A REAL-LIFE superhero has turned down six-figure offers for his home-made Batmobile - so he can continue helping sick children. Batman fanatic Zac Mihajlovic, from Camden, Australia, hand-built his very own street legal version of the car from the 1989 film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Zac turned his comic book fantasies into a high-octane reality by constructing a replica of the iconic vehicle. And the car has whipped up a reaction wherever it has been seen. Businessmen from across the world, including a Sheik in Dubai, have offered Zac big bucks for the Batmobile - and he has also seen his share of bizarre requests. And rather than cash-in on his dream machine, Zac decided to use his powers for good by teaming up with the Make-A-Wish foundation, who make dream’s come true for terminally-ill children.
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00COMMS COMMENTATOR The most comic book fans owning a Batmobile
00:05is just a pipe dream. But here in Australia, one Batman fanatic has made the dream a reality
00:11by hand building his own version of the iconic vehicle.
00:13BATMAN FANATIC What makes this Batmobile different is it's
00:18street legal. Like I can take it down and get groceries if I wanted to. The reaction
00:22of the car has just been insane.
00:24BATMOBILE FAN It looks awesome!
00:30COMMS COMMENTATOR Zak Mihailovic started building the replica
00:31four years ago with the help of his very own Lucius Fox, grandfather John Green, a retired
00:37engineer. During the two year build, the 29 year old was even able to get some of the
00:41parts from the car used in the original film.
00:44ZAK MIHAILOVIC The Batmobile behind me is the 1989 Batmobile
00:48and this was the Michael Keaton Jack Nicholson film. It's got adjustable suspension, it's
00:53got a working afterburner, which is from the film, no machine gun sadly, no grappling
00:57hooks, no bombs that come out of the wheel. But pretty much beyond that, yeah, it's pretty
01:03close. COMMS There are thought to be ten other replica
01:06cars of the 1989 Batmobile, but Zak believes he's the only one that can legally drive on
01:11public roads. ZAK MIHAILOVIC
01:14The first time I took it out was definitely an experience. I was on the freeway on the
01:19way to Gold Coast and there was this noise and I thought there was something wrong with
01:23the car. It's actually the news helicopter from Channel 9 that had chased me down the
01:26freeway. That was pretty memorable. COMMS And not surprisingly, the replica has
01:31won implensive admirers, including the ladies. ANNABELLA LEONE My name's Annabella Leone
01:36and I am dating Batman. We've been dating for about four years and can I just say, I
01:41was with him two years prior to the Batmobile. That's my seat, the passenger seat, and if
01:44any girl out there wants it, I swear to God, dead.
01:48COMMS And Zak has also had his fair share of bizarre requests.
01:51ZAK MIHAILOVIC I've had a couple ring me up and say, I know
01:55this is going to sound weird, but we want a Chris in the car, so to speak. And I sort
02:00of said, you know, I'm not really interested. And they said, we'll pay you what you want
02:04and we'll bring plastic sheets. And I'm like, you've just made that worse, you know, so
02:09no thanks. COMMS Businessmen from across the world have
02:11offered Zak big bucks for the Batmobile, but he's decided to use his powers for good by
02:16teaming up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who make dreams come true for terminally ill
02:20children. Today, he's using his comic book car to impress families at the local shops.
02:25ZAK MIHAILOVIC It's a brilliant, brilliant charity because
02:28it gives kids, sadly, their dying wish. I dress up as Batman and I surprise the kids.
02:36Sometimes it's knocking on someone's door and obviously organised. Some of them run
02:40for their lives and it takes a bit of warming up to get them back into the Batmobile, but
02:46some are just super pumped. COMMS Over the last three years, Zak has helped
02:49more than 40 children and has no plans to stop. And while he may not be using the Batmobile
02:54to fight off the Joker or the Penguin, in the eyes of many, he's very much a hero.