There aren't many cars in fiction history that are more iconic than the Batmobile. The car is often an important part of the plot and is as much of a star as the Caped Crusader himself. With Batman being one of the most popular superhero franchises in history, and with the car playing such an important role, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a lot of people have attempted to turn their own vehicles into Batmobiles.

It also helps that there are lots of options to choose from when it comes to building a Batmobile - there's the one from the 60s TV-show featuring Adam West. You have the Keatonmobile from the 1989 Tim Burton movie. All the weirdness from the 90s, the stuff from the 2000s that aren't even called Batmobiles anymore, and let's not forget all the different cars used in the animated shows and video games.

Unfortunately, not everyone goes down the route of "actual" Batmobiles. Some believe it's a good idea to modify whatever car it is they already own. And just to make it clear; unless that car is something rare, fast, expensive, and/or interesting, it's probably not a good idea to turn it into a Batmobile. The best ones are built from scratch, they take a long time and a lot of money to put together.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some of the worst Batmobiles the world has ever seen, and a few that we believe Batman would love to drive.

25 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Beetle

via Fastcar

Over the years there have been countless people who have customized their VW Beetles to mimic the iconic Batmobile. They all have the same problem; they’re VW Beetles. There's no shortage of bad "replicas" out there, just do a Google search of “VW Beetle Batmobile” and you can see for yourself. Just remember; you can never un-see it.

The only redeeming factor we can think of when it comes to this, or most of the other Beetle Batmobiles, is that they make most other home-brewed Batmobiles look good in comparison.

24 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Ford Orion

via Fastcar

This Batmobile just doesn't scream quality. Those wings on the rear seem to imitate flames more than actual batwings, but we really do hope they're not made from metal, as that would be dangerous in case of an accident.

Other than that, it has a poorly executed window tint - apparently, Batman seeks out the cheapest shops to get work done on his car. At least that exhaust looks like a flame thrower, but we're pretty sure the only thing that comes out of it is excessive noise.

23 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Pontiac Grand Am

via Fastcar

This thing was described by Jalopnik as the "World's Worst Batmobile." It's based on a wrecked 1994 Pontiac Grand Am which was running but sported a crushed roof, damaged front end and otherwise "crunch-and-munched" body. We still think it would be better to send the car to the crusher rather than turning it into a Batmobile.

The story doesn't end with a simple, yet bad, Batmobile conversion. Apparently, someone attempted to steal the car, but true to Bruce Wayne's sophisticated security measures, the steering wheel broke off mid-car theft.

22 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Merc A-Class

via Reddit

Now we know what the Batmobile would look like if Bruce Wayne went broke. It would be bad enough if the owner used stickers with the Batman logo, but he actually managed to take it one step further; those things are homemade and taped to the car.

We guess those things on the roof are meant to look like the "ears" on Batman's mask? We really don't have a clue what their purpose is, probably just to show off just in case the yellow "stickers" weren't enough of a hint to let people know Batman is coming.

21 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Toyota

via Reddit

If Batman was a punk rocker or a vampire from a tacky 90s movie he would probably love this car. The problem is that he's neither of those things. Billionaires don't drive around in Toyota rides covered in studs, not even when they dress up as bats.

When the stick-on faux air vents are the best features on your modified car, that should be enough of a hint that you should stay away from anything with wheels. Not only would Batman steer clear of it, most sane people wouldn't want to get anywhere near it, especially when it is moving with all those spiky things.

20 Wouldn't Drive: Batmobile Superhero Company Car

via Reddit

We don't really have words to describe this bad end result, and we have no idea why the golden Batman logo has black stripes across it. Instead, it should just have a big X over it, because there's no way Batman would ever get behind the wheel of this thing.

If you look at the back of the car, you'll notice it has Superman's cape hanging there for some reason - and to be honest, with its blue color this car would look better as Superman's vehicle, even if that would make no sense whatsoever.

19 Wouldn't Drive: Bat Tahoe

via Reddit

We see the reasoning behind this; if you're Batman you're probably in a hurry to catch some bad guys and you don't want to be stuck in traffic. So what better solution than to have "Batman" across the windshield so people can read see it in their mirrors? Hey, it works for ambulances, right?

Except, what are the odds Batman would be driving an SUV during rush hour? And other than the windshield sticker, is there anything special with this car that would help fight crime? Nah, this car is meant for a different superhero - soccer moms.

18 Wouldn't Drive: Batman's Family Car

via Reddit

Clearly, this guy's heart is in the right place. We can't be angry with someone who wants to protect the city, even though we can't recommend that the average Joe goes vigilante and starts fighting crime. Leave that to the professionals - like Batman... or the police.

That being said, when someone does a poor job of modifying their car, it does make us less than pleased. Take it easy with the Batman stickers, and that rear wing needs to go. The Caped Crusader wouldn't want to be seen anywhere near this thing... unless he's taking the kids to school and getting groceries on the way home.

17 Wouldn't Drive: Saturn Sky Batmobile

via Pinterest

The Saturn Sky is a decent little car, but decent isn't enough to earn the title of Batmobile - which they had the nerve to put in chrome letters on the back. The silly stick on chrome pieces are bad enough... but a red Batmobile? Nope, sorry! We've got to draw the line somewhere.

Apart from those details, there is something slightly more worrying about this Batmobile. The wing seems to be tilted at an angle that will actually create a lift, which means the rear end will get very lively during a high-speed chase.

