A REAL-LIFE superhero has turned down six-figure offers for his home-made Batmobile - so he can continue helping sick children. Batman fanatic Zac Mihajlovic, from Camden, Australia, hand-built his very own street legal version of the car from the 1989 film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Zac turned his comic book fantasies into a high-octane reality by constructing a replica of the iconic vehicle. And the car has whipped up a reaction wherever it has been seen. Businessmen from across the world, including a Sheik in Dubai, have offered Zac big bucks for the Batmobile - and he has also seen his share of bizarre requests. And rather than cash-in on his dream machine, Zac decided to use his powers for good by teaming up with the Make-A-Wish foundation, who make dream’s come true for terminally-ill children.
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00:00For most comic book fans, owning a Batmobile is just a pipe dream.
00:07But here in Australia, one Batman fanatic has made the dream a reality
00:11by hand-building his own version of the iconic vehicle.
00:15What makes this Batmobile different is it's street legal.
00:19Like, I can take it down and get groceries if I wanted to.
00:22The reaction of the car has just been insane.
00:24It looks awesome!
00:30Zak Mihailovich started building the replica four years ago
00:33with the help of his very own Lucius Fox,
00:35grandfather John Green, a retired engineer.
00:38During the two-year build, the 29-year-old was even able to get some of the parts
00:42from the car used in the original film.
00:45The Batmobile behind me is the 1989 Batmobile.
00:49This was the Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson film.
00:51It's got adjustable suspension.
00:53It's got a working afterburner, which is from the film.
00:55No machine guns, sadly.
00:57No grappling hooks, no bombs that come out of the wheel.
01:00But pretty much beyond that, yeah, it's pretty close.
01:04There are thought to be ten of the replica cars of the 1989 Batmobile,
01:08but Zak believes he's the only one that can legally drive on public roads.
01:12The first time I took it out was definitely an experience.
01:17I was on the freeway on the way to Gold Coast,
01:20and there was this noise and I thought there was something wrong with the car.
01:23It's actually the news helicopter from Channel 9 that had chased me down the freeway.
01:27That was pretty memorable.
01:29And not surprisingly, the replica is running plenty of admirers, including the ladies.
01:34My name's Annabella Leone, and I am dating Batman.
01:37We've been dating for about four years, and can I just say,
01:40I was with him two years prior to the Batmobile.
01:42That's my seat, the passenger seat.
01:44And if any girl out there wants it, swear to God, dead.
01:47And Zak has also had his fair share of bizarre requests.
01:51I've had a couple ring me up and say,
01:54I know this is going to sound weird, but we want to christen the car, so to speak.
01:59And I sort of said, you know, I'm not really interested.
02:02And they said, we'll pay you what you want, and we'll bring plastic sheets.
02:05And I'm like, you've just made that worse, you know, so no thanks.
02:10Businessmen from across the world have offered Zak big bucks for the Batmobile,
02:14but he's decided to use his powers for good by teaming up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation,
02:18who make dreams come true for terminally ill children.
02:21Today he's using his comic book car to impress families at the local shops.
02:25It's a brilliant, brilliant charity because it gives kids, sadly, their dying wish.
02:32I dress up as Batman, and I surprise the kids.
02:36Sometimes it's knocking on someone's door and obviously organised.
02:39Some of them run for their lives,
02:41and it takes a bit of warming up to get them back into the Batmobile,
02:45but some are just super pumped.
02:47Over the last three years, Zak has helped more than 40 children,
02:50and has no plans to stop.
02:52And while he may not be using the Batmobile to fight off the Joker or the Penguin,
02:56in the eyes of many, he's very much a hero.