great info!

Batman’s first ride showed up in Detective Comics #48, February 1941. This “Batmobile” was originally red then blue & a convertible based on the 1936 Cord, but the nose looked more like that of a Lincoln. There were no wings, no bat-faced front grill or logo. In fact, it looked like anyone’s random 2-door coupe.

In February 1950, Detective Comics #156 showcased a new Batmobile. After the previous vehicle was destroyed pursuing a gang, Batman revealed plans for a new Batmobile that was going to be “ten years ahead of anything else on wheels.” Though its shape resembled a Studebaker, it was as long as a Chrysler Imperial; inside was a complete laboratory with cabinets, a work stool, and a counter. Other features on the car included a steel “knife edge” nose to cut through barriers, a roof mounted searchlight that could double as a Bat Signal projector, a plastic canopy/windshield, rocket thrusters, and on-board television and radar screens.

This 50′s design has been a staple in Batman issues throughout Detective Comic’s run – especially in the 80′s 90′s and even today. Occasionally, this classic Batmobile comes back with a meaner looking bat-head and more destructive weapons. In modern times, The Dark Knight trades in his lab for a killing machine.

Nightwing has his own Batmobile as well, based off the one used in 1977′s Superfriends and also the 1960′s TV series Futura Batmobile. However, the lines of it were modified substantially for use in animation. This was the first car to feature a yellow bat emblem on its doors.

Some issues of the Dark Knight have featured Batmobiles based off various film adaptations. In fact, Frank Miller’s “Dark Knight Returns” shows us a Bat-Tank, later to become the Tumbler from Chris Nolan’s film series. Or, at least it looks oddly similar to us.

The Batman RIP Series featured another variation of this “new” retro mobile. Without Batman around in Detective Comics #851 and Batman #684 (a two-part story “Last Days of Gotham”) Nightwing takes up the slack in Gotham and at one point uses this Batmobile when he needs to get on-site quickly. This new look on the classic comic book Batmobile will probably return again in future issues.

It’s been a year of ups and down in the automotive industry – From the roller coaster ride of fuel prices, the initiation of electric and hybrid vehicles from the world’s largest auto makers, to a bailout that finally passed, but may be a mere band aid in the bullet wound in The Big Three’s wallet. 2008 has been a year to remember – we look back at some of our best (and most visited) articles, news pieces and off-beat posts from this year.

The Gorgeous Women of 2008 Motorsport

Our recent tribute to some of this past year’s more influential female race car drivers has grabbed a lot of attention online – maybe it’s that picture of Danica Patrick or Natacha Gachnang…naa, couldn’t be! We know there are more than just this handful of gorgeous and talented women in the industry, from Formula One to Funny Car – and it was hard to pick out which to write about. Have a look and let us know if there’s any sexy steering queens we should compile for a 2009 list.

15 Cars You Should Egg/TP This Mischief Night

Can you believe this post actually upset some of those who stumbled across it? It’s not like we were supplying underage kids with toilet paper and cherry bombs! Anyway, we went through several reasons to do a little harmless vandalism towards all kinds of vehicles on mischief night – from your neighbor’s Ford to that pretentious family at the end of the block with the big house and Mercedes parked out front. Honestly, anyone who leaves their brand new European sports sedan parked on the curb October 30th is asking for it.

The Ultimate Tribute to the Ghostbusters Ecto-1

Throughout Film and Television history many automobiles have become characters onto themselves. Something these cars propel themselves further than their human co-stars. One such vehicle is The Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. The old Cadillac ambulance/hearse has been featured in film, animations, comic books and even video games. Our post features some of the greatest tributes to this iconic automobile.

Top 10 Most Bizarre Concepts At 2008’s Paris Motor Show

With the wide variety of crazy concepts and alternative fuel vehicles coming out of the world wide car industry in 2008, auto shows globally had a lot of luck showing off flat out bizarre design ideas. Such a fact was made certain than at the Paris Motor Show. Mazda pimped out their “flow” concept vehicles while a company called Heuliez showed us just how Friendly they can be.

Top 8 Most Pimped Out Rides

These rides are pretty fly for…well anyone who can afford thousands of dollars worth of conversion kits. Our research into this side of car culture proved that your mom can lower her minivan and rock it old school – or you can school your friends by picking them up in a phat bus, straight out of Compton, with attitude. Truer words were never spoken Easy-E.