16 Wouldn't Drive: Work Of The Joker

via Reddit

Look at this beauty. Apparently, Batman finds it hard to park his car without hitting things. Technically he doesn't have any superpowers, and any normal person can make mistakes, so we guess he's off the hook for this one.

Meh, of course, this damage wasn't done by Batman. There's no way he'd drive around in this dreary pile of you know what! It should come as no surprise that this is the work of an imposter who is trying to ruin Batman's reputation. Judging by the car, our money says this is the work of the Joker.

15 Wouldn't Drive: Retro Bat-Taxi

via Twenty Two Words

We'll give the owner of this car some credit for wanting to create a "replica" of the 60s TV-series car. It has some hood scoops, there's the black and red color scheme, even a red light on the roof. And that's about all the positive things we can say about this creation.

In reality, this looks more like a taxi you'd find on the streets of a third world country than a Batmobile. At least there are some curtains in the back that would let Batman avoid being seen in this absolute let-down of a car.

14 Wouldn't Drive: Not Quite Batman

via Reddit

Here's the thing; if this wasn't an attempt at building a Batmobile, it would actually be quite cool, in a Mad Max kinda way. Get rid of that batwing on the back and you'd have a fun and different vehicle that possesses a certain homemade charm.

Sadly, it is supposed to be a Batmobile, so it's not cool at all in our book. What kind of low-budget Batman would drive around in this to fight crime? One thing's for certain, it wouldn't be hard to catch the criminals, they'd all be rolling around on the floor laughing.

13 Wouldn't Drive: Batvan

via Jalopnik

The modifications on this "Batvan" are actually quite common in the van modifying scene over in Japan. And we really don't have any issues with its modifications, we just don't think it would be very suitable or practical for Batman to use when chasing down some villains.

Clearly, stealth wasn't taken into consideration when building this thing, nor was driveability. We think the best thing Batman could do with this thing would be to let Robin drive it as a decoy in order to lure out the bad guys.

12 Save Gotham: Batpod

via Chickslovethecar

Check out this near-perfect Batpod replica! This piece of awesomeness was raffled off on eBay for one lucky winner after it was built. It was DIY-built and there’s even a video showcasing the painstaking hours that went into building it.

The Batpod is capable of more than 60 mph, and according to the builder, it requires a lot of precision to ride. The raffle tickets sold for $20 a pop back in 2010, and a whopping five thousand of them were sold - we have no idea if that was enough to turn a profit when factoring in the number of hours spent building it.

11 Save Gotham: Superheroes For Kids Batmobile

via Gunaxin

Remember back in 2012 there was a Lamborghini driving Batman who was pulled over by the police for driving without a license plate? That was Lenny B. Robinson, a daily superhero who used to visit children in the hospital while dressed as Batman.

The Lambo was eventually replaced with this "real" Batmobile, known as the Anti-Crime Roadster, which was taken on a cross-country road trip to visit kids in hospitals - and we're sure Batman would've liked to join the tour. Just like Bruce Wayne, Lenny spent his own money on making other people's lives better.

via Daily Mail

29-year-old Zac Mihajlovic spent two years building this awesome Batmobile replica from the 1989 Tim Burton film, and it came out looking stunning. At the time he built it, it was the only street-legal Batmobile in the world.

There's no point having a road-legal Batmobile and not use it, right? Zac has been seen numerous times driving this bay boy on the roads, and he even uses it for charity work. He built the Batmobile with the help from his grandfather, and apparently, there are several parts in there from the original movie car.

9 Save Gotham: Real Life Batmobile From Animated Series

via Chickslovethecar

This is a real-life version of the Batmobile seen in the Animated Series - which perhaps makes it an even more impressive build - considering there really isn't much real-life information on how to build a cartoon car.

The car has a Maserati engine, and we bet Batman would love that thing just as much as the car's owner, Massimo does. There are videos online for anyone who wants to see what it looks and sounds like on the road - and incredibly enough, there are some who criticize it for not being 100% accurate to the version in the animated show.

8 Save Gotham: Batbike Replica

via Pinterest

Before the Batpod, Batman had the Batbike - it was featured on the 1960s TV show.

RM Sotheby's Auctions sold more than 120 classic and rare vehicles from the John Staluppi Car Collection in 2012, and the Batbike was one of them - bringing in more than £80,000 at auction. It was sold alongside a 1966 Batmobile replica, which was based on a 1966 Chevrolet with a V8 engine.

Mechanics at the museum added turn signals, a horn, and an electronically operated cooling fan for the engine to stop the bike from overheating.

7 Save Gotham: Caresto

via Caresto

Caresto dismantled a Lamborghini to make an awesome-looking, drivable Batmobile inspired by "Batman: Arkham Knight," a 2015 video game based on the Batman comics. The car first raced in the Gumball 3000, a 3,000-mile supercar race that takes place on public streets.

The entire body is made out of carbon fiber to keep it lightweight, and it features an extremely rigid, tubular frame - which is needed, considering the car has a 560 hp Lambo V10 engine which makes it capable of doing 200 mph. Of course, there's a flame thrower exhaust to give it that true Batmobile vibe.

6 Save Gotham: Bob Dullam Tumbler

via Bob Dullam

It's nothing short of incredible that Bob Dullam single-handedly built this full-scale, working replica of the Tumbler - as seen in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Even more incredible is the fact that it was constructed in his two-car garage with help from pictures and the film. All the parts are scratch built, except the tires, rims, brakes, and engine, which means the body parts, brackets, and everything external was hand built.

There's no need to wonder if Batman would drive this, we've already seen him drive it in the films.