The Dark Knight's Batpod Burns Rubber At Formula One Race

One of the great things about having a guy like Christopher Nolan direct The Dark Knight is that the man is insistent on using as many old school techniques as possible. This means stuntmen and real explosions. Like with Batman Begins the vehicles in The Dark Knight are just as real. That’s right, the now famous – I’m going on word from those who’ve seen and proclaimed DK as the greatest thing to happen to men in rubber suits since Wes Craven put Dick Duroc in the Swamp Thing costume – Batpod is a fully operational vehicle.

The Batpod, along with the Tumbler, made a brief rubber burning appearance at the prestigious British Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. Next up will be an appearance at an illegal street race in Tokyo where the Batpod will battle a rival gang member for slips. Or papers. What do the illegal racing hooligans call it? I’m going to have to rewatch The Fast and the Furious.

Personally I love the idea that when you see Batman, or his stuntman aptly named Stuntman, riding down the Joker in The Dark Knight it’s a real bike with a real guy wearing a real rubber suit. It lends the film a sense of authenticity.