Custom ‘Batmobile’ seized by Russian police over safety concerns

A giant, ferocious-looking, "home-made" Batmobile has been confiscated by Russian traffic police on the streets of Moscow over concerns the privately-made vehicle was not roadworthy.

The vehicle, owned by an unidentified 32-year-old Moscow resident, was seized on February 22, 2020, and was found to be not registered with the relevant authorities, not approved for participating in traffic and possessing dimensions in excess of "acceptable norms".

“The employees of the 1st Specialized Specialized Battalion of the traffic police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow stopped the movement of the home-made car, the Batmobile , on the public roads,” Colonel of the Internal Service, Vladimir Vasenin, said in a statement.

"As it turned out, the vehicle was made outside the factory, by improvised assembly in a private workshop," the Ministry of the Interior said.

The driver is now facing charges related to violating rules for the movement of a large or heavy vehicle, driving a vehicle without the appropriate documentation and driving in the event of potentially malfunctions or prohibited conditions.

The car appears to be based on the Batmobile featured in the 2016 blockbuster Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Image: Reddit

Based on photographs of its rear bumper, the car appears to have been produced by Russian tuning shop Fast Boom Pro, which boasts 30,900 followers on Instagram and seems to specialise in creating these kinds of unique vehicles.

According to Autoevolution, a very similar car from Fast Boom Pro was for sale on a Russian used car site in late 2019 for 55 million Russian rubles, or around AU$1.28 million.

That version was reportedly four-metres long, with a 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine capable of producing 502 horsepower, or roughly 374kW. It was purchased in the United States but brought to Russia for modifications.

You can see one of Fast Boom Pro's designs in action in the video below.

MORE: Car news
MORE: Batmobile news