When creating the Batmobile of “Batman Begins” (and the rest of the Christopher Nolan Batman movie universe), it’s clear that designers aimed for plausibility—a vehicle that wouldn’t just cause a viewer’s inner fanboy to run around screaming, but one that fit amongst the high tech military toys of Wayne Industries.
Resembling more a streamlined tank than a Lamborghini, the latest Batmobile always looked like it could roll right out of a secret army operation. More so than any conveyance Batman has manned over the years, Nolan’s Batmobile is an actual means of defense rather than a flashy piece of vigilante flair.
That’s why it’s not surprising that, as reported on The Engineer (via Bleeding Cool), the Future Projects Vehicles department of BAE Systems (a company that, like the fictional Wayne enterprises, develops defense technology) based its latest tank design on Batman’s fan-titillating whip.
Part of seven proposals for new ground warfare devices (also including remote-controlled armed robots), “The Raider” is described as “a small, highly agile autonomous reconnaissance and attack vehicle which can carry a variety of payloads.”
It’s easy to say “the Raider” resembles the Batmobile in basic design, but as one journalist uncovered by voicing the comparison, this defense prototype’s likeness is more than just coincidence. As much was admitted by BAE Engineering Program Manager Hisham Awad:
“Glad you said that. That’s what we based it on…Yes, we liked the look of [the Batmobile], so we designed something similar… You see, it turns like a motorbike and it has the same wheel configuration.”
“In all seriousness, we decided that we didn’t have a monopoly on inspiration, and if we saw something in a film that we thought might be a good idea, why not take a look at it and see if there’s something practical we can develop?”
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/12/23/ba ... nk-design/Between that and the new combat undies, our troops will be unstoppable
