First batch of U.S.-bound Fiat 500s coming with manuals

Fiat dealerships are just about ready to swap your money for the keys to a brand-new 500. If you are planning on being one of the first to park one in your driveway, we hope that you know how to drive a manual transmission – the first units being shipped to dealers in February will all be equipped with manual transmissions.

If you can’t handle the three-pedal setup, you’ll be forced to wait a bit longer for your Fiat 500. Examples equipped with the six-speed automatic will begin arriving in March and April. Then again, you may have to wait that long regardless of your transmission preference, since currently, only 20 percent of the 130 Fiat dealerships are ready to open. The first one, Motor Village in Los Angeles, is set to open its doors later this month.

eBay: Nation Lampoon’s Animal House Deathmobile Replica

It may not be the original Deathmobile that starred in the 1978 hit comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House with the late John Belushi, but this replica that’s for sale on eBay is definitely an eye-catcher. Like the movie car, the Deathmobile replica is based on a 1960s Lincoln Continental and it has all the original features like the head of Emil Faber's campus statue as a hood ornament, the large tower that displays the fraternity’s letters and the faux teeth and eyes in the front-end of the vehicle. Check out the image gallery along with the original trailer of the movie where you can get a look of the Deathmobile in action right after the jump. -Continued

Link: eBay

Homemade BatBug Attempts to Replicate 1940’s era Batmobile

We don’t know whether we should laugh or cry (or maybe even both) with this Volkswagen Beetle-based replica of the Batmobile. The owner of the vehicle was apparently inspired from the car featured in the 1940s era Batman comics –see image after the jump- but the end result isn’t exactly prize worthy. If this is what the BatBug owner envisioned the 1940’s Batman in we can’t even begin to imagine what he pictured the Joker in… -Continued

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Bamkapow

Amazing: Home-Made Batmobile Tumbler Replica!

Believe it or not, this staggering working replica of Batman’s current generation Batmobile Tumbler (see video here) was built from scratch in a house garage by Bob Dullam. Even more impressive is the fact that Dullam, who makes specialty costumes, props, and statues for a living, created the Tumbler without the use of blueprints as the only references he had were photos of the car that he downloaded from the internet.

According to Dullam, the project cost him in materials somewhere between $50,000 and $70,000. As you can see in the pictures after the jump, Dullam also made a Batman suit to go with the car.

And that’s not all as the talented builder said that he has already begun working on the Batpod from “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight”. Guess we all know who the real “Boy Wonder”…is!

Source: Superheroehype

Batmobile & Toyota F1 Race Car Wallpapers

Last week Panasonic Toyota Racing brought the Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles for a demonstration run alongside the Toyota TF108 F1 car at the Silverstone race track. The Batmobile that will be featured in the new Batman movie “The Dark Knight” is around 3m at its widest point, 4.5m long and 1.5m high, weighing in at 2.5 tons. It is equipped with a 340hp 5.7-litre V8 gasoline engine and it has six wheels - two in the front, outfitted with sprint car race tires, and four monster truck tires at the back. Check out the video here or follow the jump for 20 high-res images. -Continued