Both the Batmobile and the Batboat, as seen in “Batman Forever”, were designed by Tim Flattery and based on concept art by Barbara Ling. As noted above, the vehicles were clearly inspired by the works of Swiss surrealist HR Giger, whose art also inspired the creatures in “Alien” and “Species.” The boat had ribcage-like ridges on its sides and, it must be said, a remarkably phallic shape.
According to Reinhart’s book, both vehicles were built to be operated. In fact, the Batmobile was drivable and the Batboat was 100% seaworthy. The Batmobile’s low-slung sports car design may not have been the most practical for navigating Gotham City’s rough, rutted streets and super-narrow alleyways, but it looked cool, especially in toy form. Also, at the very least, the Batmobile could climb up walls using a complicated grappling hook/cable system. The cable system was not part of the practical composition of the vehicle.
The ship was built by a company called VIP Marine, a construction company in Oregon that could build boats to order. VIP closed in 2008 and was purchased by Caddo Manufacturing of Shreveport, Louisiana. That also closed in 2013. It was a life-size toy that real stunt drivers drove around in a pool. The actual ship she was built on is not mentioned in Reinhart’s book, but one could easily assume she was built from scratch. Sadly, when it came to blowing up the Batboat, the filmmakers of “Forever” just blew up the real thing. It was not kept for a museum, or to rent out to wealthy Batman fans for an afternoon joyride.
