Latest news with #BruceWayne
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
The VW Buzz is a superhero, here to save us from villainous SUVs
Volkswagen Year : 2025 Fuel : Electric Verdict : Funky styling on the outside, unmatched space on the inside, and a decent range makes the Buzz the best electric seven-seater by far. I've had a bowdlerised version of the original 1966 Batman theme song rattling through my head all week. However, instead of the exultant 'Batman!' at the end of the 'Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na' prefix, I've been calling out 'BatBuzz!' instead. Childish but I can't help myself. The all-over 'Deep Black Pearlescent' paintwork of this long-wheelbase, seven-seat Volkswagen ID. Buzz test car, a model more normally seen and photographed in bright, often two-tone pastels, just makes it look very Bruce Wayne spec. The effect is to make the big VW MPV appear a bit sterner and more serious-minded. VW seven-seater It also helps to, somewhat, disguise the extra size of this long-wheelbase model. Ever since the first generation of arrived in 2022, its five-seat-only layout has been a slight disappointment. Surely if Dacia can squeeze seven seats into a compact Jogger , then VW could do the same with the tall and roomy Buzz? Well, yes it can, it just wanted to add a bit of extra length first. In fact, VW has added an extra 250mm overall to the length of the Buzz to create this long-wheelbase version, all of which is inserted into the wheelbase, stretching the gap between the wheel centres front-to-rear to 3.2m. The Buzz has managed to stay, just, within five metres of overall length, which means it just about fits into a standard parking bay. It's also about the same overall length as VW's lower-slung ID.7 Tourer estate, so while the Buzz looks huge, that's more to do with its height than its length. READ MORE VW seven-seater Then again, that height and length really pay off. You see, most seven-seat cars on the market these days are SUVs, which are wasteful. I don't just mean of fuel and emissions (although, heaven knows, those too) but of space. SUVs are big, tall and long and yet they sacrifice much of that cubic space to long bonnets and lofty ride heights, which means their interiors are often much less spacious and practical than they at first appear. The Buzz, by contrast, is a true, proper MPV, sharing its cavernous body with a commercial van, and therefore turning over almost all of that height, and virtually all of that length, to passenger space. VW seven-seater VW seven-seater VW seven-seater Sit up front in the Buzz, and aside from the – broadly impressive, although more proper buttons would be welcome – 12.9-inch touchscreen, little enough has changed. You have the same comfy, lofty seating position (you can eyeball Land Rover Defender drivers), the same Vista-Vision widescreen view out the front, which just makes you realise how hard it is to see out of so many other big cars. Hop in the back, though – through the never-not-fun electric sliding side doors – and there is a big change. Legroom was never an issue in the five-seat Buzz, but here in the seven-seater, there's simply masses of space. Even in fairly roomy cars, I can usually at least brush my knees off the back of the front seat, but not here. I can almost stretch my legs out straight, when the adjustable rear bench has been slid to its furthest-aft position. Better still, the entirely flat floor and the broad middle seat means that there's actually room, and comfort, for three full-grown adults here. Usually, pushing a set of adjustable middle-row seats all the way back means that anyone in the third row has to have a knee-ectomy, or at least cram their legs up into their armpits. Not so in the Buzz – row three is not only easy to access (the big sliding side doors and the tilt-and-slide middle row make getting in and out much easier than in rival SUV models) but there's still ample legroom and headroom in there, even if you're built like me. I'm officially classified as 'husky'. VW seven-seater Behind, with all seven seats in use, there's a mere 306 litres of boot space left over, but flip row three down flat, and you have an enormous 1,300 litres to play with. For high-spec models such as this Style version, there's also a raised section of boot floor to give you a flat-load space across the backs of those seats. The raised section has a lid, allowing you to easily stash charging cables and so on underneath, and you can remove it to get a lower boot floor, but that involves screwdrivers and spanners, so it's probably best left alone. Two issues will give you loadspace pause, though. One: there's nowhere to store the retracting luggage cover if the back seats are in use or if you want to load up to the roof. Two: the top-hinged tailgate is so big that you need to leave considerable room behind you when parking so as to be able to open it. Side-hinged barn doors would be better. A longer Buzz means a bigger battery, so this version gets an 86kWh unit, compared with the 77kWh of the standard five-seat Buzz. That makes for an improved range, rising from about 420km for the five-seat version to up to circa 470km here. In the real world, the difference is quite significant. In previous test drives of the five-seat Buzz, range generally works out to a realistic 350km or so. Here in the seven-seater, range is more like 430km in real-world conditions, which is much more useful, and we easily matched VW's claimed 21kWh/100km energy consumption figure. Put it this way: in one day I drove from Dublin to Wexford and then on to Belfast, using mostly motorways, with only one quick 25-minute stop for a recharge, arriving home with 35 per cent remaining charge in the battery. That's more than decent, and with charging now possible at up to 200kW from a high-powered DC charger, that turns the Buzz into a viable long-haul machine. Which is its perfect role. The suspension, generally good at ironing out the worst tarmac, does tend to occasionally heave and jerk on rough urban streets as it attempts to keep the Buzz's 2.6-tonne weight under control. On bigger roads it's much better, although motorways are not the Buzz's natural environment. Much better to take windier main roads, stick to about 80-100km/h and enjoy both the surprisingly direct steering, and that glorious view of the countryside. It's an expensive thing, the seven-seat Buzz – our test car clocked in at €75,350, but that does need contextualising. First off, that's in line with all-electric seven-seat rivals such as the Kia EV9, yet the Buzz has more space. It has as much usable space as, say, a Mercedes EQV, but is – wait for it – €50,000 cheaper, and has better range on one charge. Batman might be good at rescuing the citizens of Gotham City, but the seven-seat Buzz is here to save us from SUVs. Lowdown: Volkswagen Style Seven Seat Power 210kW e-motor developing 286hp and 550Nm of torque, powering the rear wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission. CO2 emissions (annual motor tax) 0g/km (€120). Electric consumption 19.5-21.0 kWh/100km (WLTP). Electric range 453-487km (WLTP) 0-100km/h 7.9 sec. Price €75,350 as tested, starts from €67,785.
