Home-built Batman Tumbler invades the suburbs

While we're guessing "working replica" might be a bit of a stretch, this full-size, drivable Tumbler built by Bob Dullam in his garage is still quite the impressive piece of work, and will no doubt crush any eBay records set by home-built K.I.T.T.s if it ever actually goes up on the auction block. Unfortunately, apart from the fact that it cost between $50,000 and $70,000 to build, there aren't many more details on the thing, but you can at least check out a few more pictures of it by hitting up the read link below. And, yes, Bob does plan to build a Bat Pod next.

[Via Crunch Gear]

[waiownsyou @ Aug 6th 2008 3:35PM]

Please tell me there's a hidden motorcycle on the inside.

[LiqwidZero @ Aug 6th 2008 3:38PM]

Article states that a Bat Pod is in the works, he doesn't have one built.

[Flashpoint @ Aug 6th 2008 3:47PM]

Is This thing STREET LEGAL?

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 3:58PM]

is replying to the first post BLOG LEGAL?

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 6th 2008 4:13PM]

Yes, home built cars are street legal and do not need to pass safety inspections. All they need are seatbelts, headlights, tail/brake lights, turn signals and the government will allow it to be used on public streets.

[Techie @ Aug 6th 2008 4:31PM]

I would love to see the face of the next cop that see this thing rolling down the highway.

[Graham @ Aug 6th 2008 4:34PM]

I wanna know more about the guns.

[Sachin @ Aug 6th 2008 4:54PM]

i want this SOOOOO BADDD. at $50,000, it's actually in a semi-considerable range - if, that it, this thing is street legal.

maybe a missile free version might be.

[John Doe @ Aug 6th 2008 5:49PM]

Kool... I want this bad... When does he come out with the motorcycle... He'll have one customer for sure :)

[Lars @ Aug 6th 2008 6:40PM]

@I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY

That's not the case in CA. It must be inspected and all kinds of other PITA red tape. It has to be assigned a VIN.

That's why most people just cannibalize old cars and build a shell over the frame. But there's still red tape involved. Just doing an engine swap requires inspection and approval.

[Nytrojen @ Aug 6th 2008 10:14PM]

"Suspect is driving a black.... tank..."

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 7th 2008 3:45AM]

You need less government in California; all that red tape is ridiculous!

[Tomato61 @ Aug 7th 2008 12:27PM]

will it blend?

[Lars @ Aug 7th 2008 12:56PM]

Tell me about it! So much for this so-called democracy system.

[schmitty338 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:37PM]

Noice.........

[schmitty338 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:38PM]

.....and no, that 'o' in 'noice' is not a typo....

[LiqwidZero @ Aug 6th 2008 3:39PM]

Fail.

[BuddyBoy @ Aug 6th 2008 3:39PM]

It made you sound just like the cocky Alfred.

[Simon P @ Aug 6th 2008 4:52PM]

no, there's no ice at all you eagle-eyed young commenter you

[anonymouspimp @ Aug 6th 2008 3:39PM]

Wow. That is freaking awesome. That dude is pretty talented!

[Chuckles McGee @ Aug 6th 2008 9:07PM]

Yes, but can it survive a bazooka blast?

[thatrotierkid @ Aug 7th 2008 8:15AM]

The original couldnt...

Are you implying that this man is better than Morgan Freeman?

[Don @ Apr 27th 2009 6:13PM]

More importantly, WILL IT BLEND?

[bob sakamano @ Aug 6th 2008 3:40PM]

this looks fake, or really old

why are there fall leaves on the ground?

reminds me of oklahoma in november

[bob sakamano @ Aug 6th 2008 3:42PM]

the trees too (obviously because all of their leaves are on the ground)

[Ten Dolla Bill @ Aug 6th 2008 3:56PM]

Well he obviously didn't build this in the 3 weeks since the Dark Knight was released. He started building it after Batman Begins which easily explains the leaves.
Was it really that hard to understand?

[bob sakamano @ Aug 6th 2008 4:04PM]

ok, ill agree that it wasnt built in the last three weeks

but IF he started building it around the time of the last movie, and if he lives in a place where the weather is like this around oct-december (like the US) then we would have heard of this guy sometime sooner in the last 10 months, this is the first time i have heard of him and his tumbler, so if im wrong please let me know

your "easily" explains the leaves and "that hard to understand"--dont act like you are a genious and you are right, if it was this far in development in the fall, we would have heard about it before today.

[Jeff @ Aug 6th 2008 4:11PM]

@Bob

Say he did build it with the intent to sell... I think it's not only reasonable, but very smart to wait until now to introduce it to the bat-crazed public. Make sense?

