Review – Hot Wheels’ Super Friends Batmobile
It has been over a year since we looked at the Hot Wheels ’66 Batmobile (review here), and well over a year since Matt Doughty (Onell Design) sent me this Super Friends Batmobile*. I had been searching for the toy without luck, and when Matt spotted it he grabbed it and mailed it to me. Don’t worry, I got him back with some DC Universe Classics and World War Robot* so it’s all good. Anyway, it’s time to check out this cartoon-inspired auto.
Packaging
Not exciting, but at least this Hot Wheels Batman series is distinctive and stands out on the pegs. I’ve yet to walk into a store that has these and not notice the toys, and that’s about the best a manufacturer can ask from their toy packaging so it unarguably works. I just wish it had a little more effort put into the design; with all of the Batmobile artwork out there seeing some sketches or comic art on the packaging would have been a nice touch. But maybe all I really need is a Batmobile book . . .
Larger Than Your Average Hot Wheels Car
The shot below shows the Hot Wheels ’66 Batmobile (review here) next to this Super Friends Batmobile and you can see just how much larger this car is compared to the basic car. A good thing, since this car runs about $8 vs the $1 price tag on the smaller car. So is it worth the extra $7? Kinda.
Doesn’t Feel as Durable
This Batmobile is clearly larger than the basic size car, but it just doesn’t feel as sturdy and hefty as the smaller car. That’s not to say that it isn’t heavier — it is — but when you pick up one car and then the other the smaller one just has a better feel in hand; the smaller car feels like a higher quality toy. I think the issue is the air inside the body of the Super Friends Batmobile — a larger body leaves more room for air, right? — but my initial thought was that the toy uses a cheaper, lighter metal. I don’t think it does, but first impressions and perception can be everything at times and my first thought was that this is an inferior product. But it’s not. I just wish the car “felt” heavier than it does.
So is it Worth the $8?
I think so. Once you get past the perception issue the car’s actually quite nice. It’s large enough to look good on a shelf or desk, the details are crisp and clean, and the paint is cleanly applied. In relation to the smaller Hot Wheels ’66 Batmobile this one looks less detailed, but that’s because the source is far less detailed; the Super Friends Batmobile* being an animated design just doesn’t have as much detail as the other Batmobile which was/is a real car. A custom car, but still real.
Who Should Have This?
Only Batman fans, obviously, but even that may be too wide of a category of collector for this piece. I think that the toy, while well made and attractive, is pretty much targeted at the Batmobile collectors in the audience. This isn’t the greatest Batmobile design we’ve ever seen and I think it will likely look best in a collection that includes a lot of Batmobiles.
Which just means I need more Batmobiles, right?
Philip Reed has more Batmobiles to pop open, but he still doesn’t have that 3.75-inch scale TV-styled Batmobile. He should kick himself for not buying it on sale when he had the chance.
I do not have any batmobiles, but I need some. I’m been wanting one of the Brave and the bold versions, but they’re a little big for me. These hot wheels might be just what I need, but surprisingly this is the first design I’ve seen that I actually want to purchase.
There is something endearing about the animated design, maybe it is the simplicity of it but it just calls to me. I do hope mattel gets to a B&B version in this scale too, I’ll definitely need that one.
@Clark – I saw a B&B Batmobile at Wal-Mart this morning; looked okay, but I wasn’t a fan of the sockets all over the body of the car.
I think I know which one you’re talking about. I don’t like it either. There is a more normal version, same size and sculpt, but without the sockets and in show accurate colors. I just ordered the Hot Wheels version (I saw it over on monsterforge’s blog) from ebay, so I will soon have me a batmobile. I can’t have vehicles larger than hot wheels because I can’t guarantee that I won’t be rolling them around and making noises like engines revving and tires screeching, so the smaller the better so I have plenty of room to play.