It is Batman Week 2022 here at True North Bricks. We are celebrating the upcoming International Batman Day on September 17 with new Dark Knight themed content each day this week. Today, we take a closer look at the Batmobile Tumbler (76240) set. This epic kit accurately recreates Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy Batmobile. Interestingly, it was one of two Tumbler sets released in 2021. The other was a Minifigure scale model that we have already reviewed. While not my favorite imagining of the Batmobile, 76240 is definitely one Batman fans and collectors. As a display piece, it looks amazing… just don’t touch it too often.
BATMOBILE TUMBLER SUMMARY
- NAME: Batmobile Tumbler
- SET #: 76240
- THEME: DC Comics Superheroes
- COST: $349.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 2049
- MINIFIGURES: 2
- RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2021
BATMOBILE TUMBLER QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 72% (Satisfactory value overall, but the cost/brick is a little high.)
- BUILD: 80% (Nice display piece, but so many loose parts and no functional elements.)
- MINIFIGURES: 87% (Great exclusive characters, but no accessories… and no Two Face.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 80% (Really nice display piece, but it didn’t evoke excitement or nostalgia.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 80% (Good set.)
BATMOBILE TUMBLER REVIEW
VALUE: 72%
The Batmobile Tumbler was one of the sets hit by the 2022 hike in LEGO® prices. I bought the set when it first came out… yes, I know, its shameful I am only building it almost a year later. However, purchasing it early meant I paid the original market price of $329.99 CAD for the set. Buying it today, you will fork out $349.99 CAD. Consequently, the current cost/brick is $0.17 CAD as opposed to the original $0.16 CAD. Over the last few years, our average at True North Bricks has been around $0.14/brick. So, either way, this set was a little on the expensive side. Interestingly, despite being licensed, Superheroes sets are generally a good value. Our average for the theme alone is around $0.13/brick. Considering both these comparisons and the current price, I rate the cost/brick at 67%.
I assembled the Batmobile Tumbler in six hours and 36 minutes (396 minutes total). Consequently, at full price, each minute of build time cost $0.88. That is close to average when comparing across all LEGO® themes. However, for a Superheroes set, it leans towards the expensive side. Still, it remains something I consider satisfactory though. I rate the build time score at 76%. Averaging this with the cost/brick score gives an overall value rating of 72%. The Batmobile Tumbler is an okay value overall.
BUILD: 80%
Lots of people went crazy over this version of the Batmobile back when Batman Begins hit theaters. I was not one of them. Let’s just get that out of the way first. The Tumbler like Lamborghini tried to make a tank but should have stuck to sports cars. Apart from George Clooney’s roadster, the Tumbler is probably my least favorite Batmobile. However, the LEGO® model of it looks amazing. It really captures the ugly car exceptionally well.
In total, the set comes with 2049 bricks. Mostly, the pieces are pretty common. The notable exceptions include the printed windowpane on the front of the car, the tires, and the rims. Of course, the Minifigures are exclusive as well, but we’ll discuss that more later. The build is divided into eleven different parts bags. Additionally, the instructions come in a carboard envelope, and there is a bag for extra parts (like the wheel rims). The first set of bags was the most time consuming. It assembles the base of the car and took me about an hour and 40 minutes. The remaining bags ranged from about 15 – 30 minutes each.
The Batmobile Tumbler (76240) comes with 11 sets of parts bags.
As with many large cars, the frame uses Technic bricks and pins for structure. The rest is a mixture of System and Technic build techniques that look great but are not overly complicated. However, the design does not always provide the stability I would like. This is definitely a shelf display model and nothing else. Similar to the UCS Millennium Falcon, every time I touch this model, something shifts. The Tumbler is no where near as finicky as the Falcon, but many of the exterior details do not firmly fasten in place. In fact, many connect using one simple “holder with tube” piece or similar single-point fastener. As a result, they shift in place when you touch them, or even fall off. Thankfully, the model is not as huge as the Falcon, so you can pick it up in from places without guaranteeing that something will fall off.
Probably the most interesting build technique involved creating the angled rear walls of the cab. You construct a frame from Technic cross axles and angle elements. Additionally, you attach some cross blocks with connector pegs inserted into them. The peg ends serve as studs which allow you to crossover from Technic back to System building later on in the instructions. It is an interesting wall building technique that allows you to create neat angles in structures. It certainly has applications beyond just the Tumbler.
I liked how designers flipped back and forth between Technic and System techniques.
