LEGO Batmobile Review and Guide

About
Latest Posts

Melika is Brick Set Go's in-house collector. Melika loves nothing more than sourcing, curating and building the newest and most eye-catching LEGO sets out there. She is meticulous in her building process and she is also a stickler for detail in her writing, only publishing the best of the best. Outside of the world of LEGO, Melika is a keen gamer, a follower of all things pop culture, a streamer and also runs her own website, ScreenHype.

Bottom Line Up Front

Number of pieces – 2049
Price – $229.99
Film it’s based on – The Dark Knight Trilogy
Time taken to build – 10 and a half hours
Recommended as a display piece? Yes
Recommended as a toy? No

The Inspiration

There have been many iterations of Batman over the years, but my personal favorite has to be Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Triology. For me, it’s the one that captures the most raw emotion, has the most intriguing plots, has the best villains, and is overall just perfect. So I’m really glad that LEGO chose these movies as the inspiration for this LEGO Batmobile Tumbler set.

The Tumbler is definitely the coolest of Batman’s vehicles as far as I’m concerned. It’s massive, super fast, and pretty much unstoppable. Nolan’s trilogy had many action-packed scenes, and the Tumbler was often a key part of them. It survived all manner of destruction attempts, and trampled everything in its path.

The design was sleek and intimidating, much like Batman himself. It was a completely new take on the Batmobile, and I’m really glad that they went in that direction. Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic appearance as well, as that was the Batmobile I grew up with, but there’s something about the Tumbler that just hits different.

LEGO have done a fantastic job of capturing its essence. You can see how much attention they paid to the details, and the overall effect is breath-taking. If any of you haven’t watched Batman Begins and the subsequent two movies, I’d highly recommend you to check them out. It’ll give you a newfound appreciation of just how spectacular this set is when compared to the source material.

Top Tips Before You Get Started

Having now built this set, there are some pearls of wisdom that I’d like to impart to you all. I know the temptation would be to rip the box open and get started the moment it comes into your possession, but you could make the build a lot smoother by following these tips.

Organize your pieces before each stage. I do this for all my LEGO sets anyway, but it’s particularly vital with this one as so many pieces look very similar to each other. This set primarily consists of black and grey pieces, so you’re going to want to separate them out so you can find them more easily. It’s up to you how you do this. You can put them into trays depending on rough size/ shape, or you can be as meticulous as I am, and lay them out with every single piece together with others of its size.

Have a large work surface. This set is built all in one go, meaning that at each building stage, you’ll need space not only for the pieces themselves, but also for the Tumbler. I worked on a surface that was roughly 1.5 feet by 2.5 feet, and I can tell you that it was not big enough. I had to build a makeshift table out of boxes, and put that next to my work surface to keep the Tumbler on. It was not a very convenient solution, and I’d highly recommend you to find a space of at least 3.5 feet by 2 feet.
Know where you’re going to display it. The last thing you want to do is finish building this gorgeous set only to find that you have nowhere to put it. Your best bet is to clear room for it before you start building it, that way you can visualize where it’s going to go. The finished vehicle is 6 inches high by 17 inches long by 9 inches wide. Have that size in mind when picking out a place for it to go.
Try to handle the Tumbler as little as possible. Despite looking bulky and sturdy, this set is surprisingly fragile. A lot of the connections are only 1 or 2 studs wide, meaning that some of the sections are pretty flimsy. You don’t want to be constantly picking it up or moving the Tumbler. If possible, keep it in the same place during the building process, and only move it around when absolutely necessary.

The Instructions

When you first open the box, you find several bags with all the pieces in, and a thick white envelope. The envelope contains the stickers, as well as the instruction booklet. Let me tell you, this thing is HUGE. It’s the thickest instruction booklet I’ve ever worked with (previously when I’ve worked with larger sets, they’ve been split into multiple booklets). The start has some fun information about the inspiration behind the set, and as a Batman fan, that was a delightful way to begin.

One thing I really love about these instructions is how clear they are. In the past, I’ve almost had to play spot the difference when putting together a LEGO set. Each stage would tell me what pieces I needed, but I had to use the picture to figure out where they were meant to go. This instruction booklet takes out the guess work. Each instruction stage highlights any changes so you can see exactly where the new pieces go. There’s a red border around each new piece, and it makes the process much quicker as I’m not looking back and forth between my build and the instructions to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.

The only negative side is that sometimes it’s not very clear where new parts are supposed to connect to. This set uses a lot of atypical connections, and sometimes the instructions shows the final location of the separate part we’ve been building, but it’s not immediately apparent how it’s supposed to fit on to the main build. This is especially true when pieces need to be affixed at a particular angle, as proportions have never been the strong point of LEGO diagrams. On several occasions, I’d need to flick through the booklet to find a different angle for the picture to see where exactly the part was supposed to connect to.

