The Batmobile in real life? 5 Asian stars who own versions of the famed car

HONG KONG — The cars owned and driven by the rich and famous will always make for a fascinating discussion. A vehicle choice is a strong indication of lifestyle, and it’s no surprise that some of the biggest names in the celebrity world also have the most bizarre car collections.

Enthusiast or not, in this niche market, having a “Batmobile” is definitely one big flex. Here are five of the biggest stars in Asia who brought Bruce Wayne’s ride to life.

Ahmed Khan

Famous Indian producer and director Ahmed Khan recently made headlines when he was spotted driving his Batmobile to the screening of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman.

It wasn’t the first time we heard about the vehicle, as it was Khan’s gift to his wife, Shaira, last year. This Batmobile is reportedly based on the classic 1989 version of the car designed by filmmaker Tim Burton and is widely regarded as the best real-life customisation of the Batmobile.

According to The Indian Express, Khan had his Batmobile customised by Gotham Motors in Ohio. The limited-edition luxury car reportedly took eight months to arrive in India.

Jay Chou

Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou is also part of the exclusive group of Batmobile owners. The popular hitmaker is reportedly a huge fan of comic book superheroes.

According to Yahoo!, in 2014, Chou was supposedly only going to film a commercial in Malaysia, but came home to Taiwan with a reproduced model of a Batmobile he saw in a shopping centre.

The catch? The vehicle cannot actually be driven and is just for display. Never mind that though – its dazzling appearance must have been worth the hefty price tag paid by the multimillionaire songwriter.

Adar Poonawalla

Another enthusiast on this list of Batmobile owners is Indian billionaire Adar Poonawalla. In fact, the CEO of Serum Institute of India is actually the first person in India to own a Batmobile.

Per GQ India, Poonawalla’s version of the Batman car is a modification of the Mercedes S350 which ranges from about US$130,000 (S$176,000) and up to US$1 million depending on the model and was customised by Executive ModCar Trendz.

Configurations alone reached almost US$50,000 and a team of 70 people worked on the 15-month project, Top Speed India reports. The Batmobile was Poonawalla’s gift to his son Cyrus Jr., who was just six years old at the time.

Jackie Chan

World-famous Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan interestingly makes this list as a customised Batmobile owner. Chan is a known car enthusiast who owns luxury vehicles like Bentleys, Buggatis and Lamborghinis, among many others. His entry here though is backed by a ruggedly customised Mitsubishi Pajero Turbo.

According to MotorBiscuit, this was actually the same automobile from his film Armour of God 2: Operation Condor. The custom build of this luxurious car looks so bizarre that only the rear end has the Batman look.

It makes this list because of how weirdly fascinating the car is, and – spoiler alert – in the movie, Chan turns this Pajero into a boat to go fishing. So yeah, it’s a Batmobile, it’s a boat, it’s crazy.

Alex Hirschi

Meanwhile, not so far away in the Middle East, Dubai-based vlogger Alex Hirschi is also well-known for driving supercars. Not only does she own a crazy collection of high-end and extremely lavish rides, but she also drives some of the rarest ones in the world. Yes, that includes the actual Batmobile from the 1989 Batman film.

Also famously known by her Instagram handle Supercar Blondie, this social media influencer has taken Asia and the Middle East by storm, turning her enthusiasm for cars into YouTube stardom by featuring some of the most eye-catching supercars on her channel where she reaches millions of viewers. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST