Review – Hot Wheels ’66 Batmobile
“With “Bat-inspired” features such as long fins, a bubble canopy any a nose-mounted chain slicer, this car was made to save the day! POW!”
— from the card back
For $1.05 at a local Wal-Mart I grabbed my own 1966 Batmobile Hot Wheels die-cast car and managed to add a toy to my collection that was something I wanted as far back as when I was 4. Yeah, even as a little kid in the 70s I was a geek and I’ve no doubt that it was watching the old Batman TV show just about every day that made me a Batman fan for life. Searching my memory I can’t remember ever owning a TV-style Batmobile toy; I had a Batcycle that I could ride when I was a kid, and a few other Batmobile toys over the year, but I can’t think of a single TV version. Which is just wrong, since the classic 1966 Batmobile is definitely the coolest and most memorable Batmobile ever designed.
I’ve also got a larger Batmobile toy now (I’ll get a review up soon), but I thought it fitting that I review this Batmobile first since this one’s the basic, inexpensive Hot Wheels version of the toy that pretty much any toy car fan on the planet should have in his collection. Heavy, fast-spinning wheels, and a great representation of the original design this Batmobile is more than worth the low price tag.
Stop Rolling!
This Batmobile car just won’t stop rolling unless you place it on a perfectly-level surface. Living up to the Hot Wheels name, the wheels are extremely free-spinning and a few tests on the table and floor show that this is the (as of now) fastest Hot Wheels car in my collection. I need to get my hands on a track with some loops so I can give this thing a real test.
Sharp Paint
Notice the red pinstripe down the side of the Batmobile? Notice how it’s perfectly straight and flows beautifully down the car’s body? This is a paint job that’s worthy of being on a real car; if I could get a paint job this sharp on my car I’d be tempted to give it some red pinstriping and a classic bat symbol. What would a Scion xB would look like decked out with some fins and a paint job inspired by the classic Batmobile paint design?
No Complaints at All
There’s really not a lot to say. The car’s one of the best-known “character” cars in the world, the execution is fantastic, and pretty much the only thing in this review that even has any real value has to be the photos. If you’re looking for a toy Batmobile for your collection this is a perfectly acceptable place to start.
But don’t stop with just this one. There are better 1966 Batmobile toys out there in stores right now.
Philip Reed keeps thinking about the 3.75-inch scale Batmobile. Would it look good with a couple of stormtroopers driving it?
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na BATMAN! I always liked this TV design. It never gets an upgrade its always classic. I think when I go to TRU today I am going to take your advise and buy the 1:50 scale hot wheels Version of this today
@Smack6102 – I’m gonna go to TRU today and try to resist buying the 3.75-inch scale Batmobile. I was poking around online last night and it looks like that larger Batmobile is amazing.
I think I have about 30 of these, but I prefer the 5 spoke wheel version that came out last year.
I still have a real hard time not buying them every time I see one on the toy aisles.
I can safely say that the 66 Batmobile is one of the fastest cars in my collection. This FTE edition certainly lives up to its name.
I was really surprised it performs so well, I guess I typically chalk up gimmick cars to just that, a gimmick. Who knew?!
It is a really sharp looking car that I don’t think anybody can (or should) pass up when they see it on the shelf.