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If Batman drove a Kia, it would look like this

Kia Motors, DC Entertainment, and Rides Magazine collaborate on a Kia Optima SX Limited that is inspired by Batman comic books.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Antuan Goodwin
2 min read
Kia Motors/RIDES Magazine

Kia Motors/RIDES Magazine

The Batmobile (in all of its various incarnations) is probably as famous as the Batman who pilots it. However, if you should happen to find yourself in New York this week (perhaps for some sort of comic book convention), you'll be able to get a peek at the car that Kia Motors would like to see as the Caped Crusader's next set of wheels: a top-of-the-line Kia Optima SX Limited. Well, they at least got the color right.

Personally, I'd like to think that if Batman were to drive a front-wheel-drive, Korean sports car, he'd be behind the wheel of the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo in ultimate black or matte gray. Maybe he'd pilot a blacked-out Hyundai Genesis R-Spec Coupe or Sedan. Mr. Wayne could also probably afford to have a Kia Concept GT built and painted black, billionaire playboy that he is.

To be fair, this is no ordinary Optima and it is only "inspired by" the Batman comics. The vehicle has been heavily modified, although the mods tend toward upgrades that are visual in nature and not the performance-enhancing sort. (So, no machine guns, remote voice control, or blast shields.) Here's the automaker's spiel:

Working together, Kia, DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine designed and built the Batman-themed Optima, transforming the exterior with a matte- and piano-black paint scheme, a dramatically lowered coilover suspension and muscular ground effects kit, huge Ksport performance brakes for extreme stopping power, custom-designed 20-inch black wheels and a performance exhaust system. Other exterior modifications include a custom front grille shaped like a batwing that took over 40 hours to create, yellow LED lighting accents throughout the vehicle and the iconic bat signal etched into the HID headlights.

There are also custom black leather-and-suede seats with yellow accent stitching and a complete Batman costume -- cape, cowl, and all -- tucked away in the trunk.

The Batman-inspired Optima was built to raise awareness of DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign, a relief effort to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa, and will be displayed at New York's Time Warner Center. According to Kia, this vehicle "signals the beginning of a 10-month partnership based on the iconic characters that make up the Justice League," so odds are good that we'll see more superhero-themed cars from the automaker over the next few months. I can't wait to see what they come up with for the Flash.