Las Vegas - At least Batman doesn't have to worry about getting a parking space now. A specialty auto fitter gave a Smart Fortwo a kind of celebrity makeover at a Las Vegas trade show earlier this month, transforming the subcompact car into a mini-Batmobile, complete with a black airbrush paint job and tailfins.
Designer George Barris, renowned for creating the original Batmobile in the 1960s superhero television series, teamed up with the Californian specialist firm Vertical Doors to build the Batsmart.
The Fortwo was not only fitted with vertical doors but also sported an exhaust on the roof that looks like a rocket launcher. Barris also modified the interior with grey leather.
A Smart spokesman said there were medium-term plans to boost the performance of the car's 51 kW/70-horsepower engine threefold. The car is expected to sell for at least 30,000 dollars. The basic version sells in the United States for 12,000 dollars.
This year's Specialty Equipment Market Association show, which focuses on specialty auto products, seemed to switch its focus from high-powered muscle cars to smaller cars, which are gaining a higher market share in the United States.
With reports that Smart has an 18-month backlog of orders for the small car from the Daimler stable, the supercharged versions presented at the SEMA show are expected to add to the car's popularity.
