Since Batman’s LEGO debut in 2006,we’ve had Batmobiles inspired by the classic ’60s TV show, the Animated Series, LEGO Batman, Burton’s Batman, Nolan’s Batman, and the most recent The Batman. This August, the Dark Knight’s Schumacher era gets its due with LEGO Batman 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile, just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary, and we had the opportunity to build it early. Capturing the car’s ostentatious lines in LEGO was no small challenge, but set designer Mark Stafford makes it work, but not without some compromises.
Releasing on August 1, LEGO 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile contains 909 pieces and can be pre-ordered now for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99.
The Build
As a $100 display set based on a 30 year-old film, this could have easily been branded an 18+ set (an increasingly arbitrary indicator), but as it’s rated for 12+, we are treated to a more interesting box design with the finished car against a moody Batcave backdrop. Punch open the tabs and inside we find 9 numbered paper bags, a separately bagged printed windscreen, a tiny sticker sheet and the instructions.
We start by assembling the chassis with a heavy dose of Technic bricks for durability. You’ll notice right away that despite the Technic frame, there is no functionality being set up here other than independently spinning axels for the wheels.
Next we start building the Batmobile’s oversized wheel arches using an interesting mix of SNOT bricks and slopes to achieve the distinctive points.
The nose of the car is built at a 45* angle off the grid and slides onto a Technic bar. The greebly weapon array get covered by the first of two printed windscreen elements.
To create the car’s sloped profile, the top of the body is a sub-assembly that clips into the front and angles up towards the rear. Trans blue elements fill a lot oof the seams, which breaks up the black and captures the ’90s cool aesthetic.
Now the Batmobile’s body gets fully detailed. Each of the angled “ribs” on the sides is connected by a single stud but holds together better than expected thanks to the clips that provide tension and keep the ribs from wiggling. The hood is decorated with Dots style mosaic-work using black tiles. The driver’s seat also gets a pair of stickered consoles.
As we start layering on details, there’s a fun Easter egg with a pair of bats hiding behind the engines.
The rear engine cover (abdomen?) and fins are all assembled separately before clipping into place.
There are some clever techniques mixing hinges and slopes to achieve just the right angles. It’s impressive work.
Finally, we add the wheels with their printed bat logo hubcaps, the windscreen, and the remainder of the ribbing on the hood. The two printed windscreens, especially the larger one in grey, should prove useful to MOC builders.
The Minifig
Only one minifig is included, but it’s a good one – the debut of Batman in his SonarBatsuit prototype from the end of the film. The body, legs, and cape are all pearl dark grey, with the helmet dual-molded with medium blue for the eyes. Batman can stand on a simple stand with a printed logo and comes with a pair of batarangs.
The dual-molded helmet means the piercing blue eyes look great. Metallic printing on the torso captures the sinewy look of the source and mirrors the car’s ribbing. Unfortunately, the design doesn’t carry on to the unprinted legs. The reversable face can look serious or angry.
The Finished Model
The Batman Forever Batmobile is a weird vehicle of glowing glam excess. A gaming PC on wheels. Kudos to set designer Mark Stafford for capturing the complex curves and intricate ribbing that make this car so iconic. The copious amount of trans blue elements in the vehicle’s seams, in contrast to the black, make it feel like it’s glowing even in daylight. I bet it will look incredible with third party light kits.
As for functionality, there’s not a lot to speak of. The wheels roll, but there’s no steering or suspension. The trans blue screen in the hood can raise to reveal weapons. The windshield can be removed and can comfortably seat Batman and a passenger, but at a comically incongruous scale.
The vehicle’s undercarriage isn’t pretty and exposes what I would consider the one design flaw. Because the top of the car is a separate assembly from the chassis, pressing on the grey floorboard can cause the interior seating area to pop off. Not an issue if you leave the set on a shelf, but it happened to me while fiddling for the photo shoot.
Conclusions and Recommendations
I’m of two minds on this set. As a display model that is built once and never touched, it looks great – better than photos suggest. There’s a lot going on with all the unusual angles and sinewy texturing, but it feels clean, not chaotic. Upon finishing the model, I spent a good amount of time admiring the craftsmanship.
As many have noted, the scale if inconsistent with other Batmobiles – smaller than the adult collector models and larger than play versions. Mark Stafford explained the reasoning for this in a presentation that you can read about here. The scale doesn’t bother me. Batman looks goofy in the driver’s seat, but as it’s primarily for display, that’s not a problem. The scale would be perfect for a Technic Big fig though, with a few modifications. (someone get on that!)
My primary issue with the set is the lack of play features. For a set of this size and prize, the lack of steering is a big disappointment. The sub-assembly for the sloped body incorporates a neat sliding mechanism during the build that had me hoping the windscreen would slide back to open, but no, it was just a technique to assist during the build. The front windscreen that houses the guns looks fine when closed, but is pretty wiggly and basic as a feature. The single minifig is also a let down, especially as we’re unlikely to see the Riddler or Two-Face from Batman Forever anytime soon.
The build experience, unique Sonic Batsuit fig, printed elements, and striking display presence justify the $100 price for Bat-fans, but h
Releasing on August 1, LEGO 76304 Batman Forever Batmobile contains 909 pieces and can be pre-ordered now for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99. After its release date, it may also be available from third-party retail sites like eBay or Amazon.