Batmobile (Tim Burton, 2013) Based on Batman (1989) and Batman Returns Hot Wheels HW Imagination Item No.: Asst. L2593 No. X1709 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: n/a Action Feature: Rolls well Retail: $1.00 Availability: May 2013 Other: 061 / 250
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Based on a sculpt from 2004 and the 1989 movie design, the Batmobile (Tim Burton, 2013) just hit a few weeks ago. As it's a popular car, the tool has been used over the last 9 years with numerous subtle variations - below, you'll see my sample of the 2004 car (which has a raw metal bottom) as well as the new 2013 version, which is the focus of this review. The 2013 edition is black all over and has darker wheels. If you're wondering which if either is the winner, the 2013 version is probably the best overall but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Looking at reference photos, I would say I can't pick one as being the obvious better-looking car. The exposed metal of the original is true to some shots, while the all-black 2013 model tends to look better.

I'm still new to Hot Wheels as something of a collector - not being a "car guy" and being pretty lax when it comes to authenticity versus price, I like this car a bunch. The wheels don't match the original, the proportions are a little off, and the 2013 model lacks the orange headlights of the 2004 original, but its glossy body and clear blue windshield really do look a bit snazzier.

The bottom of the 2013 version isn't raw metal like the original, and I'm not sure which is superior. While neither has truly more accurate wheels, the 2013 version rolls a bit better. The 2004 version rolls a bit, and then 1 of the 4 wheels stops while the car continues rolling. The 2013 version keeps rolling on all 4 wheels from my "tests," of which I guess I need to develop more. I'm not remotely interested in this format as an investment, but I'd love to get some metrics together to see which one is the best toy. Since I just want a cheap Batman car, I guess it's pretty awesome as it is.

At least 5 basic Batman vehicles are in Hot Wheels assortments plus a sixth in Matchbox, one of which is completely new. (That'd be Batman Live Batmobile, we'll look at that next month.) The reruns are largely tweaked improvements or cool enough for newcomers. If I had found my 2004 version before stumbling on the 2013 model last week while buying bananas, I probably wouldn't have felt a need to re-buy it. I like it enough to be glad I bought it, although I really don't have any valid reason to own two of this. The glossy Batmobile looks better, so I'd say if you have to pick, go ahead and get this one. It's slightly cheaper and easier (possible) to find, and as character collectibles go the Batmobile is probably one of the best-possible things you can pick up to have on your desk. Until you get like five or six of the buggers, in which case it does start to feel like overkill.

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