The Building Process

I’ll be honest, I was expecting to enjoy the building process a lot more than I did. I don’t mean to say that it was unenjoyable, but usually I have a lot more fun when putting together LEGO. This set was particularly rigorous, and having to focus so hard made it less relaxing and exciting than building LEGO usually is.

It’s split into 11 stages, with the first being the largest and most time-consuming. The first stage alone took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to build, which is more than a fifth of the overall time! I understand why they did it this way, though, as they wanted to make sure there was a solid base for the rest of the Tumbler to be built from. A lot of the time taken in this first stage was simply due to how finicky the build was.

It used a lot of pins and axles from the Technic range, which was a little frustrating. One of the main reasons I chose the LEGO Batmobile Tumbler over the LEGO Technic Batmobile is because I don’t enjoy working with Technic pieces. I find them too fiddly, and much less satisfying than two bricks or plates snapping neatly together. Still, once this first part was over, the Technic pieces weren’t quite as frequent, although still a lot more common than in a regular LEGO set.

One thing that really stood out to me whilst building was how much hidden detail there is with this set. Like I said, it’s a very complicated build, but this set really rewards you for putting the effort in. There are several elements which are concealed once the set is finished, but as the builder, you know they’re there. There are stickers on the inside of the Batmobile Tumbler that won’t be seen from the outside. There are moving parts which ended up buried under layers of plates.

Inside the Tumbler — Image by Melika Jeddi

LEGO didn’t have to include these. They could have visualized this set as just the outer shell, but they deliberately chose to make the inside accurate as well. I love that, and it’s one of the reasons why I will always keep coming back to LEGO. For all its faults, this is a complete set that includes everything you could possibly want from an authentic replica. Even though I can’t see all the inner details, just knowing that they’re in there makes me smile, and it was a really rewarding part of the building process to get to watch it all come together.

Time Taken to Build Each Stage

Stage 1 (4 bags) – 2 hours 20 minutes
Stage 2 (2 bags) – 1 hour
Stage 3 (2 bags) – 1 hour 5 minutes
Stage 4 (2 bags) – 50 minutes
Stage 5 (1 bag, 6 tyres, 4 tyre holders) – 1 hour
Stage 6 (1 bag) – 35 minutes
Stage 7 (1 bag) – 45 minutes
Stage 8 (1 bag) – 25 minutes
Stage 9 (1 bag) – 35 minutes
Stage 10 (1 bag) – 30 minutes
Stage 11 (2 bags and the plaque) – 1 hour 25 minutes

As you can see, the stages are not equally weighted, and some are considerably longer/ shorter than others. I feel that a couple could’ve been combined to make this a 10 stage or less process, but it doesn’t really matter. Also, the time listed does take into account the time spent organizing the pieces.

Stand and Minifigures

With this set, you don’t just get the vehicle. You also get a custom-designed rotating stand specifically created for this set. I was impressed with the clever engineering behind it, and it’s so compactly built. The top of the stand is shaped exactly so it slots into the bottom of the Tumbler. That way, there’s no risk of the vehicle falling off, but you can also remove it from the stand if you wish, as it’s not properly connected.

Batmobile Tumbler stand — Image by Melika Jeddi

The size of the stand means it fits in just underneath the Tumbler, without it poking out and ruining the immersion. However, the wheels are off the ground enough that the Tumbler can be turned around easily without getting scratched.

There’s also a plaque attached which gives interesting information about the Tumbler itself. These are facts based on the movie, including the specifications like size and maximum speed. I’m really glad they included this, and it attached to the rotating stand. Unfortunately, it’s not really visible when the vehicle is on the stand, which seems like a bit of an oversight on LEGO’s part.

I really love the two minifigures that come with the set. There’s one for Batman, and another for the Joker, and they have their own little stand that can be displayed in front of the Tumbler. The colors on the Joker minifigure are excellent, really conveying his unique brand of eccentricity. The pattern on Batman’s top and legs matches the design of his outfit in the Dark Knight Trilogy, and both minifigures look delightful next to each other.

Batman and the Joker minifigures — Image by Melika Jeddi

Best Parts

There are so many things to love about this LEGO Batmobile Tumbler set, and I want to highlight some of my favorite parts. These are things that I think LEGO did well, either in regards to the building process, or the finished product. Hopefully these will help you decide if this set is right for you, as what you look for in a set could be different to what I look for.