The interior of the build isn’t very exciting. Compared to something like the 1989 Batmobile, I’d even argue the Tumbler is quite lack luster. You insert some computer screens, but all those details are stickers. Otherwise, the cab contains two seats and the steering apparatus. Nothing as sleek and curved as what we saw in the 1989 Batmobile. To access the interior, you pull off two roof panels. Again, nothing as sleek and interesting as the 1989 version. In fact, the Tumbler really has no functional elements at all.
In addition to the Tumbler, you assemble a display base for the car. The center of the display uses a turntable to mount the car, thus allowing it to rotate. As with many large, adult oriented sets, this one also includes a display placard. To complete the display, you finish the build with an identical gargoyle adorned ledge to those seen in the 1989 Batmobile and Batwing sets. This forms the Minifigure display.
You build display bases for the car and for the Minifigures.
All in all, I think the Tumbler captures the Nolan trilogy Batmobile very well. It is impressive placed on a shelf or table. However, that is all you can do with it. Many of the plated structures around the exterior are not firmly attached. I don’t really know how else designers could achieve the right look for the car. However, I prefer more solid builds. The Tumbler also has no interesting functional features. The ’89 Batmobile featured pop-out machine guns, sliding roof interior access, and a working steering column. All that with over 1000 more bricks and a price tag $50 lower… I really like the Tumbler, but I don’t love it. As a Batman fan, it is a must have for my collection. However, the 1989 Batmobile remains my favorite Batmobile and my favorite LEGO® model thereof. The Tumbler earns an 80% build score in my books.
Bag by bag progress shots of the Batmobile Tumbler (76240) build:
MINIFIGURES: 87%
The Batmobile Tumbler comes with two Minifigures. Both are exclusive to this set. I appreciate that the LEGO® Group didn’t just hash out the same Batman minifig from the smaller Tumbler set released at the same time. Both minifigs in this set feature all the standard parts with printing on the front and back of the torso, the legs, and even Joker’s arms. Additionally, each has a double-sided face. While Batman’s head appears in 28 other sets, and his cowl in 77, the rest of the Minifigure parts in this kit are exclusives. I do wish the LEGO® Group had designed a more Christian Bale-like cowl for this set, similar to the exclusive cowl they made for 1989 Batman. Sadly, neither character comes with accessories. Joker needs a playing card and little knife.
Since this set is not a playset, I will not use the usual brick-to-fig ratio in this review. The Minifigures are not the focus of this set. They are more an added bonus that increases the display potential. With that said, I wish there was a third character to complete the set. Both the ’89 Batmobile and Batwing included three characters. Since we got the Nolan Trilogy Scarecrow in the smaller Tumbler set, getting Two Face here would have been the icing on the cake. He was in the same film as Joker after all. In any case, I rate the Minifigure designs in this set at 87%. These are great characters for Batman fans.
ENTERTAINMENT: 80%
I will keep the Batmobile Tumbler (76240) built and on display with my ’89 Batmobile. Like I said earlier, it looks amazing. However, you can pick up the ’89 version without too much stuff falling off. You need to be much more careful with the Tumbler. Additionally, the features and jam-packed details of the ’89 Batmobile made it really exciting and nostalgic to build for fans. The Tumbler looks like the Tumbler, but that’s about it. I suppose it does make me want to re-watch the Dark Knight trilogy…
With that said, I did not find myself thinking at any point “Oh yeah, that was an amazing feature this car had in the movie!” I suppose the Tumbler is not my favorite Batmobile to begin with… but I can still appreciate fan-boy nostalgia and awesome features the vehicle had. This model is a nice display piece… but its not one I want to take down and show people with an enthusiastic: “check out what this can do!” I rate the entertainment value for the Batmobile Tumbler at 80%.
OVERALL SCORE: 80%
I think the Batmobile Tumbler (76240) is a little pricey for what you get. The brick count is lower than the ’89 Batmobile, it provides less build time, but it is more expensive. Even before the August ’22 price hike, it was still more expensive than the ’89 car. The ’89 Batmobile also made me nostalgic and inspired a sense of awe over the build and accuracy to movie version. The Batmobile Tumbler looks amazingly like the Tumbler from the outside but suffers from a lack of features and finicky design. I still think that Batman fans will like this set. I also think it is a must have for movie-Batmobile collectors like myself. I find myself feeling appreciative of this model, but not excited by it after building. What do you think of the Batmobile Tumbler (76240)? Let us know in the comments below or reach out social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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