Mr Wizard’s Do It Yourself Large Hadron Collider Car Modification!

One day, the Large Hadron Collider will probably open a void in our space-time continuum and suck up every particle of energy into its black hole. Until then learn how to turn a battery, Mountain Dew can and your Dad’s Hummer into a mobile atom smasher.

15 Classic Science Fiction Cars

Mad Max had his Ford Falcon, Blade Runner had it’s flying police vehicles. We go through a list of scifi concept cars and even some that are becoming a reality today. However, it’s almost 2015 and we have yet to see one flying DeLorean in the air. Next year, we may be able to check out a real-life Akira motorbike – even though fans (and some of us at Automopedia) are a little enraged about a possible live action film adaptation, starring none other than Leo DiCaprio…yeish.

Attack of the Drones: Futuristic Vehicles of Death

They say war is good business, and that has not been more apparent than in the division of army design and weaponry. Military experts are busy designing dozens of automated soldiers and tanks that require not one human inside. Their hopes are eliminate American casualties in combat. It’s an honorable effort, but how about just not making killing machines at all? Maybe they’re saving that for 2010.

Eight 80’s Arcade Driving Games We Blew Our Allowances On

Remember when arcade games cost a quarter, and if you were good enough you could beat an entire game on that one coin? In this post we took a nostalgic look back at those games we wasted hundreds of dollars of our allowance money on at the local game shop or video store.

Lego Cars & Their Movie Counterparts

Face it, everybody loves a Lego set. These days kids are spoiled by the detailed Lego kits available with Batman, Star Wars and other science fiction tie-ins. Some go so far as to engineer and construct their own movie mobile counterparts – have have stepped into the halls of Lego builder history. We hope one day there is a Lego museum to promote and study such architectural anomalies. Of course, we want the museum to be built from Lego’s.

Batman By Land, Air & Water: A History of the Dark Knight’s Vehicles

2008 was undoubtedly the year of the Bat – as Batman: The Dark Knight roared into theaters to become one of the highest grossing films of ’08. To honor the film we compiled a list of Batman’s ride from film, TV, comic and cartoon alike.

Let’s face it, you can’t not love a Lego set. Remember your childhood, trying to build the Starship Enterprise with only that big green rectangle and red engine nacelles? Feeling a plastic brick gripped in your fingers, snapping it in so that the next will fit properly. Today’s Lego sets are more involved and leave less to the imagination. In fact, some are as detailed as a scale model. Many Lego “artists” have taken it amongst themselves to create movie models in honor of classic film automobiles.

Who ya gonna call? The Lego Ecto-1

This Lego Ecto-1 is a custom job from Brickshelf, complete with what looks like swords as bumpers. There are dozens of Ecto-1 Lego replicas on the web, some including Ghostbuster characters, proton packs and tiny floating spirits.

The Real Ecto-1 from Ghostbustersfans is a converted 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor Ambulance. The original car is located on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, Ca. A second is currently undergoing restoration in Tennessee. Arguably one of the most recognizable vehicles in film history, Ecto-1 has been featured in print, on film, in animated form (as the main paranormal-investigation patrol vehicle from The Real Ghostbusters) and in the soon to be released Ghostbusters video game for PS3 and Xbox 360. Ecto-1 has inspired many restoration projects, and even has forums dedicated to those rebuilding Caddy Ambulances from the era into their own personal ghost-hunting carriages.

Lego Spinner

Blade Runner’s Spinner (seen above in via BoingBoing and below in a .gif model) was conceived by visual film genius Syd Mead. His credits include Aliens and Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Spinner film cars were built on frames of old VW Wagons. Mead’s Lego Spinner is one of a kind, created and personally delivered to him by Lego execs.

Lego Tumbler – Batmobile from Batman Begins & The Dark Knight

“Here…we…go” – Joker in The Dark Knight

Although this Lego approved Batmobile is available for sale, countless Tumbler-built Lego models are personally designed by brick enthusiasts. Both the official and bootleg models run around 400+ pieces! Some versions include battery packs and spring shocks for lights and remote controlled mobility.