Also, you misspelling "Genius" made my day.

[Reader @ Aug 6th 2008 4:15PM]

Haha, those damn "genious"es

[bob sakamano @ Aug 6th 2008 4:17PM]

damn it that ruins all my credibility

[quomen @ Aug 6th 2008 5:04PM]

Some people just need to shut the fuck up and stop pretending like they know what they're talking about.
He does this for a living:
http://www.dullam-causey.com/gallery/index.php?path=L0JlZ2lucyBjYXIgLSBzcmF0Y2hidWlsdC8=&page=1

And he's NOT planning to sell according to the original source (forums).
I like how Engadget (a blog) links to a blog, which links to a blog, which links to the forum. Maybe they should try to link to the source so we don't get uninformed jackasses commenting more than once.

[Wwhat @ Aug 6th 2008 10:41PM]

I think it's pretty sharp to notice the leaves on that picture being not in keep with the freshness of the item.
And I think it's pretty lame to quickly think up some random possible story to explain it and then be dismissive about the person who noticed something odd.

[Zwaf @ Aug 7th 2008 7:52AM]

I completely agree on wWhat.
I think Bob noticed the fact the leaves were down pretty well.

[Jon2309 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:43PM]

Needless to say, you sure as hell wouldn't pull out in front of that thing.

[Keith Wright @ Aug 6th 2008 4:02PM]

Especially given the blinds spots on that thing!

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 3:43PM]

leaf blower not included

[NHAnimator @ Aug 6th 2008 3:45PM]

High gas prices? Ha! I fart in your general direction!

[schmitty338 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:57PM]

...your mother was a hamster! ...and your father spelled of elderberries!

...No GO AWAY....before I taunt you a second time!

[schmitty338 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:58PM]

DOH! No = Now.....ugh, now I look like an even bigger ass......*hangs head in shame*

[bakesale @ Aug 6th 2008 4:26PM]

That and the "spelling of elderberries" bit. All in good humor :)

[BAM @ Aug 6th 2008 3:45PM]

That's impressive.

[Najakwa @ Aug 6th 2008 3:46PM]

I bet it cost the studio more than that to make the other tumblers. someone should hire this dude, he's got skill.

[kjb434 @ Aug 6th 2008 4:12PM]

The studio only built 1 tumbler for the second movie and it was manufactured in England. No US car manufacturer wanted to make it. The Bad Pod was also built in England.

The first movie only used scale models and not real vehicle.

Has anybody seen the TV show Top Gear on BBC America? They had the actual tumbler for the movie on set. It wasn't build on an existing car/truck frame. It was build completely from scratch.

[Woody @ Aug 6th 2008 4:37PM]

"The first movie only used scale models and not real vehicle."

Did you watch the behind the scenes of Batman Begins. They did in fact have a working real Tumbler for the first one. In fact, it was in the movie more than models were.

[FreeRange @ Aug 6th 2008 4:42PM]

Excerpt from Wikipedia (so you KNOW it's true!):
With the design process complete, four street-ready race cars were constructed, with each vehicle possessing 65 carbon fiber panels and costing $250,000 each to build. Two of the four cars were specialized versions. One version was the flap version, which had hydraulics and flaps to detail the close-up shots where the vehicle propelled itself through the air. The other version was the jet version, in which an actual jet engine was mounted onto the vehicle, fueled by six propane tanks. Due to the poor visibility inside the vehicle by the driver, monitors were connected to cameras on the vehicle body. The professional drivers for the Tumblers practiced driving the vehicles for six months before they drove on the streets of Chicago for the film's scenes.

[Xanatos451 @ Aug 6th 2008 4:44PM]

@kjb434

Ummmm, how 'bout....Nooo!

Sorry, but they used several full size tumblers for the first flick for different effects, including one that actually made jumps. Models were only involved in the initial mock up before they built 4 full sized Tumblers. Next time you might want to do a little actual research before posting on what you pretend to know about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batmobile_%28Batman_Begins%29

[Benson @ Aug 6th 2008 4:47PM]

But dude, that was one BAD pod!

[xB Owner @ Aug 6th 2008 7:31PM]

@kjb434

Do you think you are the only engadgeteer watching Top Gear? You do realize that those shows air in the US almost a year (if not more) after they air in the UK. The "recent" episode featuring the Tumbler was from Batman Begins, not The Dark Knight.

[nate @ Aug 7th 2008 1:08PM]

I actually saw the Tumbler on a trailer going down the highway. It was followed by another truck with ads for the Dark Knight. Very impressive.

[Jamma @ Aug 6th 2008 3:48PM]

I'd prefer a Lamborghini, they're much more subtle