What Is Bruce Wayne's Car in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES?

Lamborghini Aventador on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises” (Warner Bros.)

HOLLYWOOD

Want to know the behind-the-scenes scoop on Bruce Wayne’s hot wheels in “The Dark Knight Rises”?

1. First off, it’s a Lamborghini Aventador – or LP700-4 in official parlance – and if you wanted to buy one, figure on $400,000 (build your own here). And, no, it does not qualify as being a new Batmobile. It’s Mr. Wayne’s ride, not Batman’s, and it has no superpowers.

At the 2011 Geneva Auto Show (Jerry Garrett)

2. The Aventador has, as of this writing, been on sale for about 15 months. Lamborghini has built 1,000 (as of July 19, 2012), which equates to about $400 million worth of them. Needless to say, the Aventador already qualifies as one of Lamborghini’s most popular – and most profitable – models ever.

3. The Aventador, which made its debut at the 2011 Geneva auto show, is a replacement for the popular Murcielago, or LP-640. Many fan sites have mistakenly identified Bruce Wayne’s new ride as the Murcielago (which might be somewhat more appropriate, as even though it refers specifically to a fighting bull by that name, that’s also the Spanish word for “bat”). Both look so much alike, they are hard to tell apart. The Aventador also borrows some styling cues from the short-lived, special edition 2008 Lamborghini Reventon (a million-dollar supercar, Lambo’s most expensive model ever, of which only 22 were made).

4. The Aventador’s LP700 designation refers to the horsepower output of its 6.5-liter V-12. In the U.S., it calculates to closer to 690 horsepower, more correctly; but it earns 700 hp in Europe on the metric scale. It produces about an equal number in torque – which is enough grunt to throw you back in the contoured leather driver’s seat and make your eyes roll back in your head. Seriously.

5. No matter how you calculate it, the Aventador – also named for a bull-fighting legend – is a beast. It will shoot from a standstill to 60 m.p.h. in just 2.9 seconds – which is not a whole lot slower than an IndyCar. Top speed is an absolutely insane 217 m.p.h. (349 kilometers per hour)

6. There were actually two Aventadors used in the movie. One was used extensively in Los Angeles location shooting. The other was principally used in filming in Pennsylvania, New York and Great Britain (home of “Wayne Manor“).

Souvenir Plate!

7. Neither Aventador had any special equipment or other modifications. They were stock, smogged, street legal, insured and registered. Although you can get them in just about any color you want (outside and in), Bruce Wayne’s ride is adorned in paint described as “Grigio Anteras Metallic”. Yes, you can order that for your own Aventador. Filmmakers came up with a cute “non-stock” twist, however, creating official-looking “Gotham City” license plates for them.

8. Some Lamborghini dealers have reportedly been displaying cars in their showrooms that they say is one of the two identical Aventadors used in the movie. “As far as I know, the movie cars have not been on display anywhere since filming concluded,” said a Lamborghini spokesperson. “Not even the premieres.” (Come to think of it, has anybody seen it since the Gotham PD impounded it?)

9. The cars still belong to Lamborghini, but there’s no word what might become of them. If I find out, I will update this post.

10. Why was the Aventador chosen for the movie? As one of the world’s most flamboyant, over-the-top automotive playthings, it is consistent with the movie’s theme that even a “good guy” like Bruce Wayne can be seduced by excess.

Jerry Garrett

July 17, 2012

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