Batman-themed Pontiac Trans Am GTA Vies for Strip Success
Kuriks’ Racing Team built a Batman-themed Pontiac Trans Am GTA for the strip. But can it really compete with the Batmobile?
In 1989, Tim Burton ushered in the modern era of superhero blockbusters with his iconic re-imagining of Batman. Also in 1989, Pontiac saw fit to re-imagine its own icon by outfitting the Trans Am with a 3.8-liter Turbocharged V6 for the 20th anniversary of its release. With a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds, the Trans Am GTA quietly became the quickest American production vehicle for its year. As you can see from the video from their BalticMotorSport YouTube channel, The Kuriks Racing Team must have had Burton’s movie in mind when they built their Batman-themed Pontiac Trans Am GTA to tear down the drag strip. And while their run was relatively impressive, it’s hardly a race through the dark streets of Gotham.
But it does beg the question: Which Batmobile would you rather have in your driveway?
Build Spec
There’s very little Trans Am GTA left of the car in the video. The roof and quarter panels are original, but the rest is tube frame construction and fiberglass. The revolutionary turbo motor got swapped for something a bit more brute force: a 9.3L big block v8 with 1300hp. Burton’s Batmobile is built on an Impala chassis but power comes from a massive jet turbine. We think Bruce Wayne should have shelled out for the tube cage rather than scrounging the junkyard for a chassis that handles more like a boat than a car.
Edge: BalticMotorSport.
Speed Performance
Kuriks Racing Team posted a time slip that shows their Trans Am getting down the quarter mile in 7.944 seconds at 280mph. It’s a safe
bet that it gets to 60mph in less than 2 seconds. The official stats on jet powered Batmobile have it clocking in at 3.7s to 60mph with a top
speed of 330mph. The relatively slow start off the line gives new meaning to the term “jet lag.” We don’t do a lot of cruising over
250mph so the difference in top speed is negligible, and given the price of jet fuel we give the edge to BalticMotorSport.
Edge: BalticMotorSport.
Cornering
Whether you need to avoid some road debris or escape a marauding horde of the Joker’s henchmen, handling is a must. The Batmobile can launch a grappling hook, tethering it to some nearby scaffolding, which allows the car to corner without any braking. The Trans Am can not
turn. Edge: Burton Batmobile
Options
Bruce Wayne outfitted his car with some features that don’t come standard on most factory builds. Side mounted shin breakers, bomb launcher, oil slick dispenser, front mounted machine guns, voice command recognition, hydraulic “foot,” impenetrable armor, and CD player. The Trans Am on the other hand is stripped of all possible amenities to save weight. The only thing it launches is parachutes, and it has to do that in order to stop from top speed. Whether you prefer decked out or stripped down, neither car is street legal. Edge: It’s a push.
Results
Ultimately the winner is the Trans Am. The Burton Batmobile is just too flashy, and any naturally aspirated car that runs sevens is enough to have everyone wondering, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?”