The real-life, fully-functional Batman Tumbler can achieve speeds of over 100 mph and hits 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, just a little faster than its Lego counterpart. The Tumbler possess a steering system to make sharp turns at city corners, and withstand a self-propelled jump of up to 30 feet. Other Tumbler specs include a 5.7-liter Chevy V8 engine, truck axle for the rear tires, front tires which are actually rear dirt racing tires used from open wheel sprint cars, rear 4×4 mud tires and the suspension system of Baja racing trucks. The design and development process took nine months and cost several million dollars.

Lego Mach 5 – Speed Racer

2008′s Speed Racer live-action film was less than enjoyable for many classic anime fans. And not to trash an official Lego set, but this one looks a little simple compared to The Spinner and Tumbler. Complete with your own personal Speed character but lacks a trunk to hide little Chim-chim in.

The Mach 5 from 2008′s Speed Racer feature was mostly a creation from CGI land – but a real Mach 5 exists and was even test driven by Road & Track Magazine in April. “It ran to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and to the quarter-mile mark in 7.3 sec” according to the article. Add it to your list of TV & film cars we’d love to steal, right up there with the General Lee and KITT.

The Lego Bluesmobile – Blues Brothers

A Lego Dodge Monaco with a great sound system! Those ropes don’t look Lego official, but the windshield wipers are an nice addition. Also from Brickshelf

The Blues Brothers‘ Dodge Monaco Police Cruiser – A definitive car of film history, there were eleven Monaco’s used in chase scenes, and a twelfth built to only fall apart in front of the Cook County Accessors Office. All Bluesmobiles in the film were modified with “cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks” etc. Of course, the 440 cubic engine was also standard on every stunt car.

“I’m a soul [Lego] man…”

Lego KITT – Knight Rider

“One Lego can make a difference”

Obviously the most recognizable Trans-Am ever to be constructed for television is 1982′s Pontiac-turned superhero vehicle KITT (Knight Industries Two-Thousand) on Knight Rider. Another Brickshelf submission shows some impressive detail, from the ram scoop hood to KITT’s seat and dash design. All it needs is a little leather-jacketed, hairy-chested David Hasselhoff.

KITT was designed by the late Wilton Knight, a brilliant but eccentric billionaire and founder of the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). KITT is the Foundation’s crime-fighting automotive crusader with artificial intelligence and the ability to “pilot” itself, as well as defend against attacks and hack into the most sophisticated government computer systems. KITT could also jump really, really far. Did we mention he also talked? And sounded oddly similar to Mr. Feeny from TV’s Boy Meets World.

Lego Harley – Easy Rider

The Lego Harley Davidson – another brick fan creation dedicated to Lego when the toymaker turned 50 years young. Our favorite detail, aside from the official Harley sticker, are the small side mirrors and blinkers. We’re thinking that front fender may not repel too much rain water.

Ok, so the Lego Harley above bares only a slight resemblance to any choppers used in the classic road trip film Easy Rider. We just couldn’t resist referencing the greatest motorcycle film of all time.

To kill time while I anxiously wait for Friday’s opening of “The Dark Knight” I decided to look back on the various vehicles Batman has cruised around in over the years. Whether by land, air or water Batman always has the hottest ride in Gotham.

BY LAND

Batcycle
Appearing in both the original comic book and tv series the Batcycle allows Batman to quickly move through the congested Gotham streets. In the comic book the Batcycle has a computerized carburetor, bulletproof wind guards and a 786cc liquid cooled v4 engine.

In 1966 the Batcycle made its appearance in the Batman tv series. This version of the bike was a 1959 Harley Davidson with a sidecar for Batman’s homies to ride in. The bike was later replaced by a Yamaha Catalina and customized by Kustomotive. This model would be used for the remainder of the Batman series.

Bat Blade
This bike made its appearance in the “Batman and Robin” movie where it was stolen by uber hot batgirl, Alicia Silverstone (that chick from the Aerosmith videos). This ride can whip around in the most extreme conditions and is based on a drag racer design with a fat tire on the back.

Batpod
I cannot wait to see this thing in action when it makes its debut in “The Dark Knight.” Key features include 20 inch front and rear tires and an engine mounted in the hubs of the wheels. The bike was designed by Nathan Crowly who also designed “The Tumbler” Batmobile and is evident in its sleek design and fat tires. The Batpod is rumored to be steered by the shoulders, leaving the arms protected by armor. Other features that we can expect to see include grappling hooks, a cannon and machine guns.