Geek Dad
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – Batman and Robin: Year One #7
Batman and Robin: Year One #7 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: Waid and Samnee continue to take us into a chapter of Gotham we really haven't seen before. While the core of this series is based around the new partnership between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in the field, it's as much about the way the villain ecosystem has changed. Batman has a partner now, and it's getting harder and harder for the villains to pull off their scheme. Into this dynamic straight from Miami comes the Grimaldi clan, a more ruthless crime family that has wasted no time putting most of the city's other families under their thumb. While the mob dominates this story, several other supervillains come in and out – including Two-Face, and the first Clayface, Matt Hagan. More a cunning master of disguise than Basil Karlo, he's been assassinating prominent citizens around Gotham and replacing them to embezzle their holdings – as happened to an old friend of Bruce Wayne's last month. Judgement Day. Via DC Comics. This cloak-and-dagger storytelling is nicely contrasted with the ongoing story of how Bruce and Dick continue to grow as partners, and as father and son. They're syncing up better in the field, and Bruce is learning to trust Dick more each issue. In the everyday world is a different story. Dick's activities as Robin are raising some red flags when he shows up to school with injuries, and his circus background makes him a target for a middle-school bully. Those two subplots come together in hilarious fashion when we see just how far Dick will go to protect his secret identity. This issue feels more like a breather story between the bigger-scale stories going on, like last issue's murder and the coming gang war, but between Samnee's excellent art and the great character work, it's a fantastic read. Between this and Lemire/Nguyen's upcoming Jason Todd story, Batman's early days are getting some great coverage. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Unbelievably powerful electric vehicle turns heads with its ultra-futuristic design: 'Like a fighter jet on wheels'
Parked against the curb on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, the Raesr Tachyon Speed effortlessly drew an audience. Shoppers crowded around the electric vehicle, taking photos and videos as the motorized top opened for the approaching driver, as seen in this TikTok video by SB Xtra (@ The jet-fighter canopy opened to reveal the driver's seat, while a backseat canopy remained closed over the tandem passenger seat. Steering wheel in hand, the driver lowered themself down into the hypercar and said, "I've never seen a car get more attention than this." It's not hard to understand why this electric vehicle is such a head-turner. The innovative design — featuring a low, wide stance, advanced aerodynamics, and carbon-fiber body — feels like a nod to the Batmobile, while the driver's seat canopy looks like something out of Top Gun. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "They wanted it to look like a fighter jet on wheels," said the driver after exiting the car in the TikTok video. The touchscreen panels inside the car that control the vehicle — even putting it in drive simply requires the tap of a screen — were also shown. It's hard to imagine a car this high-tech could save you money, but like all EVs, its owners wouldn't have to pay for gas or routine maintenance like oil and fluid changes, leading to major savings over time. EVs also sport quieter engines, allowing drivers a more peaceful ride. The lack of tailpipe pollution is yet another win for EVs. Battery manufacturing and charging do generate some environmental impact, but not nearly as much as gas-guzzling cars overall. We dig up about 30 million tons of minerals annually for the green energy transition, but we're digging roughly 16.5 billion tons of fossil fuels out of our planet every year to support our dependency on dirty fuel, and that's what we're trying to replace. One study out of MIT found that cars with internal combustion engines generate an average of 350 grams of carbon air pollution per mile driven over their lifetimes. Comparatively, this value was only 200 for EVs that run on batteries charging on an average U.S. power grid. The SB Xtra driver said, "There's so much power from the batteries, that they can actually light up a small village for a few minutes." One TikToker joked, "Does Bruce Wayne know you're messing with his car?" Another user wrote, "Beautiful car." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Express Tribune
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Iconic Movies That Turn 20 in 2025: From Wizards to Superheroes
In 2005, Hollywood was buzzing with some of the most iconic blockbusters that still shape pop culture today. The Harry Potter franchise solidified its place in movie history with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, while Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith brought the prequel trilogy to a dramatic close. Comedies like Wedding Crashers showed that laughter could come from unexpected places, while films like Sin City pushed boundaries with their bold, graphic visuals. Meanwhile, Batman Begins brought a fresh, darker take on the Dark Knight, paving the way for an entire superhero renaissance. With all of these cultural touchstones celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025, it's a great time to revisit these films and relive the magic. 1. Batman Begins Christopher Nolan's gritty reboot of the Batman franchise completely transformed how we viewed the Dark Knight. By grounding the story in realism and focusing on Bruce Wayne's psychological journey, Batman Begins not only revitalized a tired superhero genre but also set the stage for one of the most influential trilogies in cinematic history. 