Not too many stickers. For a set this size, I was dreading there being several sheets of stickers, but this was thankfully not the case. There were 13 in total, which is a decidedly modest amount, and meant that only roughly 1 in 160 pieces needed a sticker put on it.
Fantastic attention to detail. As I’ve mentioned throughout this guide and review, the detail in this set is superb. It really looks just like the Tumbler from the movies, and it’s such an impressive display piece. I love the inclusion of gold pieces every now and then, which look beautiful against the black backdrop.
Great size. A set this exciting needed to be large enough to do it justice, and I think LEGO picked the perfect size here. Any bigger would have been overkill as it would have taken up too much space in a display, but any smaller wouldn’t have allowed them to showcase all the impressive details. I think this set is exactly as large as it needed to be.

Stage 1 complete — Image by Melika Jeddi

Gorgeous minifigure designs. I won’t lie, much as I do love the Tumbler itself, I was initially drawn to this set because of the Joker minifigure. I saw it in the LEGO store, and was in awe of how vibrant it looks. The Batman minifigure is also superb, with lots of detailing on the intricate pattern of his suit. The two minifigures look wonderful side by side on their little stand.
Clear Instructions. I really love that the instruction booklet clearly shows exactly where to put each piece. This has been a problem for me before with previous LEGO sets, and it’s a small change that makes a big difference to the building process.
Rotating stand. This is a very clever addition to the set, in my opinion. If you want to display the Tumbler but also manoeuvre it around to see it from all angles, you can just gently spin it on its stand. This is a lot safer than having to pick it up and move it every time you want to look at the back/ side.
Removable roof pieces. You can take the two roof pieces off, as they’re balanced on rather than snapped into place. That way you can get a bird’s eye view of some the internal details, such as the driver’s seat with a functional steering pillar.

Worst Parts

Just like there are multiple features that I love about this set, there were some that were not so good. I want to give a fair and honest review, so here are some of the worst parts about the LEGO Batmobile Tumbler.

The plaque is a sticker, not printed. For such a key element of the display, I was really disappointed to find that the plaque was a sticker which you had to place yourself, rather than already printed. For a piece that size, you’d expect it to be printed, as it’s almost impossible to place it perfectly at that size. I did my absolute best, but it’s still not entirely central, and of course, you only get one attempt. Seeing as it’s such an integral facet of the set, I think LEGO dropped the ball with this one.

Several flimsy connections. For such a sturdy looking set, the Tumbler sure falls apart easily. A lot of sections are built separately and then attached on, which is fine. What’s not fine, however, is that often you’ll have sections that are several studs long being attached to a single stud on a plate. This is an incredibly weak connection, and means the vehicle has poor structural integrity.
Too many Technic pieces. If I wanted a LEGO Technic set, I’d buy a LEGO Technic set. I don’t mind a few pieces here and there as I understand that they serve a useful function, but I feel like this set crossed the line. There were hundreds of pins, axles, and beams in there, and they really slowed down the building process. I don’t know what it is about them, but often they really don’t want to slide easily into place, and require a lot of force and precision. It was tiring, and detracted from the enjoyment of the set.
The building experience is stressful. Due to the flimsy connections and excess of pins, axles, and beams, this was not a relaxing build. I found it very stressful when pieces would fall apart in my hands or simply would not slot in, and it did somewhat diminish my enjoyment.
You can’t play with it. This set is undoubtedly solely for display purposes. Although it does technically move as the wheels are functional, I would not recommend trying to use it as a toy. It simply does not have the sturdiness to survive rigorous handling.

Is It Worth Buying?

To decide whether it’s worth buying or not, there are four main factors to consider – ease of build, enjoyability of build, finished product, and value for money. These are not equally weighted, but different LEGO fans will have different preferences. As such, I’m going to discuss each as its own category, and you can decide how important each factor is in terms of your own purchasing habits.

Ease of Build

I won’t lie, this is by far the most difficult set I’ve ever put together. One of the main issues is that some pieces (particularly the Technic ones) just don’t seem to want to go together. It can be so frustrating when I have to spend several minutes on the same part of the build trying fruitlessly to tease two connections together.

Also, because of the flimsy connections in a number of places, there were multiple times where in putting together one part of the Tumbler, I’d accidentally break another. Then I’d have to fuss around trying to figure out where the missing piece came from, wasting valuable time.

Overall, this is a very tricky build, and it’s clear to see why LEGO have branded it as being for those aged 18+. This is very much a set for adults fans, and not a toy for children. I also think it’s better for those who have some experience putting together LEGO, and not for people who are new to the hobby.