Redbird
This was a sports coupe driven by Robin that was disguised as an everyday sports car. It featured bulletproof paneling, polarized windows and with its camouflaged armor was a perfect day to day vehicle for Tim “Robin” Drake.

The Batmobile
The most famous of Batman’s vehicles, the Batmobile is the super hero’s primary mode of transportation. Always a favorite among fans this vehicle has continuously appeared and evolved since the original Batman comic book was created.

Batmobile – Tv series 1966-1968
This vehicle was built on top of the 1955 Ford concept car called the Licoln Futura. Designer George Barris used the Futura as the basis for the Batmobile due to a three week deadline when the Batman series would begin filming.

Batmobile – Batman 1989
Built on a Chevy Impala chasis, with inspiration from the Porsche 962 and the 1930′s Bugatti Type 57, this Batmobile could violate the tailpipe of the tv series Batmobile any day. The design of the vehicle was a reflection of the Art Deco streets of Gotham with its long, streamlined, modern design. Tim Burton made sure that this version of the Batmobile was fully loaded with gadgets including wheel released small bombs, cocooning armor, duel retractable machine guns and a jet engine shooting out the back. The Batmobile would continue to have have a long, aerodynamic design in each Batman movie up until the introduction of The Tumbler in “Batman Begins” in 2005.

Batmobile – Batman Returns 1992

Batmobile – Batman Forever 1995

Batmobile – Batman & Robin 1997

The Tumbler – 2005
This vehicle took the Batmobile to another level with the sportiness of a Lamborghini and all terrain capability of a Hummer. The Tumbler made its first appearance in “Batman Begins” and will be reappearing in “Dark Knight.” The vehicle is 15 feet long and 9.5 feet wide. The newly designed vehicle does away with the previous wing designs and instead takes on the form of a sleek tank like design that is ready to take on any super villain’s weaponry. The Tumbler features 44 inch mud tires, a 5.7 liter Chevy V8 engine, a jet engine with vector control capable of propelling the vehicle 6 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally. The Tumbler is slower than previous Batmobile’s, but is still capable of doing 266 mph and 0-60 in 5.3 seconds on all types of terrain. The vehicle also features a stealth mode that makes it difficult to detect in dark environments.

BY AIR

Batgyro
This plane originally appeared in a 1939 issue of the Batman comic book and was later replaced by the Batplane. The vehicle was based on an airplane but had twirling helicopter blades that allowed for vertical take off. The vehicle is rumored to have been inspired by the first sucessful helicopter take off.

Batplane
The Batplane went through 3 design changes in the comic book series aw the Batplane I, II and III. Batman would use modified planes from Wayne Aerospace so that he would not draw attention from his neighbors. He always chose the most aerodynamic planes when air transportation was a necessity.

Batcopter
The Batcoptor made its debut in the 1966 Batman film. The helicopter was leased from the National Helicopter Service due to a limited budget. The Batcopotor was a G3b-1 model that was painted red, fitted with a tubular frame, wings and finished off with a bat head on the front and Batman insignia on the sides.

The Batwing
The ultra sleek stealth bomber like Batwing made its first appearance in the 1989 Batman movie. Unfortunately its armor and aim were pretty lame as seen in the video clip below. That’s what you get for outsourcing overseas.

BY WATER

Batboat
The Batboat made its first appearance in an April 1946 Batman comic book. The Batboat included retractable foils that allowed for submersion, a state of the art navigation system, a pneumatic harpoon, a launching grapnel / anchor and active homing torpedoes.

Batskiboat
1992′s “Batman Returns” brought back the Batboat in the form of a high speed, shark like ski boat. The single seater boat included an advanced radar system, torpedo launchers and jet propulsion. Batman even took this high powered boat into the Gotham sewers in pursuit of the Penguin’s hideout.

The Bat Cave
With all of these badass toys a secret Batcave was always a necessity for Batman. Below are some images of various Batcaves throughout the years including an ultra pimp theater room that would be perfect for catching the premier of “The Dark Knight” on Friday, July 18, 2008. See ya there.

Bat Cave – Batman Comic Book 1968

Bat Cave – Batman Comic Book- 1990

Bat Cave – Batman TV Series 1966

Bat Cave – Batman Returns 1992

Bat Cave – Batman Forever 1995

Bat Cave – Dark Knight 2008

Most Appropriate Place to Watch “Dark Knight”