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire The fourth entry in the wizarding saga took us deeper into the magical world with the Triwizard Tournament, where dark forces began to rise. The emotional intensity and growing stakes made Goblet of Fire a defining chapter in the Harry Potter series, solidifying it as a cultural juggernaut that would continue to captivate generations. 3. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith The final chapter of George Lucas's prequel trilogy gave fans a heartbreaking look at Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Revenge of the Sith may have ended the saga's prequel era, but it also provided the emotional payoff fans had been waiting for, setting up the original trilogy's events. 4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Based on C.S. Lewis's beloved fantasy novels, this adaptation introduced us to a magical world where children must fight to save a land under the spell of eternal winter. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mixed adventure, fantasy, and strong emotional stakes, making it a key moment in the early 2000s fantasy film era. 5. Wedding Crashers A comedy that quickly became iconic for its over-the-top humor and wild antics, Wedding Crashers took the rom-com genre and threw in a dose of raunchy fun. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson's performances as two love-hungry men crashing weddings still remain a favorite among fans of laugh-out-loud humor. 6. Madagascar This animated adventure about a group of zoo animals escaping into the wild captured the hearts of both kids and adults. Its quirky humor and lovable characters like Alex the lion and Marty the zebra turned Madagascar into a franchise, while its catchy theme song became a cultural staple. 7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Based on the beloved book series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a quirky, sci-fi adventure that delved into absurd humor and intergalactic chaos. With a stellar cast including Martin Freeman and Zooey Deschanel, the film perfectly captured the offbeat tone of Douglas Adams' work. 8. Fantastic Four Marvel's first attempt at bringing the Fantastic Four to the big screen was a box office success, even if it didn't quite capture the magic of the comics. Still, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch became a breakout role, and the film set the stage for Marvel's superhero dominance in the years to come. 9. King Kong Peter Jackson's epic remake of King Kong brought the giant ape to life with stunning visuals and a heart-wrenching story. The 2005 film captured the magic of the 1933 classic while pushing the boundaries of CGI and action filmmaking, creating one of the most memorable monster movies of the decade. 10. War of the Worlds Directed by Steven Spielberg, War of the Worlds took H.G. Wells' classic alien invasion story and gave it a modern, intense spin. With Tom Cruise in a high-stakes survival story, the film became a thrilling blockbuster that played with both visual spectacle and emotional depth. 11. Sin City With its striking black-and-white visuals splashed with bursts of color, Sin City was a visually arresting adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel. The film's noir atmosphere and ensemble cast of gritty characters made it a standout in 2005 and established a new standard for stylish, mature comic book adaptations. 12. Hitch Will Smith's charming turn as a professional "date doctor" helped make Hitch one of the most successful rom-coms of the year. With its mix of humor, romance, and heart, Hitch continues to be a favorite, especially for those looking for a feel-good, lighthearted movie. 13. Elektra After her breakout role in Daredevil, Jennifer Garner reprised her role as the lethal assassin Elektra in this spin-off. Despite its lukewarm reception, Elektra remains a niche superhero film that appeals to fans of the genre, even if it didn't leave a lasting impact like other comic book adaptations. 14. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl A fun, family-friendly fantasy from Robert Rodriguez, this movie introduced the world to the imaginative duo of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. The film's visual effects and whimsical storyline captivated young audiences, making it a cult favorite for those who grew up with it. 15. Sky High A superhero high school comedy, Sky High offered a fresh take on the genre by focusing on the children of famous superheroes. With its colorful cast and fun exploration of powers, Sky High remains a delightful reminder of the early 2000s obsession with all things superhero. 16. Robots This animated film, featuring the voices of Robin Williams and Ewan McGregor, brought to life a robot world full of innovation and humor. Robots' vibrant animation and positive messages of creativity and perseverance made it a favorite for families looking for something lighthearted yet meaningful. 17. Brokeback Mountain A groundbreaking drama about love, loss, and societal expectations, Brokeback Mountain became an instant classic. Its sensitive portrayal of a same-sex relationship in rural America brought both critical acclaim and cultural conversations, cementing its place as a cinematic masterpiece. 18. Constantine Keanu Reeves starred as the demon-hunting antihero John Constantine in this dark, atmospheric comic book adaptation. Constantine quickly became a cult favorite, blending elements of supernatural horror with noir detective stories, and has since gained a loyal fan base. 19. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants A story about friendship, growing up, and shared experiences, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants resonated deeply with audiences, especially young women. Its heartfelt narrative and the strength of its cast helped the film become a defining moment in 2000s teen cinema.