Lots of Technic pieces — Image by Melika Jeddi

Enjoyability of Build

I have mixed feelings in this regard. Some parts of this build were a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed them. It was satisfying putting together the various sections of the Tumbler, and I loved watching it all slowly come together. I really liked all the extra details which were designed as a treat for the builder. But due to the difficulty, it wasn’t as fun as I was expecting

The build is nearly always my favorite part of a new LEGO set, so I have high standards, which might be why I didn’t enjoy this as much as usual. I’m a sucker for bright colors, and obviously, that’s not something I was ever going to get in a Batman set. I knew that before I started, but there was something a little repetitive about opening bag after bag of almost solely black pieces, with some dark grey sprinkled in there.

As such, although I did still have fun putting it together, it wasn’t my favorite LEGO building experience. If you’re more about the process than the finished product, then this set might not be for you.

Lots of black pieces — Image by Melika Jeddi

Finished Product

Now, this is one area where I cannot fault this set at all. It’s honestly stunning, and makes the perfect display piece for any Batman fan. I’m massively into superheroes, both Marvel and DC, and so this is a welcome addition to my collection.

Every piece is carefully thought out, and helps to complete the overall look of the vehicle. I love that LEGO chose such large wheels to match the proportions of the Tumbler from the movie. You can really picture this as simply a smaller version of the Tumbler, and it’s as good as any professional replica that you could imagine. It’s incredible to think that over two thousand tiny pieces of plastic have been combined to create something this gorgeous.

The rotating stand means you can enjoy it from all angles, and I think it’s amazing that it even comes with its own plaque, not to mention the minifigures. As a display piece, this LEGO Batmobile Tumbler is absolutely extraordinary, and I have nothing negative to say whatsoever about the final look of this product.

Value For Money

At $229.99, this is a serious financial investment for most people, so whether you can afford this or not is entirely about your personal budget. So for this category, I’m going to come at it purely from the assumption that you have that much money to spend on a luxury item, and that you’re simply deciding whether to purchase this or to use the money to buy something else that’s a want, not a need.

If I’m being honest, I do think it’s priced slightly higher than it should be. It’s a beautiful set and I do really love it, but to me it feels a little expensive. I think that $199.99 would be a much fairer price for it, especially as the plaque is a sticker, not printed.

However, I still think it’s decent enough value that if you have the money, this wouldn’t be a waste. In my opinion, it’s the best Batman set that LEGO have to offer, and the Tumbler is a fantastic piece of memorabilia to own due to its relevance in the movies. I’d recommend this set, especially if you can find it on sale anywhere.

Alternative Sets

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, you might consider the 1360 piece The Batman Batmobile 42127 set based on the 2022 release, The Batman. This is from the LEGO Technic range, and you can clearly see the difference between this and a standard LEGO set. The pieces are unusually shaped, and there are more gaps and smooth edges than you’d normally expect to find.

Personally, I’m not keen on this set as I just feel that for $99.99, it simply doesn’t look impressive enough. However, the movie was popular, and I can understand why some people would want to own this. It does have several cool features such as blue flames and an orange light brick under the bonnet. There’s also an engine with moving pistons, which is exciting.

If you, like me, prefer the Tumbler, but were simply looking for an affordable toy rather than a display piece, then I’ve got you covered. The LEGO Batmobile Tumbler: Scarecrow Showdown 76239 set is only $39.99, and looks like a lot of fun. It contains a very simplified version of the Tumbler, as well as minifigures for Batman and the Scarecrow. The set comes with 422 pieces, and both minifigures have their own unique weapons.

FAQs

Question: When was the Dark Knight Trilogy released?

Answer: Christopher Nolan’s esteemed trilogy is comprised of three movies. Batman Begins was released in 2005, The Dark Knight came out in 2008, and The Dark Knight Rises hit theaters in 2012. There were a few years between each release, but the waits were worth it, and all three movies are extraordinary and genre-defining.

Question: Where can I buy the Lego Batmobile Tumbler?

Answer: It’s not an exclusive set, which means that toy stores may have it available, however, due to its high price, smaller stores are unlikely to have it. Your best bet is to buy it directly from the Lego website, or to go into a physical Lego store.

Question: When was the Batmobile invented?

Answer: There have been many imaginings of the Batmobile throughout the years, depicted in various forms of media. However, the very first time the Batmobile was seen was in a 1939 comic, Detective Comics #27.

Conclusion

I really hope you’ve found this LEGO Batmobile Tumbler review and guide useful! I really enjoyed building this set, and I like to think that my experience could be helpful for other LEGO fans who are considering whether or not to buy this set. I really do think this is one of the most impressive display pieces that LEGO have to offer, despite a few issues I had with the building process.

Please do consider your own personal circumstances, and make a smart purchasing decision. This is an expensive set, and you don’t want to go into debt over a hobby. However, if you have the money to buy this, either for yourself, or as a gift for an adult fan of LEGO, then I’d definitely recommend it!

Recommended Reads: