Tag Archives: Batman

Kia Reveals Final Justice League-Themed Sorento

For the past year, Kia has been auctioning off Justice League-themed vehicles to benefit the DC Entertainment’s charity We Can Be Heroes. These specialty vehicles have included a Batman Kia Optima as part of New York Comic Con, a Wonder Woman Sportage, and five other vehicles based on Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg.

Bringing the project full circle, Kia revealed the final Justice League vehicle at the San Diego Comic Con last week. The final vehicle was a Kia Sorento with all seven members of the Justice League featured prominently on the side of the vehicle and “Justice League” printed across the hood of the car. Inside, each seat is themed around a Justice League member with Superman in the driver’s seat. Famed comic book writer and artist Jim Lee designed the vehicle.

Bidding for the Sorento ends today, and with 18 bids, the Sorento is currently going for $38,100. To bid on the Sorento or any of the other auction items, go to http://stores.ebay.com/we-can-be-heroes.

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Kia Announces Super Hero-Themed Line-Up

Last Friday, we told you about Kia’s custom Batman-themed Optima which was on display as part of DC’s Darkness & Light art exhibition. We thought it was a fun idea considering that New York Comic Con was also happening this past weekend, and maybe the exhibition would get some attention from the comic book crowd.

As it turns out, Kia has bigger plans with DC. Very soon, Kia will be offering custom cars themed after Batman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. They will be revealed at special events across the country and then auctioned off for charity benefiting DC’s “We Can Be Heroes” initiative.

Reading over some of the coverage of Kia’s announcement, I think some people missed the point. Time Magazine’s Brad Tuttle called it an “odd” strategy and wondered whether Batman would have driven a Kia Optima. “The practical, commuter brand just wouldn’t be rugged (or bulletproof) enough to suit a Batman’s crime-fighting activities, and Kia’s reputation for affordability wouldn’t be a match for Wayne’s billionaire playboy mystique.” He also made the odd comment that the Wonder Woman car would be the “girliest” Kia model.

Do I need to remind Time Magazine that Batman isn’t real? The point isn’t that Batman would drive this car. If that were the case, it would be completely impractical for any normal American consumer to own and drive. The point is that Kia is increasing brand awareness while also supporting a good cause. The people bidding on the cars will be much more interested in having a piece of car and comics memorabilia and helping families in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa.

Besides that, there are a lot of words I would use to describe Wonder Woman. Girly is not one of them.

To learn more about “We Can Be Heroes,” check out their website here. If you are looking for a great new or used car, Approved Loan Store wants to help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we want to be your automotive heroes! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Batman-Themed Kia Optima Headlines Art Exhibition

With New York Comic Con kicking off today in New York, the Approved Loan Store office has been daydreaming about Superman, Captain America, and the Dark Knight himself, Batman. We were so excited when our love of cars and superheroes overlapped with Kia’s new Optima based on Batman.

The Optima concept will be on display at the Time Warner Center at the same time as New York Comic Con as part of DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” campaign and the Darkness & Light art exhibition. “We Can Be Heroes” benefits three fantastic organizations, Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps, in providing aide to areas of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya. These regions are struggling to survive the worst drought in 60 years, and millions of people are in dire need of assistance.

If you are in the New York City area, we recommend stopping by the Time Warner Center this weekend and checking out the Batman-themed Optima and the exhibit. This exhibit is supporting an important cause, and between the new original art by Jim Lee and the souped-up Optima, we can’t decide what we are more excited to see. For more information on “We Can Be Heroes,” you can check out their official website here.

Whether you are looking for a Kia, a Chevy, a Mazda, a Chrysler, or something else entirely, Approved Loan Store wants to get you into the car you want at a price you can afford. Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we want to help you! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to the Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Have Celebrity Car Endorsements Gone Too Far? Batman Reviews Hyundai i30

These days, every car manufacturer is looking for a celebrity to promote their latest, hottest models. Justin Bieber has his chrome Fisker Karma, Charlie Sheen drove a FIAT 500 Abarth through his house in FIAT’s “House Arrest” commercial, and Jerry Seinfeld tried to get his hands on an Acura NSX in last year’s Super Bowl commercial. Recombu Cars, a new source for independent car news and reviews, is taking a new route with the celebrity endorsement and soliciting the opinions of fictional characters.

Their first (and hopefully not last) “celebrity” auto critic is none other than Bruce Wayne’s famous alter-ego, Batman. Recombu Cars’ Rory Reid was filming a typical video review of the Hyundai i30 in Central London when his review was hijacked by the caped crusader. To say that Batman was initially underwhelmed by the i30 is an understatement. When Reid praised the i30’s spacious interior with plenty of room for families, Batman growled, “My parents are dead.”

By the end of the review, though, Batman had softened to the i30 and even begrudgingly asked if it came in black. I still doubt that Batman will pick up the i30 considering how much trouble he had with the voice-activated entertainment center. “Play CD…play CD…swear to CD!”

You can watch the full review below:

At Approved Loan Store, we’re not so sure we would take Batman’s advice in picking out a new car, but our special finance representatives are ready and willing to help you, whether you have a year and model in mind or if you are just starting your car search. Fill out our secure online auto loan application here to get started, and keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Two-Face Car: State Farm Builds Monster Classic Car

Last weekend, The Dark Knight Rises broke box office records and won critical acclaim as well. America has Batman on the brain, including car enthusiasts, so Jalopnik was very excited to find a classic car rebuilt to resemble one of Batman’s most famous villains.

Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face, is an iconic villain, and even people who don’t read comic books know Two-Face. One side of his face is handsome, and the other is hideously deformed. Now, State Farm needed a new way to train classic car insurance appraisers so they could tell the difference between a good restoration and a shoddy one. They wanted something that would be memorable for the trainees, so instead of just bringing in a good classic car and a bad classic car, they build a classic car with two “faces.”

On the driver’s side, this 1968 Camaro has been meticulously refinished with an off-white paint job. On the passenger’s side, the car is a patchwork of parts covered in flashy red, white, and blue paint. The brakes, wheels, and cylinder heads don’t match, but the car does its job. Side by side, it isn’t hard to see the difference between the good restoration and the bad restoration.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of a downer for anyone thinking about getting their hands on State Farm’s Frankenstein of classic cars. The “Harvey Dent” car is not exactly built for the road. It can drive well enough to use in training or show off at an auto show, but personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving it out on the road.

Approved Loan Store might not have the “Two-Face” car, but we love to get our customers into the new or used car of their dreams! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we want to help you! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and connect with Approved Loan Store on Facebook, Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image Credit: State Farm